QFC21: #(Mini)van Life
2023. Somewhere in an unspecified suburb in America…
…a family of seven is looking to trade their rugged but aging 3-row SUV for a brand-new minivan. Why? Because they no longer venture off-road as often as they used to, but still want to go on road trips together in the same vehicle, and also use it to carry some of their stuff every now and then. They received a decent amount of money from selling their SUV, and having spent some of it on an older 4x4 pickup to take over from the SUV in off-roading duties, want to use the rest of it to finance their next purchase. Their priorities are as follows:
Major Priorities 
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Drivability - The easier their new car is to drive, the happier the family will feel whenever they step inside it.
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Safety - A safer car will provide peace of mind for all the occupants, all the time.
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Practicality - It needs to transport the whole family in one go, and some of their stuff besides.
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Comfort - This is essential for making long trips more bearable.
Moderate Priorities
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Design - If it looks right, then it usually is right.
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Costs (includes purchase price, fuel economy and servicing costs) - Money saved is money earned, but try not to go too far under budget.
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Reliability - Fewer breakdowns = more happiness.
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Environmental resistance - Premature rust is the bane of any family car, including minivans.
Minor Priorities
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Sportiness - They may not be sporty (nor are they even meant to be), but they shouldn’t be too slow, either.
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Offroad - It’s not a 4x4 like their old SUV was.
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Utility - The family’s new minivan will mostly be used for carrying people (including themselves) more than it is for hauling cargo.
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Prestige - Let’s face it, minivans are hardly going to attract the right kind of attention, but a more positive impression from others is always welcome.
Rules and Requirements
- Model, trim, family and variant years must all be set to 2020 - the latest the game allows.
- All tech pool values must be set to 0 (except for interior and safety, whose tech pool values must be set at +3 and +5, respectively, to unlock all HUD infotainment options as well as standard 20s safety). The tech pool chart should look like this:
- Must have a minivan body style (not an SUV/crossover) capable of having 3 rows of seats.
- Wheelbase should be between 2.70m and 3.10m inclusive (these are exact values).
- Front transverse engine placement preferred, but front longitudinal is acceptable.
- No 4x4 drivetrains (FWD, RWD and AWD are all allowed).
- Must have 6, 7, 8, or 9 full-size seats - see below for examples of configurations.
- 91RON regular unleaded fuel recommended (95RON premium unleaded will be accepted but will incur a penalty).
- A 3-way catalytic converter of any kind is mandatory.
- Maximum loudness of 35.
- Maximum engine emissions of 100.
- No race parts (intake/headers, semi-slick tires, racing diffuser, etc.).
- No manual or auto manual transmissions - none of the adults in the family can drive stick at all! They are not afraid of dual-clutch gearboxes, though.
- Tires must be radial, with widths not divisible by 10 (i.e., the last digit must be 5, not 0).
- At least standard 10s safety required (although standard 20s or, better still, advanced 10s or 20s safety is recommended).
- ESC is mandatory.
- Maximum price of $50,000 AMU.
- No V16 engines (I don’t have the DLC yet).
- No meme builds.
- Last but not least, do not use any of the body sets in the Legacy Body mod pack (which I don’t have).
Notes
- Be sensible and realistic - the real-life inspirations can serve as reference points for your build.
- For this class of car, naturally aspirated V6 engines are preferred, although the family is not afraid to try a good turbo I4. Engine configurations other than these two are allowed, however.
- 8-seat and 9-seat minivan trims are generally inferior to 7-seat ones in many areas, but practicality is not one of them - there are times when being able to carry an extra person or two is helpful. On the other hand, 6-seat trims are less practical, but cost less and are more comfortable, among other things.
- Interiors will not be required or judged, although you may make one if you wish to do so. I will also automatically assume that most entries come with sliding doors as standard, although smaller bodies may not need this feature.
- The family has a preference for neutral shades (white, black, gray, and silver) as well as deep metallic colors such as claret reds, navy blues and forest greens. However, they will still accept any color as long as it suites the car’s styling.
Size and seating
Size: Compact minivans have a wheelbase of 2.70m to 2.90m; full-size minivans have a wheelbase of 2.90m to 3.10m.
Seating Capacity & Configurations: You can easily squeeze 6 to 9 full-size seats in a minivan. Examples of configurations with these seat counts are shown below:
6 seats (3 rows of 2 seats each):
Alternate suggestion for 6 seats (2 rows of 3 seats each, no rear row):
7 seats (2 seats each in front and middle rows, 3 seats in rear row):
Alternate suggestion for 7 seats (2 seats each in front and rear rows, 3 seats in middle row):
8 seats (2 front seats, 3 seats each in middle and back rows):
9 seats (3 rows of 3 seats each):
Submission guidelines
Submissions open on Friday, March 17, 2023 at 12:00 am UTC and close on Friday, March 24, 2023 at 12:00 am UTC. Please send your submission via forum DM (not Discord) during this time period. The naming scheme is as follows:
Model and family name: QFC21 - your forum user name
Trim and variant name: name of your car and engine, respectively
Rules are subject to change until submissions open. If you wish to inquire regarding the rule set, please let me know.
And once again, good luck and have fun!
