Well ads aren’t mandatory and i submitted before the deadline.
2 Likes
I used to get instabinned quite often when I started joining these challenges, mostly for the same reasoning you had. I really only cared about how my car performed in Beam, and not Automation.
Another thing you will learn if you stick around, these challenges are host specific. It sometimes seems like the host is looking for something specific, and if your not on that path then sucks for you. But then there’s the spreadsheet thing where you gotta know your SHIT, cause a lot of people here do.
Honestly, this is one of my best cars to date, i thought this one was gonna go the distance lol but the fact that I got binned with some people who have actually went all the way in previous challenges…doesn’t bother me too much…it happens.
As stated before, no matter how great you feel your vehicle is, there’s some that are better. I’ve been there. It is what it is.
Maybe you can get the winning .car file at the end and compare 
.
4 Likes
One more bin
I forgor 
about this one
Stockholm 419SBSE4
(The 419SBSE4 is, as its promotional material suggests, average at best. It has stats and average running costs, comfort, drivability, et cetera. What isn’t average, however, is its use of TRX tyres that are very small in diameter, its engine that can run on 85 RON with a little tuning as well as the use of ITBs, and its poor fuel economy. Also, peak power is at redline and the supension is poorly synced.)
Next round of bins coming soon™
5 Likes
I have a question, What even are TRX Tires?
Michelin had these tires that ended in 0 instead of 5, and they were all metric including specific wheels. There’s more to it but basically they were a good idea but ultimately the market didn’t support them. I sold a LOT of them in the 90’s though. Plenty of TRX-specific wheels floating around then.
3 Likes
Thought the TRX wheels were some kind of reference to the truck
trx tyres were for metric wheels.(diameter in mm)
Width ending in 0 is not really trx specific.
1 Like
Sports tires that were an option on basically everything and standard on many supercars way back in the late 70s, early 80s. As the others said, fully metric measurement (including rim size) and notably could have their width end in zero. Whenever we see a janky (too big rim or too low profile, 0-ending width, etc) wheel in an Automation challenge, we call it “TRX” for simplicity and to not break character.
10 Likes
I even made the ban on TRX tires an explicit rule in TMCC 14 and CSR 137, both of which I hosted:
Also, by the 1990s, such unusual tire sizes had begun to fall out of favor in real life anyway.
Phase 2 Bins
Friday
The week had been tough for Takeshi. In addition to juggling the exceedingly heavy workload the typical salaryman had to deal with, Takeshi was also responsible for sourcing cars to be reviewed in the next issue of Go Go Drive! He reminisces a conversation he had with his boss on Monday.
…
Monday was terrible as usual. Hung over from a night of drinking and constantly being bugged by a crimson-haired woman he saw in a dream who is now living rent-free in his head, Takeshi found it harder than usual to focus on work.
“Hey, Takeshi!” the director called in a rather cheerful tone, “How’s it going?”
“Everything is going well, sir.” Takeshi repied, knowing that something was up.
“Listen, Takeshi.” the director said, “You’re always up to date with the latest car news, right?”
“Well, I do try to keep up…” Takeshi said
“Perfect!” the director exclaimed, “You’re gonna get us cars to use on the next episode!”
“Wh-”
“You’re gonna get us four sport wagons, alright?” the director said, “You should know, it’s the kind of stuff we discussed on Saturday, except better!”
“But sir, don’t you think it would be better to spread this task among more people?” Takeshi said, “It should be done quicker that wa-”
“Hush.” the director said, silencing Takeshi, “I’m giving you with less work this week so you can focus on finding those cars. Sounds good, doesn’t it?”
“…Not really.” Takeshi thought, remembering how saturated the Automationverse car market is.
“In any case, I’ll be counting on you.” the director continued, “I want it done by Monday next week. You can start right away. Anyway, have a good one.”
The director gave Takeshi a thumbs up, before walking away. Takeshi hated the idea of deciding the content of an episode, but he also knew that it was futile to complain. If he did, he’d most certainly be put out of his job which, in all fairness, pays quite decently.
