Water is wet, indeed.
6 Likes
October 9, 1970
Turqoise Dragon Hotel, Basara, Dalluha
“Mr. Jenkins!”
“Mff…” was all Jenkins could muster. The voice repeated itself.
“What is it, boss?”, he slurred hoarsely.
“Sir, I am not your boss, I’m the hotel concierge. Please, sir, I know our lobby sofas are quite nice, but you have a room…”
Suddenly realizing where he was, his eyes shot open, and he would have shot up from the couch if not for the splitting headache that bludgeoned him right back down. An empty bottle of something labeled in Dalluhan lay as an apparent paperweight on top of a few papers on the coffee table next to him.
“I’ll get you some water, sir. Take your time.” The concierge, smirking subtly, walked off.
The lobby was lit primarily by a colossal stained glass window, resembling something out of a mosque, grandiose and intricate to a level that would humble any Fruinian cathedral. Sunbeams streamed through it like memories of the previous day, a chaotic barrage of colorful and exotic fragments slowly forming a coherent whole.
His last clear memory was waking up in the sleeper compartment of one of the trucks they used to haul the muscle car delegation all the way across Archana, just as they got to the Dalluhan border. The drive across Archana was long and completely uneventful, courtesy of the military escort they had the entire way, to ensure not the slightest deviation from the highway.
This was joined by fragments of a conversation last night - where exactly, he couldn’t recall, but it was crowded and ornate… and wine was involved… and something about a cheese plate - with the government liaison officer who took charge of all the international paperwork, relating to Jenkins the difficulty they had securing the necessary permits. Then… what had happened? Something about a car show… something about a bar… then another. There was a joyride in something, thankfully someone else behind the wheel… that was one of their own cars… or was it something Dalluhan? A lot of mentions of V12 engines, though the details escaped him…
The concierge meanwhile had managed to put a glass of water on the table, heavy solid crystal with three silver stars inlaid in it, without being noticed. A few sips of what had to be the cleanest water he’d ever tasted, he managed to get off the embroidered silk sofa, memories still trickling in, and staggered over to a large mirror. The disheveled remains of debauchery stared back at him, half grinning and half groaning. He straightened his hair with one hand, a wedding band on it, and noticed with alarm what appeared to be smudged black lipstick on his jaw. His memory indeed had some 'splainin to do…
He sat back down to finish the water, which somehow had been replenished meanwhile. Picking up the bottle, he looked at the papers. Aha! These were notes from at least three different people on how the cars had been received at the auto show. One of the papers was in Dalluhan, so that one would have to wait. He began to read…
11th/19: Kastove Super Butter SS
by @IJN_Yamato
“Generating a lot of traffic at its display booth. Dalluhans’ first impression a good one; it’s large, loud, and luxurious. Just how they like it! A bit plain in decoration, but the size, color, and sheer audacity compensate. A bit old fashioned, but they don’t seem to mind.”
“They came for the looks, stayed for the specs, though some left as soon as they heard the near maxed-out price ($24800). Properly fast (1km in 25.3s, 0-100 in 6.0, top speed 268kph), though complaints arose over the braking distance and fade (46.6, 0.9%). Still, lots of requests for testdrives. Fortunately, Boss foresaw this and told them to come back in a couple of hours.”
Then, in the same writing but with different ink, evidently an update sometime later, “Testdrives going by very quickly. Most don’t even make it a block without turning around and getting out, shouting profanities. Translators are having a hard time keeping up, but one local who spoke Gasmean put it this way: ‘what butter? Our tractors run on gravel smoother than this.’ Locals apparently spoiled on V12. Worst-in-class smoothness (37.6) a contributor to almost-worst-in-class comfort (19.2). Though not as bad as the ride, and worse, the brakes with 75 compound (!) pads. Choice of solid rotors front and drums in back is odd, daft.”
“Not so easy to drive (45.5), very high service costs ($2206, second worst). Booth got quiet quickly. The last group that arrived were some engineers, who somehow got proprietary info about the engine and determined it had the worst-in-class reliability (55.4). A couple were very puzzled why it wasn’t a V16 at this displacement.”
10th/19: Brawn GTS
“Unconventional styling but reasonably well done. Clean. On the small side, both in wheelbase (2.7m) and overall dimensions. Dalluhans liked it more than we expected, given the size and lack of bling.”
