QFC76 - Round 2
Somewhere in Massachusetts, 2026…
A little over an hour has passed, but at least Leon’s wife was back from her little trip, meaning he was free again.
It turned dark outside, but Leon went right back to his computer, ready to go through the rest of the list…
Alright, back to business… Let’s see what else they’ve got…
Leon’s Computer
Car 7 - Celeritas 2.0T (@tsarchasm)
Alright, let’s see what else they got…
Ooh, this one’s sleek… And it’s got a big glass roof, nice and open! God forbid I drive behind a truck on the Pike though, that does NOT look cheap to replace… Anywho, the front looks pretty clean, although the rest of the car does look kinda simple… Maybe it’s that new German design?
Well, if it’s German, then it’s gotta have some neat stuff underneath, right?? Lemme see the opinions…
Alright… Damn, good gas mileage… Pretty fun to drive… Damn reliable… And ooh, rear engined too?? Sounds exotic, it’s like a practical little supercar! Although what’s this? Hmmm… Kinda uncomfortable and not very safe… Well shit, the wife sure won’t like that… Or my back…
Man, it is a pretty sweet ride, but shit happens on the Pike after all, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Guess I’ll keep looking…
Eliminated.
OOC Comments
Mentioned in the design verdict, this is the only submission to be rear-engined, as well as being one of the two cars using a boxer engine. It also has the 2nd highest cornering G’s of all submissions, likely thanks to its rear engined nature. Moving to its stats, it’s standout statistics are its second highest sportiness, second highest fuel economy, as well as the third highest reliability stats give it plenty of points. Though its middling stats in the rest of the categories, and a last place Safety rating lead this to making it into around the middle of the placements.
Nebulon's Design Comments
Our first non-front-engined entry, and it looks rather nice as well. The front features a simple yet sleek lightbar, and a large lower fascia that I think compliments its look. The side is rather simplistic though, with the only lower moulding featured being the vent, so I do believe that could be impeoved. I do like that glass roof though, and the way it word of continues the windshield, it looks cool. Much like the front, the rear is also clean and modern, and I’m a sucker for clear taillights, so I do like those. I also like the small touches added, such as what seems to be a radar up front, and a just barely visible backup camera in the rear. Honestly, while it is rather flat overall, and could use some depth improvements on the side and front hood, this mixture of fixtures honestly works pretty well, and it could be a good basis for a really good design if it had more depth. Overall, I generally like the look of this, and it has potential, although it could be further improved with the use of things like more body moulding. - 7.5/10
Vanilla's Design Comments
The front looks very nice, the lightbar and glowing emblem giving a nice modern look. The split headlights are also a good touch, though the front is a tiny bit flat outside of vent fixtures in my opinion. Adding a lip and molding around the license plate would make the front look much nicer. Though easily the weakest part of the car is the side. Adding a side skirt and nicer looking and more prominent venting could’ve saved it. The rear of the car I have no major issues with, though I do feel a bit mixed about reusing the same fixture for headlights and taillights. I think the diffuser looks nice, but adding some venting to the bumper and above to show off the fact that its a rear engined car would be nice. - 6/10
Car 8 - Artemis Redtail Stratos (@oldmanbuick)
Hmmm, another one of them Boxer engines… And it’s even the same shade of blue… Weird that it’s called the "Red"tail though…
Not sure about the looks of this one… I mean, it’s not bad, but it lacks the “pizzaz”, y’know? My clients probably wouldn’t even notice me coming… Eh, maybe they’ll notice the badge, damn thing’s like a billboard! Maybe I can put an ad up there…
But hey, maybe it’s got the guts to make me look past the looks, right?
Alright… Decently easy to drive… Ride isn’t half bad… Pretty practical, and… Wow, talk about reliable! It says people have been putting over 250K on it, no issues!
Although… Hmmm… It’s still not much of a looker, and I do kind of want to own something that at least looks special… I’ll keep moving, I have a feeling there’s something close to this that my coworkers would actually notice me in…
Eliminated.
OOC Comments
This is actually a decently well engineered car. With the lightest weight here, likely due to it’s all-Aluminium panels and small boxer engine, it’s on the higher end of the drivability stats, and the lowest service costs. Along with that, it has some INSANE reliability, which is also the best in the challenge. It also has some decent sportieness thanks to being light and with a low center-of-gravity. It’s too bad that its styling and competition bog it down a little though…
Nebulon's Design Comments
Another decent design we got here. For some reason, the front kind of reminds me of a 1st gen Toyota Mirai, probably because of the color it’s in, and the shape of the lower fascia. Silly comparisons aside, this is an alright looking car, but not particularly interesting. The front features some sharp headlights with some outlining DRLs (which I wasn’t quite sure of at first, but I think they look fine looking at it more), some very shiny grille meshes, and a logo so big it could give Mercedes a run for its money. I do feel the front is rather flat though, probably due to the fact that there aren’t any mouldings at all to give it more depth. The side, however does feature some mouldings, which I can appreciate, as they don’t look half bad either. Although I’m not so sure how to feel with the shape of the greenhouse, especiaslly the way the windshield raises up, and the way the rear kind of drops down to the trunk area, I feel it looks sort of… lumpy? I guess? I also think some door seams would have made it look a little less slab-like though. I do like the rear though, especially those clean taillights, I almost thought they were pre-made fixtures. I do feel it looks rather dated though, compared to the front at least, but maybe that’s because it reminds me of some of the older Lexus models. Overall, not a bad looking car, just rather flat. - 5/10
Vanilla's Design Comments
The Artemis “Redtail” Stratos
Is blue
What did he mean by this?
Jokes aside, starting with the front, I’m not that big of a fan of how the DRL wraps around the shape of the headlight, which throws me off a bit. The badge is a bit large, and the weird light/indicator choices continue down the front. The indicator LEDs framing the vent are certainly a choice, and the random square of what I assume are fog lights at the bottom is weird. The side is inoffensive, though I wish door seam cutouts were made along the side molding. The rear is also inoffensive, with my only gripe being the red bars at the rather large reflectors above the diffuser. - 5/10
Car 9 - Larroque Reniassance SX (@Capri78)
…Woah. This looks crazy! Now this’ll get me noticed, it looks like a spaceship! I’ve never seen a front end like that… And that roofline definitely has to have some kind of headroom gain… And it’s French, so it’s gotta be classy too, right??
Although I heard that French cars visit the shop pretty often, I hope this isn’t one of 'em… Now what do people say… Hmmm… Oh wow, it’s actually pretty reliable?? And it rides like a cloud too? AND it gets decent gas mileage, and is easy to drive too?? Well I think I’ve heard enough, I’ve gotta see this one! The wife might not take its weirdness to kindly, but hey, what does she know? She’ll probably like the ride if it’s as good as they say…
Just hope the dealers aren’t TOO far…
Makes it to the Finals.
OOC Comments
What is the capital of France? Fuck I’m so brainrotted
This one leans more into the “cruiser” side of “sports cruiser”, having the highest comfort out of all the entries. It also sports a very French transverse 2.5L V6 with FWD, which also gives it the 2nd highest drivability, and fairly decent sportieness for a car like this. It also manages to get good fuel economy for an N/A V6, and actually beats out a lot of the 4-cylinders here in that regard. Also rather ironic for a french car, is its 2nd best reliability, and not far by a lot either. It’s a pretty well rounded entry, all things considered.
Nebulon's Design Comments (Prepare for the YAP)
You might have told me to “brace my fucking eyes for it”, well jokes on you I’m INTO THAT SHIT
This thing looks just as French as it is crazy (although those could go hand-in-hand). It’s so stupidly quirky, what’s not to love about it? And it’s got depth too, basically the whole thing is made of body mouldings and 3D fixtures, 384 of them, which is also insane considering this was made in a day or so. Honestly, where do I start! Hmmm… Well first of all, the overall shape with its crazy roofline sort of reminds me of a Cadillac ELR, only more longer, modern and definitely more… French. Now, for the front. The wrapping headlights look pretty damn sick, and the asymmetrical hood and grille, with its crazy amount of bars only adds to the cool quirkieness of it. The pixelated lower lights add to this, and kind of remind me of the Hyundai Ioniqs. And using holy mouldings for the lenses? Why didn’t I think of that? The side view makes it look long, with the sharp body lines adding the the character, as well as a covered wheel arch, as if this thing couldn’t get French enough. The rear looks a little more standard (relatively), with its also wrapping taillights with THICK ends pointing towards the side, a stylish chrome bar, and an oddly normal diffuser and exhaust situation considering how quirky and angular the rest of the car is. Like, it’s quirkieness even goes inside, with its crazy retro-modern steering wheel, the cool white seats with black accenting, and even the ignition in the center? God, I wish I could give it extra credit for the interior, I LIVE for quirkieness like this. I guess my main gripes are the aforementioned diffuser and exhaust looking kind of round for how angular the car is otherwise, same goes for the hood vent. I would also say that there is a ton of noticable patchwork and weird ripping, but that’s more of the game’s fault at this point, and it makes sense given there’s almost none of the base body left. The devs should have taken such Frenchie-ness into account, smh… But yeah, this car is otherwise great, and I think my blood turned into Bordeaux wine after looking at it for so long… - 10/10
Vanilla's Design Comments
Wow, just wow. It is so delightfully French, quirky, and modern. I love it. The asymmetrical grille and hood vent are so quirky, along with the DRLs running along the side with pixel-LEDs on the bumper, giving it an almost ioniq 6 vibe, in all the right ways. The wheel covers are a bit skeptical on a sports car like this, but I love the quirkiness of it too much to deduct my rating. The Kammback styling is also very… I really should search up synonyms for quirky, huh. The Kammback styling is also so eccentric, and the rear taillights are my only slight minor gripe with it, as it extends extremely far up the back of the car. Quirky/10. - 10/10
Car 10 - Tsukio Katana COFORCe-FOUR GT (@superbiirdd)
Wow, another looker. This one’s got a more normal sense of design, and DAMN is it good lookin’… Especially in that yellow, it’s just so sharp and modern…
Ooh, and it’s a hybrid too… Let’s see those numbers…
Hmmm… DAMN, that’s some good gas mileage, as to be expected though… It’s also pretty practical, bet the wife will like that… Pretty easy to drive… Although not the most comfortable…
Oh well, with those fuel savings and looks, I can probably overlook that and… Wait… What do you mean it has BARE STEEL PANELS?? Have the Japanese still not discovered rust proofing?? Ugh, and it looked so good too… But also what good is it if the damn thing’s gonna look like my neighbor’s Teshio after 2 winters…
Ugh, there’s still one more left in the list, and I guess two cars considered already ain’t bad… Maybe this would have made it if I lived in Cali, but my retirement’s too far for that shit…
Eliminated.
OOC Comments
With the 3rd highest drivability, and the highest fuel economy in this challenge, likely from its 9 gears, also the highest in the challenge, this “hybrid” is no slouch. But where it is a slouch is everywhere else… 3rd lowest sportiness and a very rough comfort rating don’t lead it very high. But decent stats in the 2 star categories keep this far from the bottom. I will also note that it has bare steel panels, which are… Not ideal in Massachusetts…
Nebulon's Design Comments
This car looks pretty damn good. Especially in that Acura-esque yellow, such a nice color 
can I stea- uh I mean… borrow it? Honestly, if Acura were to make their own version of the Prelude, then it would probably look something like this. The headlights remind me of their Performance EV concept, and the body lines on the side do look like something they would make, to me anyway. Speaking of the side, I quite enjoy how that looks. I think the mouldings used look pretty good, especially the sort of pinched ones near the window, they give the car a sporty set of shoulders. The rear looks really nice too with its clear-lensed light bar, and I especially like the simple mouldings on lower fascia, I’m learning quite a bit by looking at these cars honestly. My main gripe is how the front bumper looks like it protrudes from some angles, mostly from the side, and the bit of tearing on that moulding below the light bar, although that’s harder to patch up in this game, so it’s a minor nitpick. I will say I do like how the Prelude-esque blue brake calipers pop and contrast with the yellow. Overall a very nice and sleek looking car, in a color that compliments its looks. - 10/10
Vanilla's Design Comments
A very nice looking car all around, being extremely well designed, and very realistic. The Burnt Orange/“Tiger Eye” paint I am a huge sucker for, which give the car a rich yet bright appearance. The front headlights give heavy Buick Envista vibes which do look nice here. Moving onto the rear, I do quite enjoy the split taillights with the bar. My only other comment on the front is of the grill material, which the base game hexagonal material looks weird and sticks out. Using a modded grille material, or even just the see through version with plastic or an opaque dark glass behind the grille texture, would look nice. - 9/10
Car 11 - Hirasawa Lisnia 330S AWD w/ Kosugu Line Appearance Package w/ Tech Package w/ Comfort (@yangx2)
…The Hirasawa Lisnia AWD w/ Kogsugu Line Appearence Package w/ Tech Package w/ Comfort… Any other packages I should know of? Who the hell named this, Amazon??
