I was talking about the brakes not locking up. Front and Rear. I get what you are saying though.
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I see. It means that the grip would allow for having better brakes. Unlike if you have shitty tyres where you can upgrade brakes all you want but still have the same stopping distances because of brakes locking up.
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(explaining my thought process for transparency)
I’m referring to this graph:
The dotted lines represent the maximum amount of force the brakes could apply to the wheels without making them break traction with the ground and slide (on a flat, asphalt surface); The solid lines show that the brakes aren’t capable of delivering that amount of force, meaning the car can’t stop as well as it could be able to.
To my knowledge, any car these days should come from the factory able to lock it’s own tires in optimal conditions, especially a performance-based car like this, and especially since the car has ABS to counteract the downsides of locking. This used car can’t, which means its brakes have probably worn down over time. So, the car is 1 point less desirable to Nathan because it’s brakes aren’t in optimal condition (and because there’s a chance he may soon have to pay to replace them himself).
(Also, one of my observations was that the car’s “hard long life” tires seemed too low-end for a car this nice. If its original tires were nicer, that would mean its stock grip- and stock braking ability -would have had to be even more powerful when the car was new.)
Not sure what to say about the brakes (I thought the front brake force was much stronger than the rear), however if I may comment about the design choices. The car was built as somewhat of a budget Mercedes SLK which also doesn’t have an LSD and had a suspension that was tuned more for comfort cruising. I was actually quite surprised as well how many “sports” cars don’t have LSDs, especially of all the body styles in the world the roadsters (including the Boxster, 1.5 Miata, Z4, Lotus Elise, etc.) which is true even today.
Oh I see, the point deductions are just to show what issues the car might have developed over its life time. Or aftermarket modifications.
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On your car, front brake force is much stronger than rear brake force. But rear brake force is stronger relative to rear grip than front force is relative to front grip, meaning the rear wheels are more likely to lock up.
Also, I do admit that the locking differential is probably the weakest of that car’s unrealism issues; I got more of an S2000 impression from the car than an SLK one, so that may have influenced my perception of it. (also, I’d thought the Miata did have an LSD, but maybe it was just certain trims…)
Got it 
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Yes, the hard long life tires are not stock. The originals were medium compounds. Owner is a bit of a cheapskate. Also, I wouldn’t expect a car with 220k miles to have completely unworn brakes
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That’s the gotcha part! It had the looks and some engineering choices to fool a teenager that it was a true sports car but more than anything it was meant as something you would drive at the speed limit down the coast of Lake Ontario. 
No chance in hell that I could make something to compete with the S2000 at this price but a budget cruiser? That was doable…
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Personally, I like to think the parts were installed by a professional shop that works in conjunction with the manufacture (AMG of the 90s, Alpina) then it being duct taped together by Jeremy Clarkson in a shed. However, I was mildly pleased to find out that the turbo lag is considered impressive enough to mention in a different car.
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I certainly feared that my entry would either be ineligible or penalized - but now that I’ve found that it’s neither, I can breathe a little easier now. The reason for my apprehension was that my car cost $28,000 AMU new - which is about as close to the limit as it gets for its model year (1992) using the used car price calculator.
As an aside, had I remade my car in 4.2, it would have been eligible for CSR 144, although the same can’t be said of some of the test builds I made for your UCS (one of which was a small, mid-engined, turbocharged 4-cylinder 2-seater reminiscent of the contemporary MR2 Turbo, and another of which was another 2-seater, this time a Corvette/TVR-style FR sports car with a V8 engine).
And as another aside, I cloned the model and trim to create a higher-performance variant with 300 horsepower and a six-speed manual gearbox (the latter of which forced me to set the trim year to 1995 for this specific trim). For this I changed the chassis material to corrosion-resistant steel, added a functional aero kit, wider wheels, brakes, and tires, as well as a geared LSD in place of the viscous unit. Here it is:
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SCORING AREA #1: COOLNESS
It’s January 4, 2020, and Nathan begins his afternoon by opening Facebook Marketplace. He expects to see a bunch of poorly-taken photographs of Civics and Outbacks, Jeeps and Kias, and other very-dull little autos. Instead, the page fills itself with a plethora of sports cars and luxury sedans. He had to double-check to make sure he wasn’t in some racing game or something; of the 25-odd cars available in his price range, almost all of them looked in showroom condition, were well photographed, and had some element of sportiness or luxury to them.
