The Crowd Sourcing Competition [Round 49]

[Xepy]

I’m just going to speak my mind about this.

Yes, this is a friendly challenge. But we aren’t exactly friends. There are rules set, and they were broken, and it has been the same for every challenge. If you break the rules, you get binned. Instead of blaming the host for shit, why didn’t you guys just read the post in the first place? Double check your work? Ask before the deadline is over? Ask why the rules were how they were before they were finalized? He even gave unlimited resubmissions here.

Really nice of kookie to overlook your minor infractions, but the issues were with you guys that broke the rules, not him making them. And if you think CSC is just exterior design, look at the first CSC. It’s literally at the top of this thread.

[T0M]

thank u

[kookie]

you are welcome

[asdren]

Making a lot of assumptions I see. So you are 100% confident it was not a bug, and you were there that I had the year set wrong? Or that I did not read the rules on something I’ve spent many hours in? You are also assuming that I did not ask before the deadline. How about this:

Knowingly that it’s open alpha, I asked for feedback. I did not get feedback, and thats also fine, no obligation here. So let’s just for one sec ASSUME it was a bug, what could I have done better?

Anyways, thanks @kookie for being understanding and reopening the submissions.

[BG004130]

why is this challenge formatted like this?
How should I know when there’s a new round and which is the current one?

[ldub0775]

you know which round is the current one by the number in the title

i should probably add (open) or (closed) to the title but thats kind of a pain

[Fayeding_Spray]

CSC and AGC come from a time before CSR started separating out into their own threads per round, and the only reason CSR moved into their own threads was because the original CSR thread hit the 10,000 post limit.

If that hadn’t occured, CSR probably would still be like this.

[Tzuyu_main]

Talk about what ifs and hypotheticals and Peter and Billy all you want. Complaining doesn’t get you anywhere. It’s not hard to understand: if a rule is broken for whatever reason, you get the bin. Even if this is a design-focused round, the host is free to enact whatever additional rules they see fit. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to participate.

Automation is constantly changing and there are always new issues that have the potential to corrupt or even wipe out your saves or your cars and engines. Bugs happen, and it’s up to the host how they want to deal with it or not. Yes, it sucks if your car got binned for any reason, even more so if you spent many hours fine tuning the engineering and meticulously adding detail to it, and especially if it’s because of a bug. But situations like these are out of both the participants’ and the host’s control. How do you know if an entry is binned due to misreading the rules or if it’s due to some bug that changes the engine year? It’s simple: you don’t. There’s no way to prove it. Arguing about it is a waste of time and it’s unfair for everyone else that made it past the initial scrutineering. Don’t dwell on it too much and just accept the L with dignity.

Nobody is at fault here. Shit happens. If you can come to terms with knowing that this early access game can wipe out all of your cars at any moment due to some random bug, then surely you can also accept the fact that such things can happen on a much smaller scale with challenges. Grow up, stop complaining, and move on to the next challenge.

And regarding the lack of feedback: kookie even said he was planning to “give a short amount of feedback since some of the designs were actually promising, but the other reviews come first.”

[kookie]

ROUND CLOSED

…again.

[T0M]

any news on the CSC?

[kookie]

Yeah sorry about leaving y’all in the dark, I should have given a status update earlier.

Progress is steady but admittedly rather slow as it is my first time doing anything like this, so I’m learning as I go here.

Hopefully I will be able to release the first batch of Tier 1 results before Monday, and the second batch soon after. The Tier 2 results/finals will probably be around the end of the next week.

Rest assured I have no plans to cancel or abandon this round.

[DuceTheTruth100]

You got this!!

[kookie]

Starting off, asdren made it clear to me that they "have no competitive stake in this" and only wanted feedback on their design. Well, let's get this one out of the way first then.

@asdren

This is certainly an... interesting design. From a glance it looks pretty unique and stylish especially with the full-width split grille, however quite a few flaws begin to present themselves upon closer inspection.

For example, the headlights have a slim modern shape but internals that look far out of date. The hood vents look stuck on and they definitely could’ve been replaced with a design that mimics the flowing lines of the front fascia.

The odd shape of the roof windows combined with the blacked out windshield frame creates a mess of flowing lines and sharp corners. Simply squaring off the rear edge of the roof windows and a few pieces of patchwork between the windshield frame and side windows would make it look a lot more cohesive.

No major complaints with the side profile, however the design of the fender vents combined with the indent on the door only gives the effect of having two distinct vent elements and not three like the previous generations of Invicta. Also, the prominent brake cooling vent present on previous generations has been reduced to a tiny indent on the lower edge of the door.

Moving to the rear, we can see a rather flat fascia here with what appears to be a diffuser awkwardly hanging off the bottom. The rear lightbar design is quite cool, however a little nitpick is that the taillight lines don’t actually match with the grooves in the center panel.

Overall, it’s a unique concept with good ideas that can be developed further, but ultimately it fails in execution.

---

With that done, let’s get to the main reviews.

A month after putting out the initial request for tender, Pietro, the head of the design department at Pilati summoned the team. Guglielmo, his assistant, and two other junior designers, Sandro and Lucia. It was time to sort through the various proposals they'd received for the new Invicta.

“The boss wants us to present only the best proposals for consideration,” said Pietro. “Guglielmo, I expect you have the files ready to share with us?”

“Uh, yes. There were a few… issues, so to speak, but it’s all settled. Here’s the first one from Bavarian Design Studios.”

@Der_Bayer

Everyone was taken by surprise as the sleek white machine loaded into view.

“Wow, look at this! It makes a strong impression for sure.”

“Certainly, it’s quite different from what I was expecting,” Guglielmo said. “It’s quite a clean design but it still has a few aggressive touches. I quite like the way they’ve designed the fender vents, managing to incorporate the indicator light quite nicely as well. Also, I notice the brake cooling vents fit very well with the shape of the door, that’s some nice clean design.”