“One of the few that aren’t a V8, the 3.8L SOHC-2 straight six also went over better with the locals than we expected. They praised the smoothness and the noise of triple DCOE. 241hp rather low, but weighing 1175kg and with good aerodynamics, manages halfway respectable speed (26.0 1km, 6.6 0-100, 246kph top) with almost the best brakes we’ve seen so far - 42.7 100-0, zero fade. Surprisingly comfy for its size (25.2), though surprisingly harder to drive (44.7).”
“Testdrives rave about the handling and engine response. The most fun to drive of anything here (28.2 sport). It’s mediocre for a muscle car, but does quite alright for a sports sedan, and that does count for something.”
“Engineers rather sour on the reliability. Engine’s 56.6 is second-worst.”
BINNED: Audax Voyager Magic 369
“Front and rear universally appreciated. Side looks a bit upright, frumpy, and bare, apart from a sticker (?). Front wheel covers unfathomable.”
“Pretty fast (1km in 25.2s, 0-100 6.6, 265 top speed) but brakes don’t keep up (49.2m 100-0). Fairly comfortable (28.5) but unexpectedly hard to drive (39.5). Further investigation revealed possible reason: bent rear axle housing. It arrived late for the loading, so maybe hit something en route in a hurry. Someone’s getting in trouble for not noticing before bringing it all this way.”
The Audax is binned for setting toe on a non-steering solid axle. It would have placed 10th otherwise.
9th/19: Hexe Hunter 'General Schäfer'
by @Isabella
“Styling is quite polarizing. Wheels stylish but comically oversized. Front very well received, both its main grill and the lower detailing. Rear not so much. Broad consensus that it’s bold and has great potential, but seems unfinished, and the HUNTER text is just too big.”
“The livery and numbers were puzzling. They don’t get Gasmean TV over here, so nobody had heard of the Earls of Haphazard and got the reference.”
“Formidable acceleration (fourth fastest 1km in 24.8, 0-100 in 6.5, top speed highest in class at 289kph) but mediocre brakes (48.5m 100-0, though commendably with no fade).”
“Testdrives a mixed bag. Relatively easy to drive (50.8), and quite engaging as well (20.2 sport). Comfort not great (21.8).”
“Upfront price high-ish ($22300), SVC astronomical - $2789 [that’s after correcting for staggered tires, $3818 before] is by far worst in class.”
“Not exactly a one-trick pony, but what it does do well comes with too many compromises and at too high a price.”
8th/19: CBC Freshborn 'demon baby'
by @aka_nobuddy
“Large and loud again, this time more up to date. Color a bit much for some, a definite plus for others. Wheels an odd choice, look like meant for a smaller car. Details mostly generic, anonymous, but the vents and hood scoop stand out in good ways.”
“Speed good, brakes less so. 1km in 25.1, 0-100 in 6.4, top 252. Stops are fade-free but take 47.7m.”
“Comfort and reliability are ok (23.8 comfort, 62.2 engine, 78.0 the rest), driveability mediocre (41.2), as is sportiness (9.3). Price and maintenance a bit high, not terrible ($22900 upfront, $1699 SVC).”
“The most average, middle-of-the-road entry. Looks aside, isn’t exceptionally anything, good or bad.”
7th/19: Arlington Pocono RZ7
by @texaslav
Just then, Jenkins heard a soft groan and some shuffling right behind the couch. Startled, he stood up, just as a shaking hand reached up to grab the back of the couch, commencing its owner’s audible struggle to rise.
“Anderson! Jesus, you scared the living daylights out of me!”
“Huhhh… Jenkins? Where are we?”
“The lobby of our hotel. When did you get here?”
It took a moment for the boilers to be lit and the lightbulbs to flicker on before the gears upstairs got going enough to produce an answer. “Same time as you, I reckon. At least, we got a ride back here together, in the back of some DCMW. You don’t remember the stoplight drag race, or the argument that led to it, or the bet you made and won? Feel your shirt pocket.”
Dumbfounded, Jenkins patted his chest, discovering a sizable fold of Dalluhan bills. Anderson, struck by a suddenly clear recollection of the scene, grinned, and sat down on the couch. Jenkins’ eyes wordlessly interrogated him.
“We ran into the same trio that we started chatting with at the Arlington display. One thing led to another and you made a bet with all three that the Arlington was the fastest car in the world of its type (1km in 23.6s, 0-100 in 4.8). Then promptly had to qualify it with ‘front-engined’. Well, these three locals, one of whom spoke good Gasmean and the other some, took you up on that. When the show ended, they each brought a car - one a bone-stock DCMW Marqaba Standard Twelve M, the other some souped-up Saberin special, and the third I don’t remember except it had a V8. I wasn’t sure whether to commend your bravery or mock your hubris, but you were right. The Arlington is the only car we brought that keeps pace with the domestic product here. In a 1km drag, it handily outran the rival 8 (24.4), was a hair faster than the 540hp twelve (23.8), and the Saberin… well, that one’s rear-engined, so its 23.2s didn’t count.”
“Huh. I remember none of this. The notes seem to mention a lot of praise for the looks.”
“Oh yeah, the visuals went down very well with the locals. Didn’t need to speak Dalluhan when seeing dropped jaws said it all. Even the ones who pointed out so-so body build quality or overly pinched wasp waist loved it overall.”
“Ooh, lots of red ink here about the brakes. What happened there?”
“Complexity, is what. It’d be an oversimplification to say the brakes are superb or crap, when they’re both. The 39.9m 100-0 stopping distance is the shortest of anything here, including the Dalluhan cars, but the rears last about as long as an ice bridge across the Sahara; 6.5% fade means that one hard long stop, and they’re cooked and useless probably before the stop is even over. The rear tires are some Goodgear street-legal drag special, and their tremendous grip is why it’s so fast in a pull and why it grabs so hard in a stop. They had disk brakes available, but not only did they stick to drums in the back, they didn’t even max out their size. If you never use close to full braking power, you never notice the fade. But if you never use full brakes, you probably aren’t driving the car anywhere near its full potential, and then what’s the point?”
“Even a portion of its potential is still a hell of a lot of car. But I see the point, and I get that it’s not easy to rank when it does so well but with such a flaw. Hopefully the industry reps at Arlington understand that too when we get back to them.”
“More to the point, I think they need to understand that realistic and easily avoidable problems are still easily avoidable problems, and we asked for good brakes, not realistic ones. Still, given the details of this problem and the rest of the car’s strengths, a quality bin seemed quite inappropriate.”
“How’d it do otherwise?”
“Nothing special either way. Average comfort (23.8), driveability (44.9), reliability (62.5 engine, 79.6 elsewhere which is third-best), sportiness (13.8). Prestige was third-highest at 51.3, second excluding the binned Audax. A bit pricey upfront ($22800), third-worst SVC ($2065).”
“What’s this document in Dalluhan?”
“Oh, that’s from one of the Sultan’s representatives. Apparently they’ve chosen five of the best we’ve brought to be shown to the Sultan himself.”
“And this isn’t one of them?!”
“Sadly, no. While the looks and performance are superlative, the demographic in mind for these cars places higher value on sorted-out whole packages, rather than the best of most mixed with the worst of some, especially something important.”
6th/19: Sumner Partisan 450 C/S
by @nvisionluminous and @moteurmourmin
“They chose five, and apparently took all the notes for those cars with them? I only have one left: the Sumner Partisan 450 C/S. This must’ve been towards the end of the night; the handwriting is atrocious. Anderson, Can you read this?”
“Uhmmmm… no. But I was at that booth most of the night, so I remember the gist. This one made for a fair amount of booth traffic as well. The looks were a draw, even as the small and lifted wheels drew mockery. The two-tone, overall shape, and a lot of the details earned it a visual score tied for first place with one other car, slightly ahead of the Arlington at second place. If not for those wheels, it’d’ve likely scored first outright. The front and rear grill especially were singled out for praise.”
“And the Go?”
“Good to excellent, with one major exception. Fifth-fastest in a km (24.9s), 0-100 in 6.0, top 261kph. It’s also comfortable (25.5), easier to drive than most (50.6), and has the third most reliable engine (70.1). Fun, too (19.9) and the costs aren’t terrible ($21700 upfront, $1682 SVC).”
“That leaves… the brakes. Uhoh…”
“Not a disaster, and they don’t fade a bit, but 46.7m 100-0 is on the long side, and what’s keeping this otherwise well-rounded and gorgeous performer out of the finals.”
9 Likes
So I am guaranteed a top-5 finish after all… Quite surprising given how strong the field is.
I’m fairly happy with a 10th. That’s still better than expectations.
WIth ARM34 winding down, I would happily take the reins of QFC55 if no other entrant in the top 5 is willing (or able) to do so.