“Damn that old geezer!” Takeshi thought
Begrudgingly, Takeshi went took some magazines and went on the new-fangled internet. After finding the appropriate models and noting them down, Takeshi went on to call each manufacturer/importer, knowing the bureaucratic nightmare he’d have to go through to even see the cars. Regardless, he toiled on, and managed to make appointments a number of manufacturers. With the clock striking eleven at night, Takeshi left the office and took the train home to rest for the night, before spending the next few days car-hunting.
Arlington Antares Touring 3.0 SR
The very next morning, Takeshi went to the Arlington dealership to see the Antares. Arlington has had a good reputation for quality and reliability, and that trait seems to be carried onto the Antares as well. The engine, while not the most advanced, produced an ample amount of power. The rest of the car was also good, being easy to drive, sporty and comfortable all at once. Its only real weakness, however, was its styling which seemed a little too boy racer-like with its colour, fat tyres, hood scoop, and red accents.
With that, Takeshi left the Arlington dealership and headed to the Hakaru dealership.
Hakaru Calida 2.0i UK
At the Hakaru dealership, Takeshi was given a look at the Calida 2.0i UK. While the car didn’t look bad by any means, it didn’t look sporty either. If anything, the Calida was just a regular family wagon, given its unexciting specifications and performance and its low price.
Takeshi went out for lunch, and proceeded to go to the Yamada dealership
Yamada Fusion-R PREMICA-R Vitesse Turbo V6-2500
Arriving at the Yamada dealership, Takeshi saw a short girl with large horns on her head and a woman with short pink hair scolding a silver-haired girl who seemed to be doing a bad job of cleaning the showroom floor. He watched the exchange, noting that the girl referred to herself using the rather archaic “wagahai”. The girl noticed that she was being watched and looked back, causing Takeshi to move along to his destination: the Fusion.
Takeshi immidiately noticed the odd door situation with the Fusion: it had a sliding door on the left side, and a normal door on the right. Door aside, the car was a very good one. It had a turbocharged 2.5l engine producing 280PS, equal to Japan’s fastest cars. It was easy to drive and is also very comfortable. However, this comfort came at the cost of handling since the car was quite heavy. Takeshi had also heard of Yamada cars rusting to hell in places like Europe and America, but he did not think much of it since he’s never seen a badly rusted Yamada where he lives.
And with that, Takeshi called it a night and went home.
Saarland Ambrosia Pilger V6
(@Knugcab)
The next morning, Takeshi went to the Saarland dealership where he was given a look at the Ambrosia. From the outside, the car looked very sensible and business-like. Its driving experience was also business-like: not exactly spirited but certainly capable, with its powerful and well-built engine and its Torsen differential. Its ride quality, was compromised by its suspension geometry, but the car was comfortable nevertheless thanks in part to its well-built interior. Takeshi also noted the Ambrosia’s cavernous cargo area, measuring 1710 litres. Still, Takeshi had to give the Ambrosia some thought before deciding whether to include it in the show or not.
Afterwards, Takeshi went to the Hedenstam dealership.
Hedenstam SW5 Thor
When Takeshi arrived at the dealership and saw the SW5 Thor, he knew that he was looking at something special. With its subtle styling that informs Takeshi just enough of its actual performance and the fact that Alfane took part in developing the vehicle, Takeshi was suitably excited to take a further look. He had heard of the Thor’s many merits, including its powerful engine and sporty handling. However, the salesman regrettably informed that they would not be able to sell any Thors at the moment due to flaws with the braking system, which required the cars to be sent back to Sweden to be fixed.