“Is it just me or does the car have buck teeth?” Sandro interjected. “Jokes aside, I think those hood vents look fit for a race car but they might be too much for what we’re looking for. Their design also means our signature hood bump isn’t implemented here.”

“The rear is quite aggressive as well, with the full-width lightbar spanning the rear and the blacked out plate indent. I also really like those top to bottom side vents framing the whole fascia. I wish that bootlid wasn’t so flat, though. It needs a lip spoiler of some sort,” Lucia remarked.

“Not to mention that Robocop visor. You won’t see many other cars like this.”

“Speaking of Robocop though, don’t you think it looks a bit 90’s? Sure, the panoramic roof and the rear fascia look suitably modern, but the rest feels like a 90’s concept car. Even the lights on the Robocop visor look a bit dated, and also they’re so small I’m not sure if they’re even legal. Just me?” Pietro pondered.

“No, I see what you mean,” said Guglielmo, “The wheels and mirrors definitely don’t help its case. They should’ve gone for a more modern and sporty design in both areas.”

“Well I will say, it’s a refreshingly unique concept. I just don’t think it’s the right fit for the sort of evolutionary design we need.”

OOC: Considering this is an all-vanilla build, it’s very impressive! The use of the headlight fixture for the side vents and the grille/lip fixture for the upper rear fascia is very clever. Also, bonus props for including production-ready details like wipers, windshield washers, and parking sensors.

However, I feel the lack of molding makes it a little clinical and appliance-like, especially in white, and overall the design is just too radical for what I’m looking for.

This design proposal will not be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@Sky99

“This next proposal is from Etherea MC.”

There was a brief moment of awkward silence as the design team looked at each other in confusion.

“Is this really meant to be the work of a professional design studio?” Pietro was the first to speak. “This just looks like an unfinished paper napkin drawing.”

“The front is quite a mess. The headlights lack any depth, and I’m not sure what the purpose of those LED rings are but they look completely out of place there,” stated Sandro. “And talking of weird lights, those taillights are huge! The reverse lights alone probably put out more light than those at the front.”

“The rest of the rear is very plain, especially without any diffuser at all,” said Lucia. Very strange to omit that on a design like this…"

“At least the hood design is alright, they kept the trademark hood bump. To be honest, the vents at the base of the windshield might be the nicest, most developed part of this design.”

“It’s a shame the same can’t be said about the side profile. Apart from the small carbon skirt at the bottom, it’s just very plain like the rear. Not much to be said about the side vents and door handle, at least their shapes somewhat match up…” said Pietro.

“However, what is that strange indicator light doing there? Do they think we are still a parts-bin company?”

“Well… whoever sent over the proposal did cook up some theories about our ‘bankruptcy’. Which never happened…” Guglielmo said. “They also included some technical specifications and pricing data, which we clearly stated was not needed.”

“Are they seriously trying to tell us how to run our own business here?! Maybe they should work on doing their own business properly first!” Pietro yelled.

OOC: I’m really not sure what I can suggest to improve this. Back to the drawing board for this one. All I can say, even if it’s pretty cliche at this point, is to study similar real life designs like the numerous examples provided in the OP.

This design proposal will not be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@the-chowi

After a quick break to calm down, Pietro returned to the meeting.

“Right, here’s the next proposal,” Guglielmo said as it came up on the screen. “This one also came with some technical specs…”

“Another one trying to do our job for us?! Seriously-”

Before Pietro could utter anything that would potentially land him in hot water with HR, he was swiftly cut off.

“Relax, Pietro. I think you’ll actually like this one.”

“Ah, yes. I apologise, that previous proposal really got me worked up… This one’s actually quite pleasant. Sleek and sporty, but with a more contemporary style than the previous white one. The bronze accents here are a nice touch too.”

“I wish the taillight internals followed the same style as the headlights - having the indicators take up that dominant area is odd. But otherwise, I really like the shape of the lights on this design, it gives the car a really menacing look from the front. The carbon lips and skirts around the car add to the sporty and aggressive vibe as well,” said Guglielmo.

“The rear fascia is similarly aggressive, with molding that’s very well done. From the side it looks like the top of the bootlid, the crease in the middle, and the diffuser surround all have the same angle, creating a nice effect. If I were to nitpick, those quad exhaust tips are a little too large.”

“I see they’ve kept our signature split grille up front, but here it’s been slightly de-emphasised in favour of that gaping bottom grille. Interesting… I wonder if that’s a direction worth going for future designs?” Sandro wondered out loud.

“The final word lies with the boss, but I would consider it,” Pietro stated. “I do like how the grille insert there flows with the shape of the upper grille, as well as how the hood vents clearly connect to the air intakes in the grille.”

“However, I think the inner edge of those vents could be refined to better flow with the center section of the grille. Also, it doesn’t have anything to suggest our trademark hood bump.”

“The side profile also lacks another one of our signature design features… there’s no obvious fender vents to be seen here,” Lucia gestured at the screen. “I think they intend for the centrepiece of the side profile to be this “detached” fin-like panel. It’s quite a unique feature and should serve to set us apart from the competition.”

“It’ll set us apart from the competition for sure, but it also sets us apart from our tradition. The rear brake vent here is also rather low-key, unlike our previous designs. Personally, I don’t see much Pilati DNA in the side profile at all,” remarked Guglielmo.

“Hmm, it does lack a fair few of our signature design elements, though I think some issues can be fixed easily. It’s definitely one for consideration if the boss wants something a little different,” Pietro stated. “I mean, it’s not too radical after all.”

This design proposal will be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@T0M

“This is one of the most aggressive designs we’ve received, from AT-Pagasus Design Group. It reminds me of tuner cars, especially with those deep vents on the side and the large aero both front and back,” noted Guglielmo. “That splitter is straight off a track car!”