Well, that’s about what I expected given the priorities of my build versus the brief itself; the writeup is good, although the whole “I hope the industry reps…” thing was too on the nose. Even if given advance knowledge of the outcome and the Dalluhan Sultan’s tastes, Arlington will still put 12-inch superspeedway drums on the rear of its muscle cars in place of discs 10 times out of 10, as they are not a problem - avoidable or otherwise - for the target demographic. 
2 Likes
A top-notch set of reviews so far. A week has passed since the last batch - if the reviews of the final five take a bit more time, then I’ll gladly accept that.
1 Like
Given how well-done the reviews have been so far, this comment comes across to me as unnecessary and mean-spirited.
Let’s try re-framing:
“Hey, I’ve been loving the detailed reviews so far and am really looking forward to seeing how this one finishes! I know quality takes time, so no pressure, but I’m just wondering if you have a sense of when the final reviews will be out? I’m looking forward to what will no doubt be an entertaining finish. Thanks for all of your hard work on these reviews!”
6 Likes
October 7, 1970
Onyx Palace, Basara, Dalluha
Backstory
“What’s taking so long?”
“I’ve already gone up there twice; the guards won’t tell me anything other than to wait.”
Five cars wearing Gasmean plates and about a dozen drivers and various staff continued to loiter outside the main gate of the Sultan’s primary residence, now the better part of an hour after they were to drive onto the grounds. Finally, two of the palace guards descended from the centuries-old marble guard tower and approached them. Though everyone of the delegation were told to dress their best for the occasion, they still looked like a mob of hobos next to the opulence of the guards’ uniforms - immaculate black wool, red velvet piping, gold embroidered accents, and white gloves. Out of context, one of them could’ve been easily confused for the Sultan himself, if not for the large automatic rifle slung over the back by an embossed leather sling, a chrome barrel visible behind the shoulder, and a lacquered burlwood stock by the hips. The guards’ visual presence was such that neither they nor the delegation’s supervisor needed to say anything for everyone to put out their cigarettes, straighten their ties, and stand at full attention.
“We have good news and bad news. The good news is that your wait is over, and you may enter shortly. The bad news is that the Sultan is indisposed and will not be attending. In his stead are a trusted group of advisors - some court officials, and some senior staff from Dalluha Coach & Motor Works. Shortly before your arrival, there unfolded a rather bizarre security incident at one of our border crossings. The reports we’ve received have been… extraordinary, to put it mildly, and we’re not sure what’s true or not, but out of an abundance of caution with regards to Archana’s paranoid and aggressive Chugunin regime, nothing less than our Head of State has gotten involved. We mention this first to explain the delay, second to explain the Sultan’s absence, and last but not least because we have reason to believe it is connected to your delegation. Could anyone here confirm whether a company named Audax was among you?”
Glances exchanged nervously. “Indeed, it was… what happened?”
“As I said, the reports we’ve received are contradictory and many of their details so outlandish that we can’t confirm much specific. Information is still coming in. So far, it appears that someone from Audax ( @supersaturn77 ) , for reasons unknown to us, attempted to drive a single car in a mad dash across Archana with no permits or paperwork whatsoever. Whether by speed, stealth, or other means - by a miracle, really - they succeeded in penetrating the heavily militarized border and made their way across several thousand kilometers all the way to the Dalluhan border, with half of the Archanan army and highway patrol in hot pursuit. As they reached the border, however–” The guard speaking was cut off by the other one, who simply gave a worried look and shook her head.
“I’m afraid we aren’t at liberty to divulge any further at this time. But as they say in your country, ‘the show must go on’, yes? So carry on, please, and welcome to the Onyx Palace!”
5th/19: Miller Stargazer
by @Ch_Flash
“Arguably the best-looking of the entire delegation. Concept, execution, build quality, details… all superb and masterfully done. Not flawless - the star badge in front is oddly canted, and there are missing chunks of vent window pillar - but as close as anything, and with an overall visual impact whose strength, quality, and level of decoration suits Dalluhan tastes quite well. Some might find the stars in the moonroof tacky, but most buyers here would either like them, or not care. We understand you Gasmeans are having political problems around convertibles, and so are hesitant to produce any? Well, the Targa-esque solution here is a fine one for us, who adore convertibles. There’s a lot to gawk at and admire, but if I had to name a single favorite detail… that would be the illuminated rear grill. A car that’s meant to readily show its taillights to competitors had best make them look good, and it does.”