(Binned due to negative brake quality)
Disappointed, Takeshi headed out to the Munot dealership
Munot Meteor 55LS Sportvariant
Arriving at the Munot dealer, Takeshi took a look at the Meteor. Takeshi liked how the front end looked but once he got to the back, he thought that the taillights and license plate indent didn’t go together very well. The engine featured in the Meteor was a rather unique one: a five-cylinder with five valves per cylinder. While it was certainly not the most powerful engine around, it managed to bring ample performance along with good fuel economy, better than most competitors thanks to its valvetrain. The driving experience was also sublime. Its handling was playful but controllable, while being comfortable at the same time. However, despite its reliability, the Meteor wore its tyres down quickly thanks to its camber angle and had a much smaller cargo area than its competitors due to its small overall size, even for Japanese standards.
It was a good car with a low price, but Takeshi still had more to see. Next stop was the Homura dealership.
Homura ST3000VSX
When Takeshi looked at the ST3000VSX, he was in absoute awe of its style. It asserted its dominance and showed its performance pedigree in a subte and restrained way; a mature sports wagon. The Homura ticked just about every box there is: a large cargo area, good comfort, and good driving characteristics despite using a 4-speed automatics where others used five speeds. It was economical to run, and is also reliable.
Much like the Munot, the car offered good value for money. And with that, Takeshi called it a day.
Kaizen FCE25
(@66mazda)
The next day, Takeshi headed to the Kaizen dealership to see the FCE25. Kaizen have always been known for their Teutonic styling and engineering, and the FCE25 is no exception with its straightforward business-like appearance. The car is certainly capable, producing a healthy 250hp. The car was pleasurable to drive and the ride was firm. Build quality is good although the cargo area was not very big. And with that, Takeshi left for the Courageux dealership.
Courageux Courchevel CSLuxe
Upon arriving at the Courageux dealership, Takeshi was impressed by the Courchevel’s stately and elegant look. Everything flowed together cohesively though Takeshi wished that the headlights and taillights would wrap around the corners some more. While the car was good all round, it wasn’t exactly sporty. Nevertheless, the car made a strong impression on Takeshi, who now wanted to buy one once he could afford to do so. And fortunately for him, the Courchevel was cheaper than most of its competitors. And cheap to run, too.
Nanahoshi Cenfaur TourerX Limited
(@Xepy)
Next, Takeshi went to the Nanahoshi dealership. First and foremost, Takeshi liked how the Nanahoshi looked. It was unique, unlike other cars with a similar body style. It looked Teutonic, but still felt distinctively Japanese. Under the bonnet was a decently powerful engine. However, Takeshi thought that the ITBs were too good to be true for a car in this price point, and he also believed that a car with such advanced and expensive technology should make even more power than the current engine does. Still, the car tempted Takeshi with its other strengths, leaving him conflicted.
GSI Vardo
When Takeshi took a look at the GSI Vardo, he thought is, for the most part, a good car. It is powerful, comfortable, sporty, and has good drivability while also being economical to run. The only real downside was its styling which looks rather flat. Takeshi also felt that the rear could be stretched out a little more to increase storage area but maybe the folks over at GSI were trying to make a smaller and lighter car. The car also lacked an LSD, which would have been appreciated. Other than that, it was a solid car.
Yes. Just yes. Or maybe not.
MAHG Sigma Rapide
(@S31)
While the Sigma Rapide was a good sports wagon all around, Takeshi mainly took issue with its engine which, while powerful, peaked at redline. That alone would have ruined the driving experience which is a shame because the rest of the car was well engineered, although the bodykit felt a little too flashy and street racer-like.
Capriolo Turismo-S
(@kookie)
Next up was the Capriolo Turismo-S. Although it undeniably had the undeniable Italian flair, the Capriolo lags behind in terms of performance. While 215hp is a good power figure, competitors with similarly-sized engines make more power than that. The car also lacked an LSD which made cornering not as sharp as other cars, and the car used solid discs all around, which is rather strange for a sports wagon at this price point. Takeshi is sure that consumer’s wouldn’t mind paying a little more for vented discs and an LSD, but it is what it is.