“I like the menacing vibe the front fascia gives off with the angular DRLs in the headlights and the large vents flanking the main grille,” said Lucia. “However, those vents lack detail, and I’m not sure what’s going on with the extra LEDs above the headlights or the extra black trim surrounding them.”

“It’s nice to see the double bubble roof design element carried through from the earlier generation of Invicta, something not seen on the previous proposals,” said Pietro. “The black stripes running from front to back are also an interesting touch, though I suspect they made the center bar in the grille unnaturally wide in order to accommodate them. It could end up looking quite weird with a plain paintjob.”

“Moving to the side here, the sheer number of vents on the front fender alone makes it quite cluttered. However, the way the strakes from the front vent match the top edge of the rear vent is nice, so at least that’s one part which is pretty cohesive,” Sandro remarked. “The side molding is very pronounced, probably too much if I’m being honest. I also think it should curve up more towards the rear fender, because as it is right now it sits awkwardly just below the shoulder line.”

“I like the deep vents on either side of the rear framing the license plate and taillights, though the taillights are actually one part of the design where I feel it doesn’t quite fit the aggressive vibe. I think a design more similar to the headlights would be a better fit here,” said Guglielmo.

“It’s also good to see an active wing here, something that I thought would be present on more of these designs. However, the high exhaust placement makes me think they designed the diffuser area without the exhausts in mind, then had to cram it in somewhere at the end.”

“That seems to be the theme here with some parts of the design being compromised to fit other aspects, ending in a product that doesn’t look quite right. There’s also a couple confusing decisions, namely those extra lights on the front which don’t tie in to anything on the rest of the fascia and the huge splitter that simply looks out of place here,” Pietro stated. “It’s not a bad design, but it definitely isn’t what we’re looking for.”

OOC: Although not the worst design here, it lacks cohesion overall and gives off tuner vibes with the wheel fitment, the stripes, and the huge splitter (which i specifically discouraged in the OP) up front. Not exactly appropriate for the kind of design I’m looking for. However, there’s potential in some parts such as the roof, hood, and diffuser area, which just need some minor refinement.

Also, British plates are yellow on the rear.

This design proposal will not be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@Riley

“Here’s the proposal from Zephorus Racing Design.”

“Racing Design, huh? It sure would make a gorgeous race car… the body is sculpted like a work of art!” Pietro exclaimed. “The strong and muscular hips which flow into the ducktail spoiler at the rear are quite frankly a masterpiece.”

“Agreed, those strong rear haunches really define the side profile, and the way the sideskirts and side vent integrate nicely with them is great,” Guglielmo replied.

“Overall the molding on the side is exceptional, but there’s one issue, which is the glaring lack of our trademark triple fender vents. There’s only a single vent element here, which although is not what we wanted to see, is done quite nicely with the chrome piece and the indicator lining the top edge,” said Lucia.

“It’s disappointing to see that on an otherwise perfect side profile, but once you look past the gorgeous shaping of the body for a bit, there’s also other flaws that present themselves,” Sandro stated.

“For example, the lack of diffuser is a very odd choice, especially for a design of this kind. I wonder if they’ve planned for alternative methods to generate downforce? If so, I think they should’ve blacked out that area as well since it looks a little strange in body colour. Not so much a problem in this lovely shade of dark blue, but it could look weird in a brighter shade.”

“I especially like the lightbar on the rear. With the middle section floating between the bodywork and the end sections having a unique infinity mirror pattern, it’s got lots of depth and will definitely stand out,” said Pietro. “However, I’m not so sure about the chrome bar on top. Maybe it’s there to make the area less empty but I think it just looks unnecessary and out of place.”

“Yep, the rear lightbar is one of the best parts of this design in my opinion and I like that the headlights have the same infinity mirror effect as well. Not to mention, the shape of the headlights and DRLs flow very nicely into the bottom grille section. Unfortunately, it does make the grille look a little out of place as its shape clashes with the rest of the front fascia,” Lucia pointed out.

“Hmm, overall this is by far the best design so far, but it does have a few flaws that may be hard to ignore,” stated Pietro. “I’ll put it in the pile for consideration anyways because I think it deserves to stand a chance with the beautiful sculpting. We’ll see if the boss thinks that’s enough to forgive those flaws.”

This design proposal will be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@Xepy

“The next proposal is from TDh, finished in this wonderful shade of yellow,” Guglielmo said as he pulled up the images. “With the slim lights front and rear as well as the delicate looking mirrors, this is more of a sleek and lightweight design compared to the previous one.”

“I really like the gloss black trim here around the base of the car. It helps to cut down the visual weight and contributes a lot to the lightness of this design. It’s also a nice consistency with the last generation of Invicta,” Lucia said. “However, I’m not sure that applying the same treatment to the base of the A pillar works here. It’s not done very cleanly here and is a blemish on an otherwise clean design.”

“Clean is definitely the right word for this,” Sandro agreed. “There’s nothing too bold or too aggressive, such as the indent on the roof. I wouldn’t call it a double bubble roof per se, as it’s pretty minor, but it does work well enough to give that impression. The hood vents also have a more subtle style, though I think they should be horizontally flipped so that the curved edge curves inwards instead of outwards.”

“The side profile looks great with the tapered design of the fender vents and the large side vent being the centerpiece here. I also notice there’s a crease running from the fender vents and along the beltline, which is quite subtle but it works very well to enhance the side profile,” noted Pietro.

“However, I’m not sure what they were trying with the curved section that juts into the side vent. It creates a bit of a weird shape and I think it would be a hundred times better without it so the lines from the vent can continue straight into the front fascia.”

“Apart from that though, this design has exceptional lineflow. Everything looks cohesive on the rear and the way the molding lines on the hood flow over the hood into the grille strakes is fantastic,” Lucia remarked.

