The Single Engine Lineup Challenge (REVIEWS POSTED)

I came up with this challenge for myself to practice for the upcoming campaign mode. I thought it might be fun for you to try out as well!

The goal of this challenge is to build a highly competitive and varied lineup in 2016, targeted at the mainstream consumer segment, using only one engine. You’ll need to be able to design an engine that’s economical yet versatile, and to build cars around that engine that can satisfy wildly different purposes.

Engine

ONE engine. ONE variant. NO exceptions.
91RON regular fuel only.
Must have a catalytic converter.
Engineering time under 200.

Cars

20% markup for all cars.
Engineering time under 300, except the Fun, Light Sport, and Muscle categories which must be under 350.
You are allowed up to 5 different cars, but they all must use the same engine and engine variant. It will be more impressive if you can do it with less than 5 cars.
No limited production parts.
Minimum reliability of 70 for all cars, and you must have minimum cooling.
Minimum average fuel economy: 20 MPG-US, 24 MPG-UK, 11.8 L/100KM, 8.5 KM/L

Scoring

Your target is to reach the highest Gasmean competitiveness score in each of the following categories: Family, Commuter, City, Family Utility, Utility, Heavy Utility, Fun, Light Sport, Muscle
Your score will be the average of the highest score in each of the 9 categories.

Want to use an old body, but hit by the desirability penalty? Just multiply your score by the penalty and add it back to your score. Example: 100 competitiveness, desirability reduced by 10% -> 110 score

To submit, post a picture of the overview tab and market tab for each of your cars. To keep things organized, your entire lineup should be in one post (use headers to separate your cars if you wish). Also, post a picture of the final engine tab, and at the end, please put the average competitiveness (sum of the highest score in each category, divided by 9).

The deadline is Sunday, 8/7 at 11:59PM EST

Please fill out your scores in this Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17Bc1ONrxA4phT4kiia-B8xNuGHYJg2q9-YT77fE3Y2w/edit#gid=0

Reviewing

I would like to do reviews of some of the cars, so if you would like to submit your car(s) for reviewing, please name them as follows:
Model: SELC - username - (a number or word identifying the car)
Trim: Car name
Engine: SELC - username
Variant: Engine name
You MUST post screenshots in the thread BEFORE sending your cars to me. Submitting your cars for reviewing is optional and you can just post screenshots in the thread if you prefer.

Since there’s going to be so many of them, there’s no way I can review them all. I will pick and choose a few to review. Also, if the stats in your screenshots seem suspicious, I may request you send the files to me.

Appearance is fully optional (you can just slap a grill on there and call it a day) but I am much more likely to review it if it looks awesome! I’d also like to see a common theme across your lineup, but that’s just a suggestion.

You are also free to completely ignore the competitiveness scoring and build for other stats, such highest average fuel economy, fastest Airfield time, etc. I’ll be reviewing the most unique cars as well as the most competitive cars!

Have at it guys, I want to see what you can come up with!

9 Likes

you forget the deadline?

also, i pretty much have an engine already in use that satisfied all that rules. so yay for me. :stuck_out_tongue:

Could be interesting. I’ll have to throw a few ideas at it and see what I can come up with.

i don’t get this part. fewer of what?

I think he means that if you can have a car that works in multiple categories…so Commuter AND City AND Fun would count as 1 car under 3 categories.

There are 7 categories and you are allowed 5 cars. If you can achieve your scores with less than the 5 cars you are allowed, you get bonus points. Bonus points don’t count towards the score (that will just be the average competitiveness) but might increase your chances of getting a review :wink: There are other ways to get bonus points of course, appearance being one of them (I’d like to see a common theme across your lineup, but that’s just a suggestion.)

Also, since the scoring is just the competitiveness, I was thinking that this would be a continually ongoing challenge without a set deadline. If you guys prefer a deadline and for me to choose a winner, I can do that too.

i prefer the idea of a ongoing challenge actually.

let me see what i can do

The premise is basically “one engine fits all”. Not much of a challenge if you know how to balance economy, affordability and performance (although the last one is only relevant in the Fun category). Make sure that all entrants keep this in mind.

I understand why the use of 91 RON (regular) unleaded is mandatory - every car entered in this challenge must be sellable in all three regions (Gasmea, Archana and Fruinia). Regular is the highest quality fuel available in Archana, so that’s why you mandated its use.

Let me just say that I will have the largest engine, my 503ci v8 has another chance to shine

Quick question, UK or US MPG?

I think that if fuel economy is used then it should be stated in US MPG, UK MPG and l\100km.

Makes it easier for everyone.

Actually, performance is required by the utility categories as well. Utility requires a high power-to-weight ratio for towing and hauling. Another thing to consider is that utility prefers a falling torque curve (low-RPM torque), while sportiness prefers a rising torque curve (high-RPM torque). So you need to balance two different types of performance!
Yes, it’s not hard to put one engine in 5 different cars, but remember, this is about competitiveness, and you’ll have more competitors outside the game than in :wink:

That’s what I like to hear :smiley:

Done!

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Thanks. :thumbsup:

I was talking generally about fuel economy in challenges, generally, being in all the standard units. :slight_smile:

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it’s gonne be super interesting how people is going to approach this challenge. will they design big and optimize the big boys, or make an efficient little engine that only ‘make do’ for utility.

or they’re gonna do something bonkers

Whatever engine you use, it must be jack-of-all-trades, but it does not necessarily have to be master of none.

And in 2016, aluminum body panels are no longer considered a limited production part, unlike a glued aluminum chassis, which still is. So I suspect it will be possible for entrants to use an AHS steel chassis with aluminum panels for their vehicles.

possible? yes. likely? maybe not. on all the market that i tried, partial alu seems to give more scores. at least, on that 20% markup.

i’m averaging 100-ish on all, and wondering it that’s enough. then again, i’m trying to submit only 3-4 cars to fullfill it all

I suspect that at least two cars will be required - one is seldom enough for most. Anyone who actually wants to submit just two cars should build a small ladder-framed truck for the utility categories, and a small hatch for everything else - just make sure the latter has an engineering time of <300 if you take this approach. In short, this is an each way bet across all markets that you have mentioned.

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Attention everyone! I have added Light Sport and Muscle, for a total of 9 categories. This way, there will be 3 regular categories, 3 utility categories, and 3 performance categories. Light Sport and Muscle are quite different from each other for additional variety. You will still only get 5 cars, so you’ll have to stretch it a bit more! (If anyone thinks that this is a bit too much, let me know and I can trim it down.)

I have also specified that all competitiveness scores are ranked in Gasmea for now. In the future we might have some different regions :wink:

do we have to fulfill it, or we pick 5 categories out of that all?

I made a single test car with a mediocre engine and it scores 110-125 in family, city, family utility, utility, fun and muscle (not sure about light sport). Regarding this test a one car to have 100+ on all (old - prior to light sport and muscle) categories is possible. I’m just afraid that averaging 115 is not really good :slight_smile: