I think your getting the wrong end of this. The way I’ve read this is that the car gets good fuel economy. High mpg not high fuel usage
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Yeah, stupid me. Apologies to the host.
I did read that backwards.
I never thought my entry would be among those eight - until I found out that it was. On the other hand, I am as shocked as you are to find out that so many entries turned out to be ineligible for some reason.
And after reading the reasons why some cars that were eligible still failed to make it past the first cut, I can understand why you chose your finalists: a V8 with an aluminum block and/or heads was very rare (and expensive) among muscle cars in 1968, as was one with at least one overhead cam per bank.
Anyway, your writing for the first round of bins was short and to the point - just as it should be - which leaves me full of anticipation for the reviews of the final 8 entries.
Omg I am such a dunce! I just understood what the naming convention requirement meant after reading it over again. I thought it was the name of the file that was meant to be called that -_-"
Sucks to be eliminated because of such a silly issue. Oh well, there’s always next time.
What helps/hurts reliability numbers?
I see you took a page off of the Tempest cookbook. 16.1mpg! Dang! How bad was the reliability in the end? I remember the Tempest I sent you was around 47ish 48ish. I couldn’t get any more than that.
two piston wasn’t common I assume then. what else were we meant to do, run 50% sportiness brake fade?
Several factors really. But the bigger ones, at least engine wise, tend to be mixed metal engines (cast iron with aluminum is less reliable that a cast/cast or alu/alu), intake choice (standard provides the best stats), knocking and/or stressed components, and simply knowing were to put quality (usually the exhaust and fuel system benefits most from this).
As far as the rest of your car’s engineering, simplier you make it the more reliable it will be. Of course, going for basic stuff does tend to hurt or other stats, so finding the right balance if critical.
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The rules stated that you had to use one piston brakes.
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I figured this one out by making the car as light as I thought I could get away with. 1.1 tons in total, 4.3 meter length. It had about the same braking power as the tires could handle. But then again it wasn’t judged so ¯_(ツ)_/¯.
Ah yes, I gave the engine a mild tune to increase drivability and reduce the brake fade. Went too far I guess. Good luck to the finalists! 
Not quite. It’s one I was working on long before. I sent you the lore car.
You want bad reliability? Multi-carb setups are key.
in my defence it is british
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Darn, oh well. i had fun designing my car and enjoyed seeing the other cars.
I’m excited to see what the cars that made the cut perform.
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Reviews, Part 2:
8 cars sit at a vacant lot near the movie studio. The director, Richard Brand, heads shakes his head as he walks towards the row of cars.
“All these companies want their car featured in the film?”
Donald Markinson, head of production, replies.
“Product placement is a big thing these days. Companies want their car on the screen, and even more so as a hero car. A feature length film puts the car in the eye of the consumer a lot longer than any advertising space!”
The first car they take a look at is the Markley Palimino SST. Markinson starts, “A very handsome and straightforward design, a bit futuristic even, I think it emits the right attitude.”
Brand: “Markley? These are pretty expensive cars, aren’t they? Might be a little posh for the detective.”
M: “Yes, a little pricey. But it’s a strong performer. The 342ci V8 is no big block, but with triple carbs 330 hp, it’s got the power to rival some engines with a lot more cubes. Will get to 60 in 6 and a half seconds, through the quarter in 14.7, and will run 50-75 in 3.8. In all other metrics, it’s on par or better than the rest. A strong contender in my book.”
B:“I just wish it weren’t so expensive.”
M: “It’s almost identical performance to this one, the AMS Arrowhead 427. With a long-stroke 427ci engine with fully forged internals, it produces a somewhat meager-for-it’s-size 345 hp. Carrying a bit more weight than the Markley, it’s acceleration figures are the same aside from a slightly quicker 50-75.”
B: “It’s uhh, It’s not exactly exciting to look at, is it?”
M: “The stunt driver felt the same way about it’s handling, it’s not especially well composed. But they’re very affordable; $3,600 less than the Markley, at $17,600. Cheap, reliable, and fast make a fairly compelling package, no?”
B: “I like the looks of this one more.”