“Speaking of the grille though, it’s… quite different. I don’t know if people will still be able to identify it as a Pilati at first glance as it looks nothing like our previous designs,” said Guglielmo. “I’m surprised no one here’s mentioned it yet, but I was definitely a little shocked to see it on a car that otherwise sticks pretty well to our design language…”

“Well, it does work pretty well with the rest of the front fascia, but as you said it doesn’t really fit our brand identity. If we’re going with this design we might have to change up a few things, but overall I think this proposal is worthy of consideration,” Pietro stated. “It’s a solid design that shows off a good evolutionary take on our design language, which is exactly what we wanted to see.”

This design proposal will be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@randomtuner

“This next one is from Carrozzeria Stilistica.” Guglielmo gave a smirk as he put the pictures up on the screen. “I’m particularly excited to hear what you all have to say about this proposal.”

“…”

“No one?” Guglielmo cut through the silence. “Now I know it’s probably not what we were expecting, so-”

“What on earth is this? The proportions look awfully weird, with a super tall greenhouse and a rear end that seems to be suffering from a severe overbite. Not to mention the enormous rims straight off a donk.”

“Sandro, don’t be so crude,” Guglielmo retorted. “I know it certainly looks strange at first glance, but look closer and you might appreciate some of the details.”

“Well I, for one, really like the way they’ve done the surfacing here,” Pietro chimed in. “It’s elegantly creased, and if you ignore the admittedly weird proportions, the lines and angles do form a cohesive product.”

“It just gives me the impression that they really developed the concept sketch for their design, then translated it straight to 3D without any further work. Sometimes that results in a great design, here not so much. There’s no production-ready necessities like mirrors or doorhandles, and I struggle to think of where to stick a license plate on the rear without it awkwardly hanging off the back,” said Sandro.

“Yeah, it’s obviously nowhere near production ready but the ideas shown here are pretty good. Although there’s only a singular side vent, there’s enough creasing and molding in the right places to make it not so bland. The lower grille has an intricate diamond pattern which is nice to see, since most of the other proposals don’t have much in the way of grille detailing,” Pietro said.

“The rear lightbar may have a relatively simple shape but inside it has the same diamond pattern which I’m sure would look great when lit up. The headlights are also quite detailed but I would’ve preferred a sleeker shape here to go with the angular front fascia as this design makes the car look a bit wide-eyed.”

“It’s got a pretty pronounced double bubble roof design as well,” Mia noted. “Usually I would say that’s nice, but unfortunately it doesn’t help with the awkwardly tall look of the greenhouse here. I still think it’s a good idea to include that element, but the execution could’ve been better.”

“Overall, I think we can agree it shows off some great ideas and has the potential to be a fantastic production model,” Pietro stated. However I think it definitely should’ve been developed further into a production-ready product before reaching our inbox. As it is right now, we can’t really use it. What a shame."

OOC: If the proportions weren’t the way they were, it would honestly be one of the best designs here. The awkwardly tall greenhouse is an unfortunate feature of the body you’ve used, though I think it could be fixed if you were willing to go even further with reshaping the body.

I can clearly see the meticulous work you’ve put in to transform the body from its original form and some of the techniques used here to reshape the rear end are pretty amazing. There’s no doubt it’s a very well-made design, but unfortunately it’s just simply too excessive in its current form to be considered for a production car. It also lacks a few key design features, such as the signature vents on the side or any kind of hood vents.

This design proposal will not be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@Mikonp7

“This is the proposal from Propeller Design Studio. I really like the proportions here, its low and wide stance gives it a real presence and blacking out the greenhouse makes the whole design look sleeker.”

“Compared to the previous proposal, you definitely can’t say this one doesn’t highlight our signature grille enough. It’s front and center here, spanning the whole width of the front fascia.” Pietro pulled his arms apart as he gestured at the screen. “Paired with the angular shape of the headlights, it gives the front a really menacing look. Also, I notice there’s a double bubble roof here as well. It’s nice that quite a few of the proposals have picked up on this feature.”

“They’ve done a very good job with shaping the body overall, from the double bubble roof to the crease highlighting the shoulder line to the nicely sculpted hood, which thankfully includes our signature hood bump,” Lucia remarked. “The side vent has angles that complement the lines of the body and the badging on the front fender is a nice touch. However, they’ve stuck their own logo there and it’s not exactly discreet. I don’t think the boss will approve of that.”

“Honestly, I don’t think the side profile as a whole is really recognizable as a Pilati.” said Sandro. “No signature fender vents or rear brake cooling vent here. Actually, there isn’t even any indication of a door handle. I wonder if it’s hidden somewhere?”

“I hope that won’t be too confusing for our customers,” Guglielmo interjected.

“Anyways,” Sandro continued. “moving to the rear I can definitely see somewhat of a circular theme with a pair of round taillights and a pair of circular exhausts on either side. The circular taillights are particularly odd, especially since we haven’t used them in any of our previous designs, and I think they actually make the rear fascia look a bit dated. I wouldn’t say this is exactly recognizable as a Pilati either.”

“I don’t know if anyone has noticed this yet, but there’s actually an adjustable lip on the bootlid,” Pietro pointed out. “It’s a nice touch and shows attention to detail, but I fear it may be too minor to be of much aerodynamic benefit. Perhaps it’s just there to look cool, in which case it does its job perfectly.”

“On the other hand, I think they’ve kinda overdone the front aero. There’s too many lips and layers on the bottom section here. It’s starting to look like a lasagna!” Sandro exclaimed.

“You’re getting hungry already, aren’t you? No wonder you were so cranky about the last design,” Pietro chuckled. "Well, let’s wrap this one up and get to the others after lunch. Personally, I think the front aero could be cleaned up a bit but it’s definitely not the worst part of the design.

“The worst part, unfortunately, is that it doesn’t really evoke much of our design language from the base of the windshield continuing back. It’s such a shame, because with some changes to complement the front end I could see it being a top contender for the next Invicta.”

