What a way to recover from a scandal - by serving the needs of a lucrative sector and making huge profits as a result! I wonder what you will come up with next.
1998 part 2
And⌠Action!
With a healthy budget keeping our heads above water, we were approached by a film studio who had purchased several Envy Turbo Coupes and wanted us to help convert them from scary, barely-drivable street slayers to their new secret-agentâs car. They wanted the engine to sound mean, but not overwhelm the microphones or the actors. They also wanted there to be sufficient power to use the car for stunt-work, as well as switches to disable certain driving assists in order to make the process easier.
At the same time, they wanted us to completely transform the Turbo Coupe so that at a passing glance, it wouldnât be instantly recognized, yet true car guys would be able to see past the facade and tell what car it really was under all the body work. The film studio also wanted us to make sure that we left room for special effects equipment where possible, and that theyâd appreciate it if we made the opening panels all controllable from in the driverâs seat, as itâd make fitting the car with prop weaponry easier.
The result was this.
The original ventilation was changed, as the car no longer required near as much airflow to cool the engine. The classic tail-light arrangement was scrapped in favor of the sci-fi-inspired multi-segmented rear light unit. The rear wing was swapped in favor of a lower-profile one, extra ventilation ductwork was added to the body, despite being unnecessary, and four forward facing red lamps were fitted, as had been requested. The rear side flaps functioned as air-brakes, and each of the cutouts in the bodywork had a servo to open and close it.
As for the engine, the original twin turbochargers were scrapped in favor of two much smaller units. This had the dual advantage of both cutting the Envyâs tremendous horsepower down to something more easily handled, and keeping the turbos spooled up from 1500 RPM upwards, making the engine sound even more powerful than it really was. It still had more than enough power for the stuntmen to throw the car around with confidence, which made it easier for the director to complete the movie, as the car scenes went well. The modified engine also still provided enough power to avoid having to speed up the film to make the car look fast.
Inside the cars, the interiors were outfitted with everything your average movie secret agent could possibly need. Not knowing which cars were going to be their star cars, and which were going to be stunt doubles, all 16 of the Envy Turbo Coupes were modified to the exact same specifications. While we had all the cars, they were upgraded to SymTrak+ units, and the transmissions rebuilt for a little extra abuse.
Once the movie had been completed, only 4 of the Envy Turbo Coupe show cars remained in reasonable condition. One was kindly donated back to Storm Automotive, where it resides in the main office lobby as a reminder of our hard work making our first proper movie car.
With our dabbling in show business over for the time being, we had to focus on the task at hand, and the biggest thing we were worried about was cornering the Midsize market. Having broken into the SUV market, and made something small, RWD, and sporty, we knew weâd be okay not having a midsize, but we also knew that failing to do so would make it that much harder next year.
As we wanted it to be a little more up-scale, but not true luxury, we stuck to our naming schemes from the past. With the Sentinel being our Luxury car, it was decided that the up-scale midsize would be the Guardian.
The Guardian GT showed up with the same engine used in the Pirahna GT-X. This, coupled with SymTrak+, meant that it was a comfortable car that had a bit of sport to it. The Guardians were built using all-steel constructions in order to improve their safety figures, as these were to be family sedans, and being low to the ground made them less likely to tip over. The GT received a 6 speed manual gearbox for a more pure driving experience, and had a more common interior trim to save a little weight.
The Guardian LX is the proper up-scale midsize. Also packing the same all-steel construction for safety, but bringing the 5-speed PowerShift Automatic transmission to the party, the LX was easy to drive, and incredibly comfortable due to the up-scale premium interior trim. Also fitted with SymTrak+, the LX carried a bit of a burden on its shoulders. Itâd be the last car in the lineup to carry the + on the modern SymTrak units.
After all, the SymTrak+ gear-driven AWD unit was designed to be exactly that: A model above the usual SymTrak unit. But with SymTrak+ being our new standard, it made sense to change the naming scheme. SymTrak became SymTrak Legacy, SymTrak+ would become SymTrak, and thereby free up SymTrak+ for cars that really did need some extra heavy-duty parts thrown at them.
With the 90âs fast approaching their end, we looked to the future and hoped things would keep going well. 1998 was our best year yet for car sales, as well as record-setting profits for our company, and we knew weâd made it big when we beat the Detroit Three at their own game. Our no-longer-quite-so-little company from Chicago beat the big guns at their own game, and while weâd struggle to ever do it again, weâd established ourselves as an American Car Company that cares for their customers.
At the beginning of 1998, we estimated that nearly 60% of our cars needed to be brought in for a SymTrak upgrade. By the end of '98, our estimates were down to 6%. Weâd gotten the word out, made the process as quick and painless as possible, given out loaner cars to those who couldnât be without theirs for any length of time, and managed to settle the court cases for those injured or the families of those who died due to a SymTrak failure.
With 1999 on the horizon, we all looked to the future and wondered what cars would be like in 10 years. Where would we be in 10 years? We saw huge leaps of technology from the 70âs to the 80âs, and again from the 80âs to the 90âs. Everyone agreed to make a few predictions and see what came out true. Some suggestions were a little outlandish, like having flying cars, but others seemed plausible. A few suggested that weâd be able to have pocket sized computers, and a few others believed weâd see cars breaking 50 miles per gallon soon.
Either way, we looked forward to the future, as we now sat among some of the strongest American car companies, at least in our own domestic markets.
4 Likes
The modified version of the Envy Coupe for the film deal is basically what KITT would have looked like if the original Knight Rider TV series had carried on into the 90s and beyond. It would have been much better than what we actually got - the Team Knight Rider series instead used assorted Fords and only ran for a few years, which was a much shorter run than the original.
Also, the milder tune might make more sense for a base model Envy were you to put it into production. But the new taillight treatment actually improves the carâs looks somewhat in my opinion.
1999
High Class
Looking back through the years taught us what we lacked in our lineup. In 1982, we created the Sentinel, with RWD and AWD trims to test the waters with the new tech. And apparently, it was terrifying. Turbocharged engine in a luxury car. What the hell were we thinking back then?! But, then again, weâd just come off of the turbocharging high from the Storm Duke, so maybe the gas fumes got the better of us?
In 1986, we did it again, same engine, different car. The Storm Turbo Pilot was⌠Even more terrifying. But that one at least had half an excuse, as we were trying to build for Group B, only to have it cancelled in our face. So to sweep our mistake under the rug, the barren interiors of the homologation cars were packed full of luxury goodies, the gearbox was swapped from a 5 speed stick to a 4 speed automatic, and we shoved the car out the door as it was, unleashing yet more turbocharged terror on the unsuspecting Luxury crowd. At least the Turbo Pilot had AWD with no RWD option, so it was less likely to kill you.
Which brings us to today. 1999. And weâve done Luxury a favor. We brought back the Sentinel in two separate trims. Without turbos.
The LX version is the âcheapâ one, being standard high-end luxury.
A 5-speed Automatic is coupled to a SymTrak unit, providing power through the geared rear differential, sending 400+ horsepower through all four Medium Compound tires. The car rests on 185mm wide 18 inch magnesium multi-spoke rims. Brakes are vented four piston up front, and vented single piston out back, bringing the Sentinel LX down from highway speed in about 33.5 meters.
A fully clad undertray keeps the air resistance down, improving the gas mileage just a little, and cooling vents make sure that big 7.1L beast under the hood stays cool without being a drag.
Inside, we paid attention to everything youâd be in contact with. There is no exposed plastic in this car, everything is either covered in leather or is made of metal. The 5 luxury-grade seats have heaters in them for cold days, the mirrors are heated for defrosting, the heater itself is a hybrid heater-core and electric coil unit, so you donât have to wait for your heat, and your air conditioning is provided through redundant twin compressors and cooling loops, meaning that you wonât lose your cool if one of the units gives up. Not that it would, as weâve built the Sentinelâs interior with a little extra care and attention. The in-dash radio has a 3-CD changer cartridge mounted just below the climate controls, thereâs a cassette deck in the radio itself, and underneath the CD changer is a set of extra cupholders, in case the two weâve given up front arenât enough.
In the back seat, thereâs a TV with DVD and VHS players built into the center console, as well as cupholders built into the center console, placed low enough that even the tallest of beverage containers shouldnât interfere with viewing the screen.
The Sentinel LX also features our advanced safety package, with crash-rails in the doors to prevent deformation, enhanced A, B, and C pillars to handle not just roll-overs, but also an impact directly to the roof, and airbags powered by the main Safe-T-Net unit. Unlike previous conventional airbags, these Safe-T-Net airbags inflate rapidly using nitrogen gas instead of an explosion. This means that thereâs very little risk of air-bag injuries, as well as that Safe-T-Net can deploy the airbags at different speeds depending on the type and intensity of the collision, as well as keeping the airbags inflated slightly longer for improved crash protection.
The Sentinel LX rides on our Hydropneumatic suspension option, with semi-active sway-bars providing improved ride stability and comfort. While not quite as floaty as the old land-barges of the past, the LX does have several selectable ride-comfort modes, as well as a custom programmable mode using the multi-function display in the radio unit to adjust your suspension settings to your own personal preferences.
For $61,000, this carâs a steal given what you get, and it shows.
However, if youâre the guy seeking the ultimate luxury car, if the Sentinel LX sounds good, but youâve already got four cars like it, if thatâs not quite good enough for you⌠You can order a Sentinel Custom.
Same PowerShift 5-speed through SymTrak, but we worked to quiet down the big engine just a little more, and in the process found a little extra power. Medium compound tires are used again, but this time wrapped around a 19 inch magnesium rim at 185mm of width. Same brakes, with a shorter stopping distance, despite the higher weight. Same undertray, same cooling flaps, all working together to keep maintenance costs down by sharing parts with itâs less-expensive and less classy sibling.
Inside, youâll find thereâs still 5 seats, but this time, theyâre hand-stitched with high-quality leather, meaning each Custom is 100% unique. The front bucket seats are heated and air conditioned, the mirrors are heated, the heater is again the same as the LX, with hybrid ElectroHeat technology, but thereâs an additional layer of redundancy in the air-conditioning unit. Three separate cooling loops were used, instead of just two. The radio in this car is further improved, with a 10-CD changer, in-dash TV for the front-seat passenger, DVD player, cassette deck, in-dash 33/45 RPM record player, and a satellite phone for business calls. The climate control unit has a bigger multi-function display, can be programmed to keep the car at a specific temperature instead of just being close enough, and is capable of informing you when your vehicle needs service. Oh, and we donât call it a cigarette lighter in this car. Theyâre cigar lighters. Same port, but better quality all around.
In the back seat, the rear bench is also heated and air conditioned, thereâs again a TV with DVD and VHS players, another set of cup holders, cigar lighters, and a refrigerated compartment to keep your drinks ice cold on long trips.
Weâve also beefed up the safety in this car, adding in side-curtain airbags to prevent a side-impact slamming your head into the double-thick sound-insulating window glass, knee-airbags to stop the driver or front seat passengerâs knees from meeting the dashboard, and heavily reinforced the passenger compartment âsafety cellâ to prevent intrusion even under some of the most severe impacts. Weâve done this to ensure you donât just survive an accident, youâll be able to open the doors and walk away unharmed to call your lawyers and insurance company.
At $101,500, the Sentinel Custom is not something to order lightly, but if you have the money, you owe it to yourself to get one. These cars are bound to become collectable some day, and while thereâs no limit on how many Customs weâll make, thatâs because we know there is a limit on how many are willing to throw that kind of money around.
Madrias - Storm Sentinel.zip (47.8 KB)
3 Likes
American luxury car in size of a VW Passat? My mind just got a bluescreen.
And how did you get those safety tables?
Latest Open Beta Patch
Oh. Niiiice 
Regarding the carâs size, itâs the biggest modern car weâve got in the 90âs. Trust me, I wish there were bigger 80âs and up cars, because otherwise weâve got to do things like this with the Sentinel, where itâs too small to be honest proper luxury, but itâs the best we can do because we donât have anything modern until the late game thatâs in the 3 meter wheelbase class.
As for the tables, I think thatâs part of the open beta in the market tab. I didnât do anything other than finalize the design in Open Beta with this car.
Edit: And apparently the design does work. I have managed, with the new Open Beta heavy competition, to score highly with the Sentinel.
2 Likes
False. Thereâs not-Audi available from 1994 or 95 which can be half a metre longer. And the design works in gameâs mechanics, but as theyâre not perfectly realistic it probably wouldnât IRL.
1 Like
Okay, fine, Iâll admit I overlooked a car that I donât like the shape of. I didnât want the bubble-car roofline, I wanted the space behind the rear doors but before the rear window. So the one car that fits the longer wheelbase is the one car I overlooked because, to me, it looks like a slightly stretched Ford Taurus.
Again, Iâll point back to the lack of cars in that wheelbase on that one. One car is not an option, especially as that one 3+ meter wheelbase body, to me, looks very rather plain. Itâs just the big, late-90âs, early 2000âs bubble safety box that doesnât appeal to me.
2 Likes
2000
Y2K
January 1, 1900⌠Thatâs what most of our aged and ancient computers read that morning, refusing to work, refusing to accept that it was indeed the year 2000. Some of the more modern systems we had kicked over and kept on chugging along, but mission-critical systems were down. In order to get things going again, it was decided to keep the problematic systems âin the darkâ and wind them back 10 years on the clock to 1990, at least until they could be replaced. With our automated steel and aluminum presses back up and running, production started back up.
The first thing off of our production line was the Storm Swift, a small, light SUV and mini-truck.
Designed to be small, comfortable, and easy to drive, the Swift lived up to our reputation, as well as kept our trusty 3L V6, the AluStar, in the spotlight. Valve Control Technology was still proving useful, giving the Swift decent mileage with decent performance.
Three trims had been rolled out: the LX being our higher-class Micro SUV, the LT being our base-class Micro Truck, and the GT being our sporty up-scale SUV. The GT and LX both featured âStop and Dropâ tops, an electrically-operated folding and stowing soft-top designed to make enjoying a nice sunny day all that much easier.
(Note: There were some âunofficially supportedâ trim options occasionally ordered custom by customers, but⌠We donât speak of them.)
New Arrivals
With our computer problems being solved due to Jim Shade pulling a few strings he had with a friend of his who did Government work, getting us a shipment of reasonably crappy HAL desktops that were barely faster than the systems they replaced, but they didnât need to be running 10 years behind, we forged onward to making our new truck.
It was decided that we needed a new engine for truck duty. Everything was written down that a truck needed.
-Power
-Torque
-Displacement
-Torque.
-Hauling Power
-Torque!
We decided, with that list, that the best engine we could build would need to have huge cylinders, a long stroke with a big bore, making a massive amount of power and an even more massive amount of torque.
This massive 10 liter V12 engine seemed to impress the engine shop guys. When asked why it was made out of cast iron, they mentioned something about âfront weight is good for trucksâ and âCast iron makes more powerâ and then wandered out of the room.
But, we had an engine. It was up to us to get a truck built around it.
The Storm Wolf P-1600 is a slightly-over-3/4-ton pickup truck, built with an extra sturdy unibody construction and a multi-link rear end to keep up the hauling and towing capacity. While nowhere near as capable as some competitors with a solid axle in the back and coil springs, using ancient ladder frames, the Wolf showed the United States that trucks could be comfortable to drive. The big V12 provided more than enough power to pull trailers, lug around supplies, and haul ass.
But, we knew that itâd be foolish to ignore the market we had been putting our feet in for years now. SUVâs sold like crazy, and we knew it. So, we worked to make the Storm Wolf Sport.
The Wolf Sport was a big, brutish SUV built on the same basic unibody as the truck, swapping out the strengthening braces in favor of a rear cap integrated into the frame and chassis. We also added a third row seat for extra brownie points with large families, people with lots of friends, and families looking to bring friends on a short vacation. The same V12 engine was used in the Sport as was used in the P-1600, making for a briskly-accelerating family cruiser, launching itself to 60 in 4.4 seconds from a standstill.
Expensive as it was, the Wolf wasnât for everyone, but for those who could afford it, the Wolf P-1600 and Wolf Sport were a solid choice.
A Favor for a Friend of a Friend
Jim Shade was woken at Oh-Dark-Thirty by a phone call from an unlisted number. Despite being groggy and irritated, he managed to make sense of the nature of the call, claiming it to be the return of a favor owed for completing the postal contract. When Jim asked for details, the man on the other end could only say, âIâm a friend of your friend, and thatâs all you really need to know. A project I was working on lost the funding after the prototype was created. Something about machines being too expensive to do the job soldiers were trained for. Iâve gotten permission from Command to do this, so the prototype AI has had the memory wiped and civilian programming installed instead. Iâll have the prototype shipped to your headquarters overnight, should show up around lunchtime.â
Jim initially wrote it off as a clever prank call. Someone had watched too much sci-fi and wanted to screw with him because he was the one who had non-Y2K compliant computers laying around.
The next day, they were hard at work, designing their first attempt at going on the global market, when Jim got the call from the secretary that they just had a huge wooden crate delivered that needed his signature. He came down the elevator, seeming startled at the rather large box sitting in the middle of the lobby, the heavy wooden boards holding the crate closed, the black stenciled writing on the box. He signed for the package, taking note of the seal on the paperwork, that of the U.S. Army. Once everyone had left in their military trucks, Jim headed to the workshop to grab a crowbar.
Upon opening the crate, he was staring at the matte-black finish of an android, with U.S. Army painted on the left shoulder, along with a serial number. In the androidâs hand was a rather heavy instruction manual, along with a folded, handwritten note.
I couldnât let the project go without at least going through basic startup and giving him a name. As Project Lucifer fell through, I felt it was only fitting to give him a name as a half-hearted reference to it. His name is Luke Light. I smuggled some basic repair knowledge into his main memory, basic stuff that will carry over from day to day in an automobile factory. His onboard power supply will keep him going for 100 years or more, so power isnât an issue. Neither should be repairs, his frame is made of titanium, and a lot of it. He was designed to be able to handle repeated strikes from a .50 BMG and remain combat effective, so I doubt thereâs much risk of actually damaging him in a civilian environment. To get him to wake up, use the touch-screen on his left arm. He was placed in storage standby for safety during shipping.
Jim Shade carefully looked at the bulky touch-screen and interface wrapped around Lukeâs left arm, then lightly touched a finger to the screen. Immediately, it lit up, with a simple instruction on screen.
Resume?
Yes
No
Jim carefully prodded âYesâ and stepped back. A flurry of information blurred across the screen as the soft green glow of Lukeâs interface lights came on, followed by Luke slowly stepping out of the crate, looking around his surroundings. His voice, at first, was purely robotic, though within a few words picked up a more human tone. âHello. I am Luke Light. It is nice to meet you.â
Jim stood, slightly shocked at the fact that within seconds, heâd started up something out of an old sci-fi novel.
âPlease, donât be alarmed, sir. I am here to help.â
Jim started to snap out of it, then said, âItâs nice to meet you, Luke. Iâm Jim, and this is Storm Automotive HQ, right in the middle of Chicago. Iâll give you the tour, then weâll see what you can help out with.â
Jim was surprised at how quickly Luke grasped the concepts of things, and how many things Luke pointed out that could be run more efficiently with a little bit of automation.
âMost importantly, Jim, this automation could be done without needing to retire any of your employees. Their skills would still be required, these are just things that would make their job a little easier. Instead of having to handle sheets of metal, we pick it up with a machine, bring it to the press, stamp the panel, put it on the car, and your employee who normally would be doing all of that by hand only has to put in the screws to hold the panel to the subframe. In time, we could make even that easier, but I understand the automotive market is fast moving, and that designs donât always stay the same very long.â Luke said, looking around the assembly room.
It took nearly a month, but Luke quickly found his calling in machine maintenance, equipped with the tools of the trade to make quick precision repairs and maintain uptime on the assembly line.
Going Global
With Luke on the team taking charge on the assembly line, it was time to focus on breaking out of the US market and going global. We looked at the world map to decide where to start, and decided on Europe, Australia, and Britain as our big three markets. Europe was ruled out as a result of too many little countries all with different traffic laws, but was kept in mind for a later date. Britain was considered quite strongly, until we realized that we really didnât have a fuckinâ clue what the Brits would want. Which meant we ended up lobbing our first âworld carâ at the Australians.
We decided on our proven AWD platform, coupled to an engine best described by Luke as âCutting the AluStar V6 in halfâ and a 6 speed manual gearbox. We built it with steel to help keep up the safety, as well as giving it Safe-T-Net airbags, enhanced crumple zones, and heavily strengthened roof pillars. Double Wishbone suspension front and rear was picked for a comfortable and somewhat sporty ride, and a geared limited slip diff helped throw power to the wheels with the most grip.
Because we knew that gas is expensive, it was designed to run on Premium Unleaded, and could breeze over 34 miles per gallon. With 5 seats, it was decided to make the rear set of doors slide back like a minivan, making entry and exit from the vehicle a little easier. With a âmightyâ 107 horsepower, the Adventure could sprint to 60 in, well, 11.2 seconds. It wasnât quick, admittedly, but it was really easy to drive.
Only time would tell if our Australian Adventure would be a success.
Madrias - Storm Swift.zip (83.2 KB)
Madrias - Storm Wolf.zip (35.3 KB)
Madrias - Storm Adventure.zip (25.6 KB)
And now that the yearâs over, some details on Luke, because heâs a major character in Storm Automotiveâs modern years.
Height: 6 feet tall, even
Weight: Chassis Dependant (Main Chassis is approximately 600 pounds)
Gender: Male Programming
Looks: Basically, picture an Iron Man suit from the movies with a Fallout New Vegas/ Fallout 3 Pip-Boy on his left arm. Replace the blue glow with a light green, and youâd be close.