M: “The Valiant Renegade 262. A novel approach from Valiant to make a high performance machine with a 6 cylinder with an overhead cam. The looks are great, but you can feel the shortage of cubes under the hood; just 250hp yields 0-60 in 7.14, the quarter in 15.31, and a 50-70 of 4.81. It’s not a bad performer, considering the small engine, but it’s more expensive than the AMS by $900. Most other metrics, it’s about average. Oh, also, the stunt driver took great issue with the brakes. Despite front discs (all the cars here have front discs), the Valiant suffered from brake fade far beyond the rest, sapping his confidence in car.”
B: “Hmm.”
M: “Now this one, this is a go-for-broke supercar. The BKOO Stormer Daytona 472.”
B:“you mean 427?”
M: “No, four hundred and seventy two cubic inches. And an otherworldly 490 hp, one of only two cars here with more than 1 hp per cube. This rocks everything else here on the performance tests: 60 in 5.8s, the quarter in 13.98, 50-75 in a mere 2.83s. And it’s no dragster; show this thing a corner and it knows exactly what to do.”
B: “So this flashy fire-breather comes at a cost, then.”
M: “Quite some cost. $22,400. Reliability isn’t especially strong either, and as you’d expect from a such a beast, it wasn’t too happy putting around town.”
B: “this might be a bit much for the detective. What’s the next one?”
M: “Another favorite of the test drivers, this Hinode Mahkota ST.”
B: “This is big for a Japanese car.”
M:“It’s a full size there, which puts it close to the pony cars and compacts here.”
B: “So, does it make any power?”
M: “certainly less than anything else here. Now, the little motor can sing with it’s overhead cam, and it’s fuel injected, too, not the most proven tech but it seems bulletproof reliable so far. But power? 215hp. 60 in 7.74, the quarter in 15.78, and 50-75 in 4.68. Outside of the acceleration tests, it’s a gem, both sporty and easy to drive.”
B: “It might not be powerful enough for what we want. It’s the right size and it looks the part. What else?”
M: “GSI Martinet Speedway.”
B: “Didn’t we say we didn’t want a full-size car?”
M: “we did sir, but they sent this anyways, and it’s affordable for it’s size, $18,700, and it’s got a 390ci with dual quads making 330 hp. Performance figures, due to the weight, are less than impressive though, and reliability has been poor”
B: …
B: “This is far more like it! Now this is what I’m talking about.”
M: “Avantii Thelorma GST. It’s got a 364 under the hood, 310 hp. Performance is a bit slower than you’d expect, 7.26 to 60 and 15.31 in the quarter. 3.96 in the 50-75 is better though; the open diff makes getting out of the hole difficult. The stunt driver loved it though, flat cornering and well behaved.”
B: Yes, this one I quite like."
M: "Another car similar in size and color palette, the Cabrera Fulgor 320. A different approach at a high performance car, this Spanish import doesn’t have the power of most of the other cars, 260hp from a 320ci V8. Acceleration is still fairly good though, 7.03 to 60, 15.31, but 4.41 in 50-75, where the it’s power deficit really shows. It’s got an unusual tire setup, but the results are a car that corners excellently yet is easy around town.
B: "The looks are aggressive, sporty, and futuristic, but it might be too flashy. But it’s compelling, with close to sports car looks in a more practical package. I’m gonna think on this.
M: “don’t think too long. We’ve got a window on these permits for the street closures.”
B: “Screw it then, bring these 5 to set.”
Brand selects the @Petakabras Cabrera, @EnCR Avantii, @S_U_C_C_U_L_E_N_T & @66mazda Hinode, @abg7 AMS, and @Maverick74 Markley to bring to set.
The next cars to be eliminated are the @oppositelock GSI Martinet Speedway, @mart1n2005 Valiant Renegade 262, @conan BKOO Stormer Daytona 472. The GSI is too large, not reliable enough, and not fast enough. It’s only standout stat is safety, thanks to it’s massive size and monocoque construction. The Valiant Renegade 262 is one of the top contenders on looks, and the performance isn’t too far back considering the power deficit. However, with just 9 sportiness, it’s among the worst in a valuable stat, and based on the detailed stats page, brake fade is it’s biggest issue. The BKOO is proof you can have too much of a good thing. With a power above and beyond the real class of '68 with an engine far larger in displacement, it scorches the acceleration tests and is highly sporty, and falls short everywhere else, and has a big price tag.