OOC: I applaud the choice to use this body, especially with its lack of morphs, and you’ve certainly done well to make it look good despite that.

The active spoiler in particular is a clever piece of design and adding the struts with little 3D cylinders shows great attention to detail. Similarly the use of patchwork and 3D body molding to make the side profile, as well as making the grille and diffuser custom by hand is commendable and none of that attention to detail was lost on me.

Ultimately though, and as I said before, it doesn’t have much of the Pilati DNA in the overall design, which really is a shame because it’s a stunning design on its own. I just can’t call it a Pilati.

This design proposal will not be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

The following entrants will move onto further judging later on:
@the-chowi
@Riley
@Xepy

[kookie]

In case anyone’s wondering what’s happened since the last post, I put reviews on hold for a bit due to the patchwork issues from the last patch. Now that it’s fixed with the latest patch, I’m back to work. Part 2 coming very soon!

[randomtuner]

Any update on the rest of the reviews?

[mart1n2005]

Any chance maybe you can just flip a couple of coins or throw a dart at 3 printouts of the cars left

[kookie]

---

"Dove diavolo sono andati? Queste recensioni non saranno mai fatte..."

After a delicious lunch, the team returned to the office to review the other half of the proposals.

@Aruna

“This proposal didn’t mention any design studio, but I believe the designer behind it is a well-respected veteran of the industry. I’m excited to see how they’ll do,” Guglielmo said.

“At first glance, it looks quite planted and lightweight like any proper Pilati should be,” Lucia said. “Check out the side angle though,” she said as she rotated the model on the screen. “That rear end looks huge!”

“Sandro, why are you looking at me like that? Do you have something to add?”

“Uh- I- Well, on a well proportioned body, a nice rear end really accentuates the beauty-”

“Where are you going with this?”

“-of the car’s design. You didn’t let me finish,” Sandro continued. “However, it looks quite awkward here and really throws off the otherwise sleek proportions. The rear also feels a bit dated, with the large and blocky elements in the upper fascia and the basic lower fascia.”

“I do like the details they’ve added on the rear though, such as the infinity mirror effect of the taillights and the racing-inspired rain light integrated into the diffuser. Nice touches,” Guglielmo remarked.

“The headlights are definitely unique with a four-eyed look. Paired with the smiley grille, the front fascia sorta gives off the look of a friendly alien,” Sandro said. “The rest of the fascia also matches the friendly look with no aggressive elements and I do like the vents framing the middle just like on the rear.”

“The side design also doesn’t have much aggression, it’s pretty clean and smooth with just the brake cooling vent tucked away in the black two-tone section and the side vent being the only two interruptions in the surface. Even the doorhandles have a flush design which brings us up to date with the current crop of competitors.”

“I do wonder, were they trying to emulate the three-element design of our trademark fender vents with the strakes in the side vent? Either way… it sorta reminds me of the wings of an exotic bird,” Lucia mused.

“If my research proves correct, I believe the designer of the proposal is quite the avian enthusiast,” Guglielmo chimed in.

“Hmm, so they gave us something with an alien face and bird wings. Is this a car or a fantasy character design?” Pietro chuckled. “Jokes aside, I’ll admit that this design is pretty charming. It’s just a shame that it doesn’t quite have the aggressive vibes we’re looking for here.”

OOC: This design is full of charm with its rather unique looks and there’s lots of cool ideas here as well, such as the details in the lights and diffuser. The use of blacked out sections of bodywork is a great idea and it really helps the car look lightweight and planted, especially from the front 3/4 angle.

Unfortunately, the design as a whole is too soft for what I’m looking for. I might consider using its cues for a lower-end model but as it is right now it’s not aggressive enough for the flagship supercar that it’s meant to be. I also would’ve liked to see a bit more Pilati design DNA, especially in the side profile.

This design proposal will not be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@SolidSnake

“This next proposal also included a detailed look at the powertrain they envisioned for us, with an emphasis on the ‘obscene’ one thousand horsepowers,” Guglielmo sighed.

“Well, they definitely didn’t read that part of the brief. In their frenzy to reach a 4 digit horsepower figure, they must have misread the brief and ended up updating the Invicta for “the new decade”. I guess they also couldn’t read the date on their calendars. Well, someone better tell them we’re almost reaching the end of the 2010s!” Pietro exclaimed.

“They did say they tried hard not to deviate from the Invicta’s lineage…”

“Yeah I know we didn’t want anything too radical, but this just doesn’t move the needle enough at all,” Pietro replied. “Frankly, it’s also nothing remarkable in terms of early 2010s design. The front fascia is rather forgettable, and the hood vents don’t really do much here. At least they kept the signature hood bump down the middle.”

“Considering their claim that they stuck very closely to the Invicta’s lineage, it’s very strange that the fender vents here have the wrong number of elements. I highly doubt that’s a detail that could be easily overlooked,” Sandro said.

“They’ve also maintained the brake cooling vent design from the 90’s model, which is odd to see on a design that’s supposed to be decades in the future.”

“Moving to the rear, it looks quite awkward with a number of ill-fitting parts. For example, that plate indent is also far too tiny for any standard-sized plate. That’ll definitely need redesigning if it were to ever enter production,” Lucia stated.

“Well, I think we can all agree that this definitely misses the mark,” Pietro said. Not only does it look quite dated, it’s also frankly an unremarkable design overall. On to the next one."

OOC: The design is… okay, but rather boring and too outdated for what I’m looking for. A closer look at the cars provided in the inspirations tab could’ve helped with the general design, but I also recommend paying more attention to the details.

For example, the rear wing doesn’t follow the curve of the trunk even though it has a shape that tries to fit in. The side indicators also could’ve been better integrated into the fender vent design given that they’re both very similar shapes.