Sure does look good though, looks like a damn proper sports car, I’ll fit right in whenever I visit Weston! Looks damn sleek too… I like it!
Now will the rest of the car be as good? Let’s see… Alright, it’s pretty fun to drive… Almost as comfortable as the Frenchie… and it’s stupid easy to drive too? Wow, what’s the catch?? I mean, I guess the fuel economy isn’t as good as my other considerations, but it seems pretty well-rounded too… Oh, and thank god it can take some road salt…
Yeah, honestly, I’ll be checking this one out too! Looks like that’s all from the list, and I guess I’ll be seeing 3 dealerships next week…
Makes it to the Finals.
OOC Comments
Can you tell Vanilla wrote this one?
This challenge is set in Massachusetts. It snows in Massachusetts. So roads are salted in Massachusetts. As a result… Wait FUCK it has a galvanized steel chassis. One day I’ll get you back for that… Jokes aside, with the highest drivability, 3rd highest comfort, and high numbers in all the 2 star stats push it very high. Though a NA V6 might have not been the best choice, with it having the 3rd lowest fuel economy.. Though who knows, with the Larroque Renaissance having 27 mpg, it might’ve been one engineering choice from greatness >:3. All love though, I’m just kidding around.
Nebulon's Design Comments
Holy fucking name bruh 
it’s a lore accurate modern car, I’ll give you that! Now I know you said that this car was going to be an amalgamation of everything you hate about modern car design, but you seemed to have FAILED at making it bad because I actually LIKE how this looksI quite enjoy how swoopy yet aggressive it is, and the front is so joyous with that smiling grille that I just can’t hate it. The light bar actually fits it too, and looks good. The rear looks cool too, reminds me of the Infiniti Q60 or BMW 4-series. The use of stacking the taillight fixtures like that is a crazy strat tho, and it does make sense since this car was speedran. I do like that it has some depth to it, and the custom roof fits the body well too. Also, that center screen in the interior is fucking gold, wish I could give it extra points for that . Overall a really nice car, with a proper sporty look to it. - 9.5/10
Vanilla's Design Comments
Next up is the Hirasawa Lisnia 330S AWD w/ Kosugu Line Appearance Package w/ Tech Package w/ Comfort and Convenience Package w/ VisionLit Package w/ Performance Brake Package w/ All-Weather Package. With its long-winded name, I’m surprised the paint color or it possibly being a Love Live special edition wasn’t mentioned. Moving onto the car and not its name, its front looks nice, and I do like the smirk it seems to be rocking. Featured around the car as an accent is a pretty green/teal glass, which I love. Moving onto my only minor gripe with this car, it is the taillights, which I find to be slightly odd-looking, with it being a mash up of multiple default taillight fixture, but it does look much better than what you’d think just reading the concept of it. - 8.5/10
Leon puts the three cars in his reminders to go and see the next time he’s off, and logs off his computer.
Shit, I can’t wait for next week to come by actually, I gotta find a way to sleep somehow… I got work tomorrow too, three houses in a day… God dammit…
Leon goes to bed, hoping he’ll think less of the sleek coupes he’ll see with his family, and actually go to sleep…
Finals coming soon™…