Shocked by this luck, he began to look through this catalog and see which ones he liked.
Yo this is a neat muscle car right off the bat! I love the stripe! Except it… I mean it looks fast, but it doesn’t look super… exciting for some reason; like it looks sorta droopy, like it’s melting or something. Wikipedia says it has good power and stuff, and I bet it’s gonna be cooler than most things anyway just for that, but… I do kinda get a “grandpa” feel out of it. Fast grandpa, but still grandpa.
I’d say a solid 10. No wait, 11, 'cause it’s got the stripe.
Ayyy, someone’s tricked this one out! They’ve got like a racecar here! I mean, they’ve built it on like a cheapo, city car type thing, which is weird, so maybe it’s not actually that fast… but y’know, this one says they’ve upgraded it a bit… like, good brakes, and manual transmission and stuff… or did it have that before.
Well, they’ve pimped it out to look like a racecar, but it’s still mostly a boring-as hatchback… I think a 13, 'cause it’s so well pimped out.
Bro, why is this one’s name, like, a whole essay?
The car itself is cool tho, a cool sports car. Looks a bit tall- wait, this says hatchback? …OH, that whole thing back there is a door?! Like, window and everything- yeah, that’s… actually really well hidden! A hatchback that looks like a sports car, I love that!
Car itself is not the best-looking though, I mean it’s super tall and thin looking- like why does it look so raised up? Looks like it could fall over… It also looks pretty old, and dated. Spoiler’s nice, the lines on the body look pretty fast, and it seems to be fast says Wikepedia. Also apparently the interior is very high end. But still…
I think we have an 8 or a 9… I’ll go with 9. Is fast, looks cool in some ways but also pretty dated and weird.
Oh, wow, this looks sick! I mean its one of the most energetic-looking things I’ve seen yet, especially with it being a sedan! And I mean, Wikipedia says it was called a “Premium Muscle car-” now that’s a cool name! I mean, this car is literally, like 30-years-old, like why isn’t it in like a car show or collector’s garage or something? It’s really nice! Ok, sure, Wikipedia also says it isn’t actually that fast, this “GT” version, but like, still!
For a car that looks this sick, with that powerful engine and premium interior… a 14, I say!
Hey, this looks like my neighbor’s Outback, except like, more luxurious. It looks really low for an SUV to be honest, and it’s certainly not sporty, but its not too bad for an SUV either, especially seeing how old it is. It doesn’t show off its luxury-ness very much, unfortunately, but-
Wait, hold up a second… this thing has 300hp?
WHAT?
…that’s a lot, right?
Ok apparently this thing is fast! I mean, it doesn’t seem to be that fast, I guess because like SUV and stuff, but still, wow! And like, you can’t tell it’s fast, either, because it looks like you’re mom’s car, so you can like, surprise them at traffic lights and stuff!
I would prefer a car that shows off how fast it is, but for what I get out of this one… 9 points. Solid SUV.
Ah, shoot, is this one even in drivable condition? Website says it works, but like…
So Wikipedia says this tiny SUV was pretty good offroad, if you got the right package or something, and honestly it looks the part. It’s got a nice, rugged look to it. Also, sounds like the interior is very nice. And hey, those are some ballin’ rims! I should save up & put some nice hubcaps on that! Though I should say, the car does look old- like, really old.
This SUV doesn’t appeal much to me. It just screams “stereotypical crappy car.” Though, in some ways it does look a little fun, ngl. I’ll give it 2 points.
Oh shoot! Yooo, this car… This is friggin awesome! Like, how is this car this cheap? It looks AMAZING! It’s like, modern and everything! Like, how fast is it?
Ok, the article says it produces 122 hp, which, I mean… is that a lot? I guess, the SUV from earlier made 300, so maybe not… but I mean, this one’s pretty light and stuff- yeah, it says the car had a pretty simple interior, so it turned and braked well…
I mean, this car looks so cool alone I have to give it a 20. There’s no other way.
Ok, this car’s a little more normal. Doesn’t look bad, but does look pretty plain, minus the spoiler. Also, what’s that thing on the door. Like a rail or something? Idk.
Apparently, the performance isn’t half bad. The engine’s good, and it has AWD, apparently makes it turn good?