Halvson - Harrier sPORT 2.0
(@lotto77)
The Harrier sPORT was quite an attaractive car, both in terms of looks and what it has to offer. Aesthetically, the emanated a sense of fun, of youthful joy that so many need these days. The engine is quite powerful for its size, but Takeshi was mildly annoyed at its 2000cc displacement which obligated its buyers to pay more tax than other cars with 2l engines. In spite of this, it still had very good value for money, giving good storage space, a Torsen LSD, and premium interior/stereo. However, the car was quite thirsty for its size and power output
Valens 612 GT-V
(@pen15)
“God, that is SEXY!” Takeshi thought, looking at the 612 from the window. Going in the dealership and inspecting the rest of the car, Takeshi kept getting more and more impressed. It was quick. It was comfy. It was easy to drive. Running costs were low, and reliability was high. And then he looked at the rear seats.
“Aw hell nah.” Takeshi thought, “These are the worst seats I’ve ever sat on!”
Disappointed, Takeshi left the Valens dealership.
(Binned for +3 rear seats)
Kozukumi Ryuta VI - Engineered by Valliore
The last car Takeshi looked at was the Ryuta VI. From the outside, it was wild like a prancing Italian horse, and indeed it had the power to back it up. The tyres, while appearing extremely beefy, are actually 225mm wide. Despite that and its large engine, the car was surprisingly economical to run and was also very reliable.
Arriving home after a rather long commute, Takeshi took his shoes off and immidiately threw himselftowards the couch, lying on it to get some much-needed rest.
“Man, that was tiring.” Takeshi sighed, “Why’d the old man entrust me and me only to do all this, anyway?”
Takeshi let out another sigh. He looked at his watch. It was 9.30PM and he was getting hungry.
“Man, I should’ve stopped stopped at the convenience store or a restaurant…” Takeshi thought.
Regardless of what Takeshi thought, however, his stomach wasn’t going to fill itself up.
“Ah, fuck it.” Takeshi thought, “I’m really starving here…”
Takeshi got off the couch and went to his fridge. Being an office drone, there wasn’t much inside: a bowl of rice he had cooked a few days prior, some eggs, a jar of chopped garlic,and cans upon cans of beer. Takeshi also had several cups of ramen, but he wasn’t feeling like eating instant food tonight. So, there was really only one thing he could make from what’s inside the rather depressing fridge.
Takeshi placed the bowl of rice, an egg, and the jar of garlic on the counter while he grabbed the carbon steel wok that his uncle had given to him when he first moved into this apartment. He placed the wok on his gas stove, turning it to its highest possible heat and pouring some oil in, but not before opening the window for ventilation.
Once the wok started smoking, he deposited a decent amount of garlic into the wok, stirring it with his wooden spatula as the garlic crackled in the hot oil. When he could smell the garlic becoming fragrant, he cracked an egg (with his two hands because he can’t crack it with just one without breaking it into smithereens.) and started stirring and once it had begun to set, he emptied the bowl of rice into the wok, breaking up the large clumps and stirring once again.
The smell of Takeshi’s cooking permeated the apartment and also out the open window. The kitchen was getting hot but he paid no mind. Takeshi took a bottle of soy sauce located conveniently on a little shelf on the counter and poured it to his liking, stirring and adjusting to taste. Takeshi added a a pinch of vetsin and white pepper and continued stirring, tossing the rice like chefs would in restaurants. Once Takeshi was satsfied, he killed the heat and emptied the wok into an awaiting plate.
“Whew.” Takeshi said, admiring his work, “I haven’t made fried rice in a while!”
He took a whiff of the steaming pile of fried rice. The distinctinctive aroma of the wok was there, along with a hint of garlic. He knew that he nailed it this time. Takeshi took a spoon from his drawer and brought the plate to the dining table. He admired his work once again.
“Itadakimasu.” Takeshi said, helping himself to a spoonful of his fried rice right afterwards.
…
One filling meal later, Takeshi cleaned his table up and washed the dishes. Normally, Takeshi would leave the dishes to be dealt with some other time but today he felt strangely motivated. Maybe it was the food he just made, or maybe it was something else. Setting the washed dishes aside on the drying rack and returning the garlic back into the fridge, Takeshi went back to the living room, and took his notebook out from his bag, where he had taken notes on the cars he had seen.
