Mine was a 1 hour and change build, and I agree with the sentiment.
Which doesn’t affect the car in any way.
As we all know, selection for modern steelies is limited, and it’s just a visual thing. An elimination for that, especially for a QFC, is a bit harsh IMO.
Also, if you look at the cargo capacity, it suddenly doesn’t seem exaggerated to have six lugs, does it?
2 Likes
Mate, ya fifth place. and technically it was the staggered tyre size that got ya. You did well.
Finalists
- Written by @chiefzach2018
Hey, it’s the after show. Thanks so much for supporting me, I really appreciate it. You guys give me a reliable income, and working as an intern for all these years - I mean, that’s just the most valuable thing, I’m tellin’ ya.
“INTERN!”
Crap, I’ve been found.
Let’s Wrap This Show Up
Yojido Gran Cedo
Diana: Ah, this goober. The conservative styling does remind me of a few specific vans. It looks deceptively small from photos - almost kei-like. In-person though, this is larger than expected and does decently with visibility. I have heard rumors about worse-than-average safety though…
Wade: It’s deceptive in more than one way. Check under the hood. You would expect an engine there, but instead, you get luggage space. Come back around here and check under this panel.
Diana: Oh, that’s where the inline-four is - in the middle. 1.5L, 112 HP, and 123 lb-ft ain’t much, but given the light weight of the car, it’s an honest worker in a nimble chassis. There’ll be plenty of cover from rain and shine while working on the engine in case something goes wrong.
Wade: About that. This car is prone to failure on both the car itself and that engine - the worst of the finalists. At least it’s the most efficient finalist when it comes to fuel at 40 MPG US. While most drivable and comfortable among these bunch, poor utility and middling practicality combined with a cost that only allows 14 units hold it back.
Diana: At least this van wears its RR MR badge with pride. Best wildcard? Yes. Podium? Almost.
Final Placement: P4
ADAZ 85310
Diana: Large and in charge, this. Visually, it plays exactly as one would expect, and it does an excellent job with its hand. Engineering-wise, this reads as a well-balanced heavyweight. The increased mass aids in granting this the greatest safety among the finalists, balancing relatively mediocre visibility.
Wade: Driving this chassis is a… choice of a motor. 2.0L for an I6 is an odd choice in the modern era, especially for a van of this size, but it’s doing something right as it’s the most reliable of the final four thanks to low stress. A lean fuel mixture keeps the efficiency toward the front at 39 US MPG, and it’s a fairly cheap engine to run.
Diana: We can easily snag 15 of these in our budget. With that in mind, there are some concerns with its practicality, worst of the finalists thanks to its larger-than-life form factor. Utility is best among the finalists, and drivability is… acceptable. Comfort is in the upper echelon.
Wade: It’s like that one handheld… Bulletproof reliability in a thick shell. Of all the large vans, this one’s made it the furthest - the next one’s Riley’s in P7. The capabilities it offers in 15 units means this offers the best value.
Diana: There are still two other contenders I have in mind.
Final Placement: P3
Strenus Sirène 1.4
Diana: Look at this goober. This is a small lad. 1300 kilos makes it the lightest among the finalists. I mean, sure, safety suffers, but you can see heaps out of the cabin. We can also buy the most of these among the finalists - 16 of these. We could make a perfect-square ensemble out of them.
Wade: Strewth, look at this unique engine. It has a low center of gravity thanks to arranging its four cylinders in a flat manner. Reliability on both ends are midpack among finalists, but I love the unique play. 1.4L, 94 HP, and 101 lb-ft are not much, but do you really buy a van for power? No, you buy it for service costs! How does $630 sound?
Diana: It is tempting… Though I have doubts. The fuel efficiency is astonishing - where the ADAZ gets 39 MPG US with 350 kg more weight and a significantly larger footprint, this gets just 34 MPG US. Further, the Gran Cedo saves this from running the worst utility by 0.1 points.
Wade: It’s practical, drivable, and comfortable, but none of these dynamics really stand out on their own. If only it was more efficient, it would have the trifecta of cheap upfront cost, cheap maintenance costs, and cheap fuel costs. I might buy one myself to rip out the engine and tinker with it.
Diana: No reason to despair. You’ll like this last one.
Final Placement: P2
Tarquini Freccia FPU
Diana: Behold: the smallest nugget in the final four. Weight is 90 kg over the previous car, but it’s half a square meter smaller on footprint than the previous car. Is safety the worst? Yes, saved from worst among the field by 0.1 points from the Scarlet Fire victim. Is visibility the best? Yes - visibility is second-best among all entries, and obscured distance is overall shortest.
Wade: 
A brand new nug. It’s reliable sans damping. A balancing mass would help, but reliability is already on the higher end of the finalist pack for trim and engine. A 1.8L I4 does plenty of work in this case, making 123 HP and 145 lb-ft, but despite the extra power, the car gets nearly 38 MPG US. Service costs are still over $720 - rather solid.
Diana: Utility’s toward the higher end of four, and practicality’s toward the lower end of the four. Drivability is lower by 0.1 from the previous car, and comfort is worst of the four. That being said, we could just sneak it by with 15 units…
Wade: The one other thing I would add: progressive springs. This van could carry another 400 kg thanks to them, but if we need them, we could change them out down the road. As-is, I think this might be our best base vehicle to use.
Diana: When this van does well, it does so impeccably as a generalist across the high priorities, and where it doesn’t do so well, it can afford to get away with it as they are mainly lesser priorities. It would also be an easy base for a livery. We’re in agreement on this decision. You did well… Intern.
Final Placement: P1
15 Likes
I was confident on getting a good result here, but I didn’t expect a win! It was very fun to build this, although I struggled a lot getting safety over 65.
I’m currently hosting RTTC but the deadline for that is still far and I think I can finish a QFC round in the meantime. I have some ideas, give me 24 hours and I’ll see if I can make it work.
9 Likes