For nearly four and a half years, @thecarlover’s RCM Alouette Sport 444 has graced the top of our Steam library page, like so…
While it was - and still very much is - a well-designed car, the time has come to replace this beloved machine as the “face” of Automation, as the game has moved on dramatically in that time. And what better time than now, with the LCV4.2 update now only weeks away from full release?
But what kind of car should be the face of the 4.2 Update? Considering that LCV4.2 was very heavy on updating our engine calculations, we need a category of cars that live and die by their engines, so without further ado…
For many years, the ultimate expression of the sports car was a small, two-seat convertible or roadster, often from Italy or the UK. As time progressed, customer tastes changed, but these cars didn’t, with sales stagnating and leaving many to wonder if the traditional sports car was dead. All that changed in 1989, when a certain little sports car from Japan suddenly and dramatically revived the segment in an instant. Almost overnight, every manufacturer wanted a piece of this segment. From mid-mounted boxer engines, to high-revving 4 and 6 cylinder engines mounted up front, the engineering in these cars was as wildly different as their styling, but they all served one purpose - to put a smile on the driver’s face.
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All entries must be submitted through the Face of the Update Design Competition Form, found here. Entries will not be accepted by email, direct messaging or other means.
- A valid email address is required to enter this competition, as we will be using it to contact prize winners for shipping information, or to re-submit screenshots of their entries for the purpose of this competition only. Camshaft Software LTD will NOT use submitted e-mail addresses for any other purposes.
- Competition entries open right away, and will be closed at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, August 16th. Refer here for the deadline in your local time.
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Entrants must provide one 3840x2160 (4K) resolution, in-game screenshot of each of their entries that they feel best showcases their creation, plus the .car file.
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All screenshots must be named as follows: FOTU - (Your chosen nickname)
FOTU - YourNickname
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All .car files must be named as follows - the in-game car model name must be “FOTU - (Your chosen nickname)”; all other fields are free.
Example: FOTU - YourNickname, Trim 1, Family 1, Variant 1
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Photoshop of screenshot submissions is allowed for colour corrections and compositing other Automation scenes, props, etc., but compositing screenshots with real-world photographs or elements is not permitted.
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Collaborative entries will NOT be allowed.
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Entrants provide the car with the understanding that:
- Your entry may be discussed in the context of the competition with or without specific mention of the entrant as the creator, and
- Your entry may be used by us for future marketing material with or without specific mention of the entrant as the creator.
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Use of submitted entries by Camshaft Software is non-exclusive; entrants may continue to use their competition entries as they see fit.
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Entries that obviously infringe on copyrighted material will be disqualified; this especially pertains to the use of real-world automotive branding or entertainment media. Inspiration from real-world intellectual property is allowed, just don’t make a complete copy of it!
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Interiors help with the exterior aesthetics of your cars; it is recommended that a presentable interior (a minimum of dash, seats, steering wheel, etc) be present in your challenge entry, and strongly suggested that a full interior be present if your design is open-roof.
All entries will be pre-judged by Camshaft staff from the images that you submit with your challenge entry.
It is imperative that you make your submission photo as good as you can, with the car standing out properly against the background, and showcasing the features you think make it stand out the best!
The highest-scoring entries from the pre-judging will then proceed to the final judging process, which will be posted on the Automation YouTube channel shortly after the pre-judging process is complete. Only the top 10 to 15 entries will make the final video.
Entries will be scored in the final according to this rubric:
| Points | Criteria |
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| 20 Points | Overall appearance: How appealing is the design? Is it era-appropriate? Does it have the “wow” factor? |
| 10 Points | Design consistency: Does the design look harmonious from front to rear? If not, do the choices complement each other? |
| 10 Points | Attention to detail: Is the design crafted carefully and neatly? Do the paint colours and material/texture choices work? |
| 10 Points | Creativity: Is the design a unique (in a positive way) take on the design brief? |
There are a number of prizes for this challenge:
- First place - The winning entry will be used as the “face” of the LCV4.2 Update, with their car appearing in promotional material all across Steam relating to Automation, including as the replacement Library “Hero Banner”, and a $50 USD Steam Digital Wallet Code.
- Second place - $50 USD Steam Digital Wallet Code.
- Third place - $25 USD Steam Digital Wallet Code.