Not to mention the plate indent, which should’ve been designed around a standard sized plate. After all, the default size of the plate is roughly IRL accurate so there’s no reason to mess with it in 99% of designs.

This design proposal will not be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@BTCheetah

“This is the proposal from Gruppo Stile Ercolano.”

“Ah, I assume they must be fellow countrymen!” Pietro exclaimed. “An all-Italian design for the next Invicta sounds nice. Let’s see what they have for us.”

The pictures finally came into view on the screen.

“Oh.”

“Is this another one where they sent in the wrong file?”

“Well, they did send in the proposal at the last minute, but they also sent some fancy looking promo material along and it looks the same as what we have here.”

“This… honestly looks like a child’s drawing. What on earth were they thinking when they sent this in?”

“You’re always so quick to pass judgement, Sandro. Why don’t I read you a line from the promo material? I quite like this one.” Guglielmo chuckled. “Gruppo Stile Ercolano has masterfully combined the signature looks of Invictae past with inspiration drawn-”

“Oh, stop it,” Sandro scoffed. “You tried to do this to me earlier, but I don’t think any of you can argue with me when I say this has to be the worst proposal so far. Why is everything so tiny? The doorhandles, the fuel cap, the indicators on the side, they’re all made for an ant! Why are the mirrors pulled straight off a car from the 80s? Why are the wheels pulled straight off an economy hatchback?”

“Right, okay, let’s not get too heated,” Pietro cautioned. “Save your breath, because we’ve still got quite a few more proposals to review. As for this particular proposal, lemme be more ahem diplomatic in my notes. The effort put into the promotional material is certainly commendable, but it can’t make up for the severely underwhelming design. It needs a lot more work before we can even be close to considering it.”

OOC: Not much more to say about this one, given that it looks very incomplete. My one suggestion for the current design is to flip the vents on the front fascia so that the curved edge fits with the shape of the grille.

Apart from that, it needs a total redesign, starting with the proportions. Many of the design elements are just tiny and outdated looking, especially the wheels which make no sense for this kind of car.

*If this kind of design isn’t your strong point, that’s fine, I understand this isn’t everyone’s specialty. However, that’s why I made sure to provide plenty of IRL examples to help your design. That’s what they’re there for, so I really suggest studying the designs there if you’re unsure.

Fundamentally, this design just doesn’t work, so unfortunately I can’t even give much useful feedback to improve it.*

This design proposal will not be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@WangMaster_420

“Woah, ok. I take back everything I said about the last proposal being the ugliest so far,” said Sandro. “My apologies to our compatriots at Gruppo Stile Ercolano, because that looks like the Mona Lisa compared to this. Why does it have the wheel fitment of a vintage muscle car? Why, of all colours, is it painted in the most unsightly shade of brown??”

“Oh, he’s really lost it now,” Lucia muttered.

“I don’t even know where to start with the design here. The lights make no sense, the front and rear fascias in general are just a collection of random shapes, there’s LED lines and various fixtures thrown all around the car with no thought, and the “INVICTA” text isn’t even centered on the body, for god’s sake!”

The rest simply looked on in terror as Sandro carried on his tirade.

“It looks like whoever designed this drew a perfectly good silhouette of a car, forgot about it until the last minute, downed a few bottles of wine, handed it to their child to fill in, and used the result to slap together the 3D model the next morning while still severely hungover,” he continued. “Any objections?”

“…”

“Well, that settles it then.”

OOC: Another entry where I just can’t provide any useful feedback because the design is just so fundamentally flawed.

It’s pretty obvious you didn’t take a look at any of the inspiration pics, so I won’t ask that question. Instead, I’ll ask: Have you ever seen a real life car, let alone a supercar? No sensible design would ever look like this mess. I think I can best describe the design process here as flinging sh t at the wall and seeing what sticks. Not to mention the use of the old and ugly license plates. (honestly, why are they still in the game?)

In the end, the sh t didn’t stick on the wall and it slid down onto your car. That’s the only explanation I have for why…

Who would ever find this colour appealing on a supercar?

This design proposal will not be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@DuceTheTruth100

“…”

Everyone turned to Sandro, who was looking rather shell-shocked by now.

“What? Why is everyone looking at me?”

“You have anything to say about this one?” Lucia asked with a wry smile.

“Oh, I get it. You want me to go on another big rant about this design and how it is an insult to our brand and blah blah blah,” Sandro gestured. “No. I prefer not to speak, if I speak, I am in big trouble.”

He pulled out his phone and waved it at the others, who were curiously awaiting what he had in store next.

“I will just show you this video instead. No words from me.”

“I think that sums it up,” Pietro sighed. “Looks like a supercar crossed with a donk, of all things. A mid-engined supercar, just to rub salt in the wound. Even disregarding the questionable styling on display here, the Invicta has kept its traditional design formula for decades and it has always worked. That’s not gonna change now and it never will.”

OOC: This entry honestly just perplexes me, and it has me seriously questioning whether you actually read the brief for more than 5 seconds before banging out whatever idea you had in your head and sending it to my inbox.

First of all, I’d like to know what on earth compelled you to use a mid-engined body for this. Did you miss the first line of the rules, where it clearly states:

Must have a front longitudinal and RWD layout

Or did you not take notice of any of the pictures I provided in the “IRL Inspirations” tab? I thought that with all of the above, it was pretty clear what I was looking for.

You said:

Stupid engine configuration in a styling challenge!!!

when I instabinned your entry for the most egregious rule break I received.

Mid-engined cars and front-engined cars are usually styled very differently. And yours is definitely styled like a mid-engined car, with the general proportions of the body and the huge gaping vents at the rear. Again, if you looked at any of the reference pictures I provided, it’s pretty clear that this round is not about mid-engined cars.

The design also has nothing to suggest Pilati’s brand identity except for the front and rear badges. The grille is one of the most garish fixtures you can put on a car, and for extra measure you added a set of ugly BMW grilles in the middle.

The headlights don’t even have glass over them for some reason, and the taillights are vanilla fixtures that aren’t era appropriate at all. Maybe you thought sprinkling some LED lines around the place would make it modern enough, but contrary to belief, modern light design is more than just thin DRL lines out the wazoo with little rhyme or reason for their placement.

Also, I know using these LED line fixtures is probably one of the first things people would reach for to make DRL lines, but just having them bare on the body with no surrounds looks terrible. I highly suggest using MDHL, which has a huge selection of better-looking alternatives, and actually integrating them into the main light design, not just going off on some nearby body line.

I can definitely appreciate the use of at least some molding compared to other entries, but the difference between this and a design that I would say is “sculpted like a work of art” is that on the latter the molding works well to emphasise the lines of the body and the design features. Here, it’s just there for… IDK what. Maybe you can tell me.

My last complaint is this:

I have no idea why that singular piece of patchwork is just randomly placed on the side, and I have no idea what purpose it could even serve. Again, maybe you can tell me.

You mentioned keeping this design for your own purposes and just having some minor tweaks to it. You even “prepared for it” too. Maybe that’s why it looks totally out of place here? Either way, I suggest that you go back to the drawing board and completely overhaul this or just scrap it entirely.

I know you are perfectly capable of making some decent modern designs (especially some of your latest work), but this is just not it.

This design proposal will not be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@Prium

“Well, I think we all need something more pleasant-looking after those past few proposals,” Guglielmo said. “This next proposal is from Capital Design.”

“Capital, huh? Well let’s see if they can capitalize on the failure of the previous proposals,” Sandro snickered.

“Well it definitely makes a much better impression. It’s got those long and sleek proportions, which remind me of classic GTs, especially with the front fascia. However, the wheels are on the small side, which kinda throws off the proportions,” Lucia remarked.

“Indeed, the body is pretty sleek, but I don’t think the general styling works as well with an odd combination of hard angles and smooth lines,” Pietro stated.

“Also, the fender vents are made redundant with the inclusion of the huge side vent, as well as subsequently looking out of place on the side profile. Not to mention the indicator light underneath, where I feel they could’ve done a better job of integrating it into the design.”

“Another thing that looks out of place here is the side sill aero. Seems like they had a cool idea but the execution looks like they just stuck a piece of carbon onto the bodywork,” Sandro said. “I also like the deep hood vents on this one.”

“Over on the rear, I like the way they’ve done the diffuser area. The exhausts are also laid out nicely in the diagonal shape, though I prefer some larger tips,” Guglielmo said. “However, it looks quite messy from the side with so many indents and bits of bodywork jutting out, especially the triangular part of the lightbar which just looks weird.”

“Overall, it’s definitely not the worst design we’ve seen so far, but also not the best,” Pietro stated. “Needs more refinement before we can consider it for production.”

OOC: I really like the vintage GT proportions that this car has and the front fascia works really well with that. The lights are also nicely detailed, they’re pretty well thought out and suitably modern.

However, as you look around the car it starts to fall apart. For example, you’ve got angular and boxy headlights up front but circular taillights at the rear housed within a curved and pointy light bar shape. If I looked at the front and rear fascias separately I wouldn’t say that they were part of the same car.

I would honestly like to see this car with a more cohesive design following the front end, as I think it’s got potential to be a properly good design once the issues are worked out.

This design proposal will not be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@lotto77

“This next proposal comes from Bateman Design Studios,” Guglielmo said as the eye-searingly bright car loaded up onto the screen.

After the rest of the team had recovered from temporary blindness, Lucia was the first to comment.

“Well, uh, that was certainly quite the impression. It’ll definitely be polarising to use that colour on a production car.”

“Moving on from that though, I must say I really like the front fascia. Its rounded design is quite charming, although it doesn’t fit the aggressive look we’re after. However, the blacked out grille insert makes it hard to easily identify as a Pilati even though it is technically a split grille, and I also find it weird that they chose to carry that through onto the hood bump given that it’s not really a continuous line.”

“The hood vents work quite well with the rest of the design though,” Sandro added. “Moving around to the side, there’s not much going on except for the side vents and the indicator. At least the lower sill vent is painted black to break up the emptiness of that area.”

“That L-shaped bit of trim between the fender vents and the indicator is an interesting detail, though I think it would’ve been better to integrate the two features by having it wrap around instead. The floating badge on the rear pillar is also a nice touch.”

“I’m not sure what they were trying with the rear lights - it just doesn’t work at all,” Guglielmo stated. “In fact, the rear as a whole is just a mess. Unlike the clean and cohesive front fascia, it’s a jumble of various shapes with odd strakes cluttering the design. The center mounted exhausts are quite unique though, so that’s nice to see.”

“This is another design with some charming qualities. However, it’s just not aggressive enough for what we need and it definitely needs a lot more refinement before it can be considered,” said Pietro.

OOC: Well done for speedrunning this design and still ending up with something that isn’t totally terrible.

However, it still needs work on making it look cohesive and not like two different cars from two different angles, and I also think studying some of the cars in the inspirations tab would’ve helped with that rear end. Maybe some more time could’ve benefitted this entry, but it’s still a decent effort.

Also, the rear light situation just reminds me of this:

This design proposal will not be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@Tsundere-kun

“Here’s the proposal we received from Cascina Design Studio, finished in a lovely deep shade of red.”

“Wow, they put a lot of effort into the molding here and it really shows with nice organic shaping accentuating the beautiful lines of the body," Pietro said.

"The molding around the rear haunches works well to add some character to the shoulder line, which wraps up nicely with a ducktail spoiler at the rear end. Not to mention the same treatment around the front arches which is exceptional. There isn’t a crease out of place here.” He imitated a chef’s kiss.

“Well, apart from the rectangular indent on the door," Guglielmo rebutted. “They could’ve made it a lot smoother as it’s pretty jarring to see that on an otherwise flowy side profile.”

“On a more positive note, I really like the light signatures on this design. It’s menacing yet quite elegant at the same time, and it’s good to see consistency between the headlight and taillight designs as well.”

“Both front and rear fascias are just beautiful in general,” said Lucia. “Although, I feel like the front grille could’ve been simplified a little as the extra chrome trim makes it look cluttered in contrast to the rest of the design. Just like the previous car, the hood bump is painted black and it also carries down to the middle of the grille, which is a strange coincidence.”

“I noticed that they chose not to go with a traditional double bubble roof design, instead using a crease along the middle to achieve the same effect. That’s pretty clever,” sandro added.

“I mean, what more can I say? Apart from a few issues, this thing is just sculpted like a work of art,” Pietro stated. “Definitely a strong contender for the new Invicta.”

This design proposal will be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

@ldub0775

“The final proposal we received came to us from W Design, all the way from America.”

“Well let’s see if they can get the W on this one,” Pietro said. “That’s what all the kids say nowadays, right?”

“Suuure,” Sandro rolled his eyes. “Anyways, this immediately strikes me as a machine with lots of presence. It’s huge! I guess they say everything’s bigger in the USA…”

“Indeed, it’s quite bulky even though it’s got rather long and low proportions like some of the other proposals,” Lucia added. “As a result it looks like more of a highway cruiser than a nimble supercar, especially with the sedate styling. The molding here works well to reinforce the lines, but it’s nothing crazy or aggressive, and there’s also no sporty aero bits bar the rear diffuser. It would’ve been nice to see at least a small lip spoiler on the front.”

“The front end as a whole could be more aggressive. Although I see some potential in the design of the grille and headlights, the vents need a more interesting shape for it to feel less like a design you’d see on a standard car,” Pietro said.

“The rear end gives me the same feeling,” added Sandro. “If you showed me a straight-on shot of the rear, it wouldn’t look out of place on something like a sports sedan. Also, I noticed the center brake light is quite thick compared to the slim taillights, which is weird.”

“The side profile is pretty disappointing too. It’s not totally flat, but the design is quite boring with no vents or extra trim to be found. There’s nothing to suggest a typical Pilati design.”

“Funny you should mention the rear looking like a sports sedan,” Guglielmo chimed in. “I happened to stumble upon the lead designer’s social media channels where he showed off their design studio. In the background I noticed a few pictures of other manufacturers’ models, including a white sedan with taillights that looks suspiciously similar to what they have here.”

“I guess that explains the rather boring looks then. I’m not sure what made them think it would fit for a flagship supercar,” Pietro said. “Not to mention the potential legal trouble we could get if we brought this design to production. W Design ultimately takes the L here.”

“And on that dreadful note,” Guglielmo groaned, “I think we’re done.”

OOC: I have no complaints with the design itself - on its own, it looks good and is well-built. It was a brave choice to use the Tezda body for this as usually it would be a bit of a disaster proportions wise, but I quite like the way it’s turned out here.

However, my main issue is that it just doesn’t work for the kind of car I’m looking for in this round. You took design cues off a sedan (in fact you admitted to this) and grafted them on to a bulky GT body, and the end result is… a big GT shaped car that looks like an sports sedan. Doesn’t exactly fit the brief of ‘elegant Italian supercar’ very well.

This design proposal will not be considered for the new Pilati Invicta.

---

The following entrants will move onto further judging later on:
@Tsundere-kun

[ldub0775]

@kookie

However, my main issue is that it just doesn’t work for the kind of car I’m looking for in this round. You took design cues off a sedan (in fact you admitted to this) and grafted them on to a bulky GT body, and the end result is… a big GT shaped car that looks like an sports sedan. Doesn’t exactly fit the brief of ‘elegant Italian supercar’ very well.

I had assumed from the inspiration that we were making GT cars, though I understand it not looking particularly Italian.

Great write-ups!

[kookie]

Well, I admit I may have been quite harsh in my review, but if you manage to break the very first rule in the requirements section, it doesn’t give me the sense that you were taking this challenge very seriously.

As for the design, I can tell you that it’s almost always a bad idea to submit something that is already 90% done before the challenge starts, especially a design challenge like this where the entries have to fit a certain brand identity.

Again, given that your entry doesn’t seem to fit my brand identity at all, it doesn’t give me the sense that you were taking this challenge seriously. I gave plenty of time before entries closed, probably way more than I should’ve, so I don’t think it would’ve been too much of an issue to properly modify your design.

If this is just design practice for you, that’s fine. I like the way your modern design skills have progressed since you started on here, and it’s clear that practice is mostly paying off, especially looking at your newest Allure Motors thread.

If you wanna just showcase your latest creation, that’s fine. But I don’t think it’s a very good idea to submit it to a challenge where it will be judged based on how it fits another brand.

Also, even after getting reviews and feedback, if this is your feeling:

and i still like it, damn what you or anybody else has to say about it

then I seriously question your intentions here. Does that mean that no amount of feedback or criticism would’ve changed your mind on this design? If that’s the case, why even submit it to a challenge for the host to give feedback and criticism?

I know you’re a cordial and respectful person (there’s no hard feelings towards you specifically) but it doesn’t feel very respectful on my end when someone is gonna waste my time like that.

[DuceTheTruth100]

Definitely not here to waste yours, mine, or anyone elses time. After all as we all know, HOURS go into a lot of these builds. I can understand how one would feel that way.

I felt attacked which is why i responded the way i did, that didnt feel like “constructive criticism”.

In all honesty, i do like the design a lot, but yes it could be waaaayyy better in terms of execution…but im trying. I do know for a fact if i would’ve showed the discord homies first, I would have presented something possibly entirely different, which is exactly what i didnt want, but i see your point.

I appreciate your words and i also have no hard feelings towards you.