TV & Movie Car Challenge 4: Comet-Trails Judgement Stage 1, part 1
Engineering scrutiny and small design notes
__________________________________________________________________________________
First order of business, the Dunny Duncers
WALL Trufa “Standard trim” @WALL
Thrown into Shit Creek for: Utilising a Semi-Spaceframe chassis, among other achievements.
I mean… yes I did state that Classifying as a Crossover was a bin, with one of the merits being utilising a Monocoque or Light Truck Monocoque, But C’mon mate… Semi-Spaceframe… Like the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, which is a CROSSOVER SUV, NAME ME A LOAD BEARING TRUCK THAT USES ONE!! Comet-Bar can’t put a bullbar onto something without Chassis Rails.
Other notes:
- 6.2 Litre 6 pot engine, A 6.2 Litre V6 TURBO… Granted the largest engine I’ve been sent in, with the most Torque… Useable for about… 1100 RPM worth of rev Range, Being feed to a SEQUENTIAL 6 Speed.
- Launch control, It’s not needed… but not really a complete bin offence.
- Carbon Ceramic brakes front brakes, that’s money down the drain
- Hydropneumatic suspension, The last thing you want to do in the outback is deal with a Blown strut and attempting to refill the system with Fluid.
- $1400 Service costs, also the highest I’ve received.
- Somewhat, questionable design?
Catri Explorer “Standard” @sausageyeeter
Sent to be used as a Mining Explosive’s Casing for: NVH fail and only seating 2.
The Vehicle is meant to be sold, no one buys anything that destroys their eardrums, they would build something that would, but never buy.
Another… absolutely glaring issue, Fuel economy.
Not sure anyone wants to be stuck 300 metres off the start of an Off-road track having just used up all their fuel getting there on the highway.
Other notes:
- Only seats 2, Comet-Tourer, the entire premise is Bought not Built [Well built by us at Comet-bar, you get the point], and people will build if it’s only just them and a spouse
- Uses a Twin-Turbo Flatplane 4.9 litre Pushrod V8, with peak remotely useable torque lasting for about 500 RPM starting at 4000 RPM, no wonder why there isn’t remotely good fuel economy.
- Full Active Suspension, cooling flaps. *Electronics controlled internally by the computers vital to the car and if stuff does go wrong in the outback, there isn’t any way you are fixing your Suspension or particle ingress issues.
- $1200 service costs, second-highest… yeah
- Utilizing a 2-way cat, there’s an issue
- The hell is down with that grill?
Deer And Hunt Fallow Standard+ 4x2 @Mikonp7
Sent back to America for: Utilising a Light-Truck Monocoque
“Reminds me of those ‘Ridgeline’ things”, Steve from R&D, Well, it’s got half the recipe for being a Crossover, Macphersons and Monocoque up front, This spec they sent to Australia didn’t come in 4x4 either. Who off-roads with 2WD and Macphersons?
Other notes:
- Second-loudest car sent in, also having High-flow Catalytic Converters.
- Power is being sent through a basic Slushbox, though with 7 gears, meaning second-lowest Fuel economy.
- Basic 2000’s Safety at -2 Quality, it only manages average Safety in the bunch due to being half a crossover. We Aussies are not just foreign Rednecks! We Bogans actually have standards ya know!
- Care to explain why there are Heavy Duty Clearance lights, Ford F-150 Raptor Style, on a vehicle that doesn’t class as a Heavy Duty Truck?
__________________________________________________________________________________
Cleared Entries Scruntiny
Knightwick Savannah V6 @mart1n2005
We believe this a British Offroader with some class.
Particularly quiet with a 3 Litre V6 Twin-Turbo and a pretty good predictable 2000 RPM of predictable mid-range pull for a Turbo V6 at this stage of the game, nice and economical as well with a light foot, even if running a bit rich in the Direct Injectors. A decent sprinkle of Automatic driving functions such as Automatic lockers and Air suspension, which make for quite a nice ride with enough load carrying capacity for a decent amount of shopping, and to lug your spoiled kids in, A nice worthy, do-it-all premium family vehicle.
Passes to Stage 2 
Bogliq Bushranger 3200 @HighOctaneLove
Somewhat good all-round, decent economy, until one realises this is equipped Standard suspension, which isn’t actually good for load capacity/comfort balance, and a stick shift, in which no one but Gareth and Steve would buy. manages to be… mediocre.
On another note, my god that is a horrific front end… it’s all Daytime running lights, also… those are… seriously outdated mirrors
Better luck next time
Alfora @Arvok1
No show, can’t purge anyone if you ain’t here
Timberman Shepa Trekker @Tayeule
1500 Class Semi Premium Pickup running a 95 powered Eco Turbo 4 pot, somewhat economical, but also somewhat unreliable, in fact one of the lowest load rating 1500 Trucks as well.
Moderately powered, Unreliable in comparison to the competition, and a low GVM for the class.
Yeah, it couldn’t keep up
Independent Chonkvalanche @Admiral_Obvious
1500 Class Premium Pickup running a Twin-Turbo 5 litre V10 Iron-Block, in which we speculate could be recycling of an old 5 litre V10 casting from a sportscar company, with a peaky amount of mid-range power, Now, last I checked, one could get a 5 Litre Naturally aspirated V8 that makes similar Torque, that power is fed through a 6-speed Auto, low on the gear count frankly for this day and age, and in this class of vehicle.
This happens to also ride lower than Gareths dune buggy, not exactly a good sign for a Premium 4x4 man’s truck, and it doesn’t help this vehicle stance and looks… in which that is also somewhat lacking.
Would you like to come with us over this hill… oh, no you can’t
GEC GX8 5.6 4x4 @abg7
Premium Spec Pickup right at the top of the Price range, Plenty of the good stuff, as one would expect, drinks a wee bit, but for predictable power for most of the rev range… we are willing to hold that trade-off, though High-Flow Catalytic Converters are a bit of a pain to replace, not that it detracts from this vehicle, good load carring rating at 2 tons, which is good for a Pick up at this size and ride height. Jessie in the back office has been eyeing this one…
Passes to stage 2
Firebird Utah ZX2 @nicholasrams774
1500 Class Pickup powered by a 2.3 Eco Turbo I4, Best economy seen so far, but with a Major Caveat, The lowest rated torque of anything sent in, now that’s workable if you have somewhat it consistently, in the powerband, peak torque roughly only lasts for 1800RPM, starts early, but not for long.
also a detriment, 0.4 Ton Load capacity, it rides… very soft for a 1500 class pickup.
Yeah… this one is out
Stage 1 Part 1 done… Now I sleep, Part 2 and Finals will come later,
)