Color: (2000 - 2002) Matte Black. (2002 onward) Storm Automotive Twilight Blue High Gloss (the Adventureâs blue) with Silver High Gloss accents.
Markings: US Army emblem and serial number on left arm. Obscured after 2002.
And, now for a small favor.
I honestly donât know how the Adventure would sell outside the US. For those who have made it this far, could you please look over the stats, or download the car, and tell me whether you think itâd sell, and where you think itâd sell.
Also, this marks the obvious split in the timeline, where, well, quite obviously technology has accelerated far beyond what we would have had. Call it a revision of the Y2K bug if you want, but it was essential for where weâre going.
And lastly, a long post is a long post. I figured it made more sense to do a year at once instead of dodging around splitting years into pieces to fit better.
6 Likes
That is quite a way to start the 21st century - with a trio of new model lines that the public actually wants to buy and expansion into the competitive Australian market! Iâm anxious to know what Storm will come up with next.
1 Like
Allright, so I got back to you with something you might be interested in.
I tried to make my car represent the âcheaper but with a racing pedigreeâ kind of tune, and I think i got it pretty close to what could happen IRL. Also I think itâs time for a LOT of recalls of the belt driven AWD transmissions
In any case
Storm Automotive Knight Dakar by KHT
Right here - Kraft Haus Technik (Completed company) - #207
5 Likes
That photoshop tho⌠
Well, it would have explained a lot of the âlightly modifiedâ and rather very dirty Knights weâd seen during SymTrak swaps. Still, itâs an impressive build. Kept the theme of the car while also offering a mid-step trim that a lot of customers probably would have gone for, taking the relatively tame GS-E (and later GS-E+, the only thing being those shipped from the factory with the gear-driven SymTrak units) to something far more aggressive, yet without completely overshadowing the GT-4Tâs performance.
I see the KHT Knight Dakar as more what the Mitsubishi RalliArt Lancers should have been, taking a normal, fairly boring car and making it wild without breaking the bank, and without stepping on the true performance trim, at least not too badly. I actually like that in some aspects of performance, the Dakar actually outperforms the GT-4T. It is, much like youâd said, well within the realms of what a good aftermarket company could have done in real life.
Plus, as you said, on paper, the GT-4T is the superior car. However, the Dakar is âtrack readyâ out of the box, taking the GS-E and putting a new spin on it to make something better out of it.
And, Iâll admit, I like the modifications to the body design. The new rear bumper looks good, and I like how you streamlined the design, keeping enough of the original theme to keep the carâs identity, but at the same time, doing what a lot of tuners did with body design, changing up the grille, the rear lights, the rear bumper, all things that are feasible changes for a top-end tuning company.
In the end, you managed to create, in my opinion, the perfect split between GS-E and the GT-4T. Yet, at the same time, if you didnât care about comfort, just track times, you wouldnât go and buy the GT-4T, because in a lot of cases, Iâm sure the Dakar is actually faster, despite the 4Tâs brutal power figures.
1 Like
Oh my gosh. Iâm sorry but the Swift is so damn cute!
Itâs like a puppy with wheels.
Also, dayum, 81 drivability, nice!
3 Likes
Oh wow, another classic Lancer Evo⌠You will take this fight with Dimensionâs SSP Rift all the way to the modern ages yeah? 
1 Like
Allowing KHT to tune the Knight must surely have been one of the best decisions that Storm has ever made. Should they do the same thing with the two-seat, mid-engined Gunslinger?
2001
Lukeâs first designs ended up in the trash can. Unappealing, bland, boring.
However, he had one design that one of the younger designers thought was âradicalâ in the form of the Storm Mirage.
Initially designed as a comfortable family sedan, Luke decided what it really needed was a unique design feature and more horsepower.
The split-covered headlights were backed up with fully-legal lower lamps, with servo-driven covers to reduce the chances of a cover failing to open.
Power was supplied by the trusty 3 liter AluStar V6, fed into a new transmission, the six-speed ShiftTronic Sequential gearbox, bolted to a new revision of the SymTrak unit, then tuned for 360 horsepower.
While the car was unusual, it got approval from a target market of young adults wanting a cool car, but needing more room than the average compact, and wanting more power to be able to have fun.
Having a sequential gearbox made the Mirage unnaturally quick, with Luke having tuned the transmissions for quick shifts. While some purists screamed for a stick shift, others embraced the electronic-shifting transmission, with shifts faster than even Luke could do with a stick.
2 Likes
The Mirage is a great sports sedan for the new millennium! Iâd be looking at well-cared-for used examples if it existed in real life.