Gross hp figures were used in this review, using a 1.15x equivalency rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.
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A top-5 finish for my entry? After barely missing out in the previous round, it’s a relief for me to qualify for the finals this time! Mainly it has something to do with this:
That stems from my decision to give my car a traditional body-on-frame chassis, while sticking to a leaf-sprung live rear axle and using a relatively under-stressed big-block V8 (with a four-barrel carburetor and standard intake) for propulsion - I could have fitted a second carburetor to unlock even more power, but at the expense of eroding some of the reliability and affordability that the Arrowhead was known for.
I knew the inline 6 would be a problem, hard to sell something other than a V8 for these rounds. I did think my brakes were ok though, maybe I should have used larger discs
Reviews: Final
Once on set, director Richard Brand gives the cars over to the stunt driver for some quick takes, to see how the cars look in motion on the streets.
The AMS Arrowhead 427. While this car gives plenty of speed for a low cost, it’s the least composed handler of the group, sitting on a full-frame and leaf sprung rear axle. The lack of handling precision is something the driver could work around, especially given it’s healthy power and torque, but the real killer for this car is the appearance. The chosen car will be a action movie star, after all, and the AMS just doesn’t look exciting.
The Markley Palimino SST brings almost identical performance to the table despite much smaller displacement. It’s also a far more competent handling car, albeit not on the same level as the Cabrera, Avantii, and Hinode. Nonetheless, with great looks and plenty of punch, it would be a shoe-in for the role… if not for the price. $21,200 is lot of money in this crowd, and with the triple-carb setup giving lower reliability ratings than the other remaining options, it’s facing an uphill battle.
The Cabrera Fulgor 320 seems to love the camera. It’s ultra aggressive, futuristic front end means business, and more so than ever when in motion. It’s a solid handler as well, and even impressed with a surprisingly comfortable ride when driven more sedate. Unfortunately, it’s 317ci V8 really lacks the punch of the larger V8s here, and the staggered tire sizes and low profile rear tires aren’t easy to come by, but nonetheless, it’s an impressive machine.
More impressive, though, was the Hinode Mahkota ST. The car’s appearance is straightforward and business-like, with a purposeful stance, and unlike many Japanese cars, it’s not so small as to look out of place among the V8 compeitors, even if it doesn’t quite have the panache of some of the others. Carrying around 240 lbs less than the next lightest Cabrera and a whopping 687 lbs less than the full-framed AMS, the Mahkota behaves truly like a sports car, with flat cornering, eager turn-in, and a playful but controllable rear end; the stunt driver’s favorite car. The shorter ratios of it’s 5 speed transmission help the fuel injected I6 move the car with some pace, but on the steep hills of San Francisco, the torque deficit to the other cars can be seen loud and clear. Unfortunately for the Hinode as well, it’s excellence doesn’t come cheap; less than the Markley, but more than the Cabrera and significantly more than the Avantii and and AMS.
The Avantii Thelorma GST is the budget option of the group, with the cheapest price, not just of the remaining cars, but of all the cars considered. But you wouldn’t know looking at it: it’s an incredibly handsome and well detailed machine. That low price doesn’t sacrifice brawn either; 364ci and 310hp are healthy figures. The stunt driver felt the engine had a lot more to give, but was hampered by a long rear axle ratio and open diff. Somewhat lazy acceleration aside, the car was still athletic when hustled through the streets; not quite on the Hinode’s level through the bends, but a match for the more expensive and more-exotically-tired Cabrera.
With an impressive combination of value, power, and style, the Avantii Thelorma GST is selected to be Brock Calaber’s hero car.
Final Standings:
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Congratulations EnCR! A very well done entry.
I must I’m surprised that the Markley wound up being one of the better performance cars in the bunch. Most the stuff I build seems to be on the other end of that spectrum. But the performance came with a price, literally. 
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Thank you>, also since I still hold the responsibility of hosting CSR. I’ll have to pass this to @S_U_C_C_U_L_E_N_T & @66mazda .
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