“Hmm…” Takeshi thought, “There’s plenty of good cars out there, all with flaws of their own of course. I like a lot of them, but well, there can only be four.”
Takeshi took a pen and sat on the couch, crossing his legs. He opened his notebook and began reading through, thinking carefully about the choices that he will make.
…
Some time later, Takeshi dropped his notebook and pen. It was 12.08AM.
“Ugh… My work is finally done.” Takeshi said, picking the notebook up again, “Well, guess these cars are gonna appear in the show then…”
The Finalists
- Yamada Fusion-R PREMICA-R Vitesse Turbo V6-2500 (@variationofvariables)
- Homura ST3000VSX (@donutsnail)
- Nanahoshi Cenfaur TourerX Limited (@Xepy)
- Kozukumi Ryuta VI - Engineered by Valliore (@vero94773/@debonair0806)
22 Likes
Well, seems like I have achieved my goals with the engineering, the Ambrosia V6 is not really a pure sports wagon, but the sportiest I had in my lore, more a comfortable executive car that has some grunt in its V6 version, and the old fashioned suspension system compared to some of its competitors has its roots in that the 1994 model is a development from the 1987 model floorpan, also a result of lore. I am happy that I got far enough to just fall short of four more competent competitors considering that the Ambrosia had some compromises after all.
5 Likes
Whoops, did I miss the brief again? Yare yare.
Side note, since when does my brand have a reputation of quality? Did I just get promoted around here?
5 Likes
Your car used generous amounts of quality so I wanted to point that out somehow. And your car didn’t really miss the brief, it just overshot it a little.
2 Likes
Congrats to the finalists!
Yeah, I was kind of thinking that the small dimensions would cause a bin (the Meteor is a D-segment car, not full-sized like many of the others), but I’m glad to hear that the performance and handling was excellent, so I’m counting that as a small victory regardless 
2 Likes
July 1996 Issue - Sports Wagon Battle!
Narrator:
More space than a sedan and as fast as a sports car. That is the definition of “sports wagon”. We have gathered high-performance models from the likes of Yamada, Nanahoshi, Homura, and Kozukumi. Today, these cars will be put to the test to see…
Which is the best sports wagon!?!
When talking about family cars, the Yamada name always comes to mind. The Fusion is their latest entry into the wagon/MPV market, but the Fusion-R Premica-R Vitesse brings spice to the normally tame car.
The Fusion-R features a technologically advanced turbocharged 2.5 litre V6 that produces 280PS which makes it the most powerful car in today’s programme. Combined with the qually advanced 5-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, the Yamada serves as a look into the future of motoring. Yes my dark!
Coming from among the stars, the Cenfaur TourerX Limited is Nanahoshi’s premier sports wagon. Aesthetically it is business like, only hinting at what it is capable of as a sports wagon.
Power comes from a twin-turbocharged 2.5 litre flat-four producing 240PS. Like the Yamada, it features an advanced all-wheel drive system that improves traction and performance when the roads are less than ideal.
Next up from Homura, we have the humble and dignified ST3000VSX. With its low price and muscular yet restrained look, the ST3000VSX is certain to win over many.
The engine is a naturally aspirated 3.0 litre inline 6 producing 244PS. It is the longest and widest of all the cars today. Not much to report in the tech department but that doesn’t mean that this car is a goner.
Last but not least is the Ryuta IV - Valliore Edition. Out of the four cars today, the Ryuta IV - Valliore Edition is certainly the sportiest, with its very aggresive and bold styling.
The engine is also the largest in today’s roster, with a naturally aspirated inline-six displacing 3.3 litres producing 274PS. Tax liabilities are certainly much higher than most other cars, but that is the price to pay for naturally aspirated driving pleasure.
Now, let us get to Tsuchida Kenichi and hear his thoughts on how these cars handle on the open road. First, he will drive the Fusion-R.
Tsuchida Kenichi:
The Fusion-R Premica-R Vitesse… is certainly a very plush vehicle. These leather seats are very comfortable, coming close to many premium sedans out there in the market. The wood trim also adds to the premium feel of this cabin.
And what a cabin this interior is. Compared to the other cars, it is very spacious. There is no centre console either, which isn’t something you’d normally find in a wagon but it does allow for easy access to the rear. As such, this car also has a column shifter. Not very conventional either, but if anyone has seen the arrangement of the doors they shouldn’t be surprised. Either way, this has to be one of the best interiors I’ve ever been in. Everything is well-laid out and controls are where they should be. And in fact, I think that this is what interiors ought to be.
This might be an episode about sports wagons, but I’m really not sure where this lies between wagon and MPV. It has the best of both worlds, I suppose. The space of an MPV combined with the driving characteristics of a wagon.
And now in terms of driving characteristics, this car feels more like it was built for cruising than for spirited driving, though it is certainly capable of doing so. Thanks to its AWD system and suspension tuning, the car feels stable throughout corners with handling that tends towards understeer. I don’t think it’s a bad thing though, considering nature of this car. I honestly expected the car to roll quite a bit especially given its height and comfy ride, but it stays quite level on corners. This could be due to the semi active dampers and sway bars but regardless, this car is impressively engineered.
Thanks to all the technology, sliding door, very large interior and cargo space, and interior comforts, however, this thing is definitely heavy. It’s the heaviest car I’ll be driving today, I’ve been told. Thus, it’s quite a handful to throw into a corner but before anyone talks about this car being lazy, let me remind you that this car isn’t some boat, and that it produces 280PS. Take it out onto the expressway, and the Yamada will make you happy regardless of its flaws. It’s a great car.
And now, the Cenfaur Tourer X Limited. One big advantage this car has, handling-wise, is its low centre of gravity. The boxer engine may not be the most practical out there, but it certainly makes the Cenfaur hug the corners very tightly. This seriously feels great.
Now, while it feels great to drive, I’m not exactly a big fan of the interior. Don’t get me wrong, it is nice and firm with good road feel. However, as you can see the dashboard design looks rather dated, like it came from a car made ten years ago especially with these chunky consoles where the stalks would usually be. The seats are supportive, but the combination of brown and black around this interior isn’t a very good one. The contrast is just too jarring. Shame really, because I want to have a nice place to sit in while driving this otherwise superb car.
Now, the way it drives. Like I said, it has low centre of gravity but that’s not all. It also has AWD like the Yamada, which helps make the car feel stable in all conditions. But because this has a 4-speed instead of the Yamada’s five, it does feel a little sluggish at times. That’s not too much of a problem though, since the turbo spools at just 2200rpm. The engine is remarkably quiet, too although I wish it made more power, seeing that it packs some very expensive ITBs which are normally reserved for sports cars. I should also mention that this car doesn’t come with traction control, though I suppose that traction wouldn’tbe too much of a problem since this has AWD. Still, a car at this price point should have TCS. It’s always good to be safe, after all.
The ST3000VX might have the lowest purchase price of the bunch, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that this is an inferior car. The engine is powerful and very smooth. Handling is great and the ride is very comfortable, on par if not slightly better than the Yamada.
Comfortable as it may be, however, the interior feels somewhat lacking. I personally like black in my interiors, but the Homura looks rather dull in this respect. The materials do feel good and everything is well built, but don’t exactly look the part. There’s wood on the steering wheel, but not on the rest of this cabin which I find strange. This could very well be the reason why the Homura has a lower price than the others. That is not to say that it’s all bad, though. There is a lot of room for both passengers and cargo and, again, it’s very comfortable in here.
Though I suppose that there is a drawback to the comfy ride. Though this is certainly no slouch on the corners, it is certainly quite wallowy, especially compared to other cars. This might be no problem for daily driving but it would certainly hinder your confidence at high speed. Overcome that fear, however, and you have yourself a very capable sports wagon.
The Ryuta IV - Valliore Edition is undoubtedly the most European car of the bunch. It has a 3.3 litre engine, which not ideal for tax reasons but a number of domestic manufacturers do make engines with “odd” displacements these days, maybe to appeal to overseas markets.
Still, this engine is nothing short of wonderful. Powerful, smooth, and reliable, this diamond truly is unbreakable. And it really does move this aggresive-looking car. Out of all the cars today, this car feels the lightest and so it feels very nice to throw around in corners and exit speeds are always high thanks to its ample supply of power. The ride is firm, but that’s the price to pay for this level of driving engagement. And that is a price I am willing to pay.
The interior of this vehicle sure does feature some unusual things. The gear lever, for example, looks like a gated H shifter. I’m not sure why Kozukumi decided to do that but there it is. There’s also the praking brake situation. As you can see, there is a handbrake. However, there is also another pedal on the footwell that serves the same purpose. Why? Ask Kozukumi. Or Valliore. It’s like the car is supposed to be a manual or something.
That aside, this interior looks and feels superb. It is well-built and positively futuristic. Easily one of my favourite interior designs if it wasn’t for the gimmicky shifter and parking brake situation.
Narrator:
Now, with Tsuchida-san’s subjective opinions out of the way, it’s time to test to test the performance of these family rockets. First up, the 0-400m test!
And off they go! The Ryuta races ahead of the rest while the ST3000VSX and Cenfaur are neck and neck! 0-100kmh times are:
1. Kozukumi: 6.78
2. Yamada: 6.91
3. Homura: 7.03
4. Nanahoshi: 7.03
The Ryuta wins!
And now the test goes on. The Yamada was slightly behind at the start but look! It’s closing up to the Kozukumi… And across the line! The Homura and Nanahoshi remained neck and neck all the way to the end. The quarter mile times are:
1. Kozukumi: 14.94
2. Yamada: 14.94
3. Homura: 15.31
4. Nanahoshi: 15.31
The Fusion-R and Ryuta wins!
Next up, the slalom test!
Tsuchida-san will drive these cars around the tight-knit line of cones and see just how well these cars respond to them. First, the Nanahoshi! Start!
and the time is… 17.62 seconds!
Now, time for the Homura! Start!
and the time is… 18.36 seconds!
Next up, the Kozukumi! Start!
and the time is… 18.41 seconds!
And last but not least, the Yamada! Start!
and the time is… 17.71 seconds!
1. Nanahoshi Cenfaur TourerX Limited - 17.62
2. Yamada Fusion-R Premica-R Vitesse - 17.71
3. Homura ST3000VSX - 18.36
4. Kozukumi Ryuta IV - Valliore Edition - 18.41
The Nanahoshi wins!
As this test shows, there is quite a gap between the cornering abilities of RWD and AWD cars, with AWD cars leaving its rear-driven bretheren in the dust. Such technology even made the heavy Yamada outmanouver the lightweight Kozukumi, which looks and certainly feels the sportiest according to Tsuchida-san, at least. What a turn of events!
And now for the final test, the circuit stage! The ultimate sports wagon Tsukuba battle!
The Homura will be driven by Tsuchida Kenichi, the Nanahoshi by Orido MIN, the Yamada by the tall Laminus, and the Kozukumi by Albert Hoy.
The four sports wagons will race around Tsukuba for five laps. The starting grid will be determined by the car’s power-to-weight ratio. As such, these are the starting positions:
STARTING GRID
1. Homura ST3000VSX - (Tsuchida)
2. Nanahoshi Cenfaur TourerX Limited - (Orido)
3. Yamada Fusion-R Premica-R Vitesse - (Laminus)
4. Kozukumi Ryuta IV - Valliore Edition - (Hoy)
And now to see how well they will do against each other on the track… Start!