“It’s the slowest of the five in a km (26.1), but that’s still quite good, and just as importantly, the brakes are among the best here. A stop from 100 is done in 42.3m and without a trace of fade. The pad compound is very aggressive (70), which puts a dent in its comfort rating (24.9) without doing much for sportiness. As the only automatic transmission entered, that rating is rather abysmal (2.3, by far DFL), and driveability isn’t great either (40.6). Perhaps a softer compound and more than 5% brake air cooling would’ve been a better solution?”
“Contributing to the downsides is a quite sloppy suspension tune, very underdamped and mismatched. Cornering is remarkably flat (4.1 degrees), but some no-cost revisions could’ve significantly improved its driving qualities, the middling grade of which are the reason, despite its visual supremacy, for its elimination at this point. Though matters aren’t helped by having the lowest engine reliability of the finalists (65.8), nor the highest service costs ($2018, third-highest overall).”
4th/19: Bergmann Intrepid
by @ldub0775
“Not what we expected from Centurion’s sister company. The visuals are underwhelming, while the mechanicals are surprisingly sorted out, not the least detail of which is by far the most reliable engine of any entry (75.3). And that’s not due to it being a meek and modest slowpoke, either - while 346hp is ok for this class, nothing special, what it does with those horses is take third place of all entries for 1km (24.6s), second place for top speed (287), and tied for fourth in 0-100. Brakes are so-so; 100-0 takes 43.1m and with 0.9% fade. It’s quite tippy in corners - 7.1 degree roll angle - but despite that, manages to be quite responsive and engaging in straight line running, scoring by far the highest sportiness of the finalists (25.7). Part of that is courtesy of the dubious choice of unassisted steering in a 1554kg front-heavy car, contributing to the second-worst comfort of anything here (19.1) and unimpressive driveability (44.8).”
“Yeah, the engineering is questionable in spots, but manages to produce a quite competitive result. Did they spend more effort on the Go, then, than the Show?”
“Seems like it. Visually, we find it merely ok. Good color choice, hidden headlights, and clean ornamentation are highlights, but the greenhouse angles are frumpy, the wheels are plain steelies, door vents big and ugly, and the rear bumper not only big and ugly, but oddly high up and rather slab-like, though the taillights are ok. We’ve seen much better from this maker, though all in all, it’s good news that they can now demonstrably make a car that’s well engineered, not just styled. Here’s hoping their next product will be both.”
3rd, 2nd, and 1st.
Harlan Pursuit 350 by @the-chowi, Armor Kestrel Sportwagon by @gasstiresandoil, AAA Centurion 427 Sedan by @abg7
“And now we come to the best of the best. Two are quite similar visually and functionally, differing in finer points, and the third marches to its own beat, and at at a rather vigorous pace to boot.”
"That pace is such that we need to amend a previous claim, that the Arlington was the only car that could keep up with locals. The AAA Centurion’s 1km sprint - a scorching 23.8 seconds - is a close second among all entries, superior to one and tied with another of local test mules. Only the Arlington and one rear-engined competitor outrun it, and not by much. Other performance metrics, while less superlative, aren’t far behind - 0-100 in 6.3s, 100-0 in 44.1m without a trace of fade, top speed 243kph. Handling is top-notch, with very finely balanced suspension tuning resulting in a class-leading 52.0 driveability. Sportiness is so-so, at 14.1, which is mostly due to the surprisingly tame engine - 53.9 responsiveness is about average, while 32.4 volume is by some margin the quitest of all entries (second place is at 34.6). This leads to the most remarkable thing about the AAA Centurion - that its pace and surefootedness are not due to particularly light weight (1540kg), extreme power (300hp), or sophisticated hardware (iron/iron OHV, 4-barrel carb, DW front and solid/leaf rear suspension). They are simply the result of what can only be described as outstanding engineering skill making the most of its relatively modest ingredients. It’s the ultimate expression of working smarter, not harder.
This, folks, is how to set up a suspension…
…and an engine, at least if a docile one is desired.
…and a road car transmission, though rather close-ratio.
…and brakes."
“The engineering of the wagons, on the other hand, is merely A-level. Despite comparable power (280hp in the Harlan, 307 in the Armor) and less weight (1328 and 1429kg, respectively), both are meaningfully slower in a km (25.6 and 25.4 seconds) and top out sooner (236 and 240kph), though the Harlan is faster off the line (0-100 in 5.7; the Armor’s 6.3 is tied with the AAA). Both stop considerably faster than the sedan, but have major brake fade (Harlan 41.5m and 1.6%, Armor 40.1m and 1.2%). Their driveability (Harlan 46.8, Armor 48.2) also lags behind, likely due to their larger footprint, though this also is behind the meaningful comfort advantage they hold (AAA 23.1, Armor 28.4, Harlan 27.3). Both exhibit less careful suspension and overall tuning, though engineering remains firmly within - indeed, near the top of - the realm of Competent.”
“So what separates the wagons?”
“Not much, but there are a couple of points. The Harlan is sportier (18.3 vs 11.3) and more reliable (engine 68.3 vs 66.2, elsewhere 75.4 vs 68.5), with considerably cheaper service costs ($1472 vs 1814). The Armor is a bit more comfortable, easier to drive, safer, and with better brakes. Though all are 2.8m wheelbases, the wagons also enjoy the obvious advantage of vastly more interior room compared to the more compactly proportioned sedan.”
“Seems the AAA largely outranks the wagons, and everything else for that matter?”
“By the numbers, yes, for the most part. Where its lead erodes is in visuals. The greenhouse has a squished, pinched look, not helped by the limo tint it wears. Side details are ok, the front is rather plain and square, while the rear… has a mildly attractive overall design, marred by huge lettering that furthermore was glued directly over the trunk seam. Cohesion isn’t great - swoopy coke-bottle sides go well with the hood scoop, but clash with the boxy rear and especially front. Its biggest visual flaw, though, are the wheels, looking about a decade and a half too modern, and rather loud at that. It’s not an ugly car, but the looks don’t earn it much appeal on top of its stats and performance.”
"The wagons, on the other hand, are some of the best-looking cars here.
The cherry red Harlan leads with its prominent contrasting-colored hood bulge, declaring in no uncertain terms what its name is and why you should remember it. The hood pins are a nice touch. Side detailing is more subtle, carried primarily by the classic five-spoke wheels with white-lettered tores, tastefully enhancing the visual impression as it (probably) passes you by. The extra crease over the rear wheels does a great job at breaking up what might’ve otherwise been an overly plain box. And bringing up the rear is a clean, unpretentious arrangement of lights, moldings, and bumpers displayed above a not-so-subtle underbelly that belies the car’s purpose - two fat, splayed out dump pipes announcing visual contrast to the tidy order above, that they’re ready to bring on the ruckus. The closest to a visual flaw to be found here is the grill, still good-looking, and quite cohesive with the rest of the car, but not quite as impressive.
While the paint the Armor wears is a lot more subtle, its overall appearance is anything but. From the front, visuals are off with a bang, courtesy of a well-executed hidden-headlight grill as menacing as it is tasteful. The way the hood and nose bulge are bisected by the grill lends it avant-garde originality while remaining firmly period-correct. Sides are a bit plain slabs, where the visual focus is near-monopolized by the striping and displacement numbering. It’s here that its only visual hiccup can be spotted, if you can even call it that - the tires look a size or two too fat for the wheel wells. From that same angle, though, we get to see the chrome roof rack, which upon further inspection turns out to cleverly integrate a (functional!) spoiler. The rear of the Kestrel Sportwagon is as clean as they get, without being overly plain. Perhaps it might have veered in the direction of respectable but boring if not for the prominent dual exhaust tips, which aren’t shy about announcing the car’s purpose, yet aren’t brash about it."
“So, who comes out ahead?”
“First, it needs emphasized that the top three here are more equal, overall, than not. But as the guard said, the show must go on, and for that to happen, we really do need to rank them. So congratulations first to Armor, for top-notch visuals carrying decent engineering, followed by AAA, for flawless engineering overcoming so-so styling, and closely trailed by Harlan, a small notch behind Armor in styling (93 vs 95), but nonetheless an outstanding example of exactly what this delegation was looking for. Bravo!”
9 Likes
I won! Thank you! The writing was fantastic, and I’m really impressed with the quality of all the entries.
I won’t be able to host next round though.
6 Likes
I am, however, able to do so.
If the ruleset of this QFC has echoes of what CSR120 would’ve been if four-door body styles were mandatory, its conclusion brings to mind that of CSR136 - I was beaten by a better-looking car, but my entry was among the most well-engineered, hence the close finish.
And since I will host the next QFC, please allow me some time to come up with a rule set.
Stop the press: Next round is up and running!
3 Likes
Well, not last is ok. Styling was just not good enough, as for the stats, I don’t really know what I was doing.