Now at the final lap and the final corner, the Hoy in the Kozukumi leads the race! There’s nothing the others can do at this point…
…aaand the Kozukumi wins!
BATTLE RESULT AND BEST LAP
1. Kozukumi Ryuta IV - Valliore Edition - (Hoy) - 1’11"88
2. Nanahoshi Cenfaur TourerX Limited - (Orido) - 1’13"29
3. Yamada Fusion-R Premica-R Vitesse - (Laminus) - 1’14"51
4. Homura ST3000VSX - (Tsuchida) - 1’15"06
Even though it was the slowest in the slalom, the Ryuta ended up being the fastest car on the track. What an amazing comeback!
Now that we have evaluated the cars’ performance and daily driving characteristics, it is finally time to decide which sports wagon is the best. Hoy, Laminus, Orido, and Tsuhida will share their thoughts with us and give us the verdict.
Hoy:
For starters… the Kozukumi was truly on another level. It was so powerful and light, it felt like it could kill me at any second, but at the same time it’s always under control, just the way I like it.
Orido:
Sou desune… But then again, it’s not the most practical out of the cars here today… that would have to go to the Yamada with its cavernous cabin and cargo area. You could even conceive a child in there!
Hoy:
But with all that technology including the transmission, turbo, stereo and whatnot, I don’t really trust it… Feels like it could break on me at any moment. Not to mention my experience with Yamadas back in Ireland. Those things rusted faster than a Concorde flying across the Atlantic. Things might be better now but I still have that concern.
Laminus:
You’re just old-fashined, Hoy. Technology like that clearly is the way of the future. Though speaking of old-fashioned, the Homura sure does strike the balance between old-school naturally aspirated performance with modern trends. It truly makes the best of its equipment. And at a lower price, too. There’s decent room for cargo too though of course, nothing rivals the Yamada.
Tsuchida:
Yeah, except those minivans the Yamada tries to be. Talking about fuel economy, figures from the JAF show that the two turbocharged cars here, the Yamada and the Nanahoshi, are much thirstier than the naturally aspirated Homura and Kozukumi. I really liked the Nanahoshi. It may have its flaws, but it felt great to drive and it looks handsome too.
Hoy:
Well, it’s really been tough to choose from these cars. Each have their own strengths and weaknesses and ultimately, it’s up to you, the consumer, to decide which flavour of sports wagon you want. But for us, there can only be one.
And that car is...
The Homura ST3000VSX
Congratulations to @donutsnail and the Homura! With its superb combination of value, comfort, performance, reliability, and economy, the Homura shows that, according to the Go Go Drive! staff, it is the best sports wagon in the market. It might not be the sportiest, but it handles everyday chores very well while still capable of giving its driver the time of their life when the time calls for it. It might have a big engine, reliability, service costs, and fuel economy are all very good which make up for the higher tax obligation. A solid all-rounder!
2nd. @variationofvariables (Yamada Fusion-R PREMICA-R Vitesse Turbo V6-2500)
3rd. @debonair0806 / @vero94773 (Kozukumi Ryuta VI - Engineered by Valliore)
4th. @Xepy (Nanahoshi Cenfaur TourerX Limited)
5th. @66mazda (Kaizen FCE25)
Thank you all for participating. It was a pleasure to host this round of TMCC, and I will be looking forward to the next round.
Thank you for watching this month’s issue. See you next month, and as always,
Go Go Drive!
Copyright Houshou Studios 1996
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Great write up, an enjoyable read! Thank you for hosting.
I will pass down hosting the next round, as I have been not particularly interested in playing Automation lately.
The floor is yours @variationofvariables
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I’ve got a couple of ideas stirring around in my head, not sure if i have the time to do so but it’s almost spring break so I could in theory do something.
give me 24h to come up with something and reevaluate my schedule, if nothing comes up i’m tossing it to debonair/vero
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That was a dope write up!!
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after a small discussion on discord, yuri passed hosting on to myself and @debonair0806, which we’re gonna take. expect a new round up in a day or so.
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new round is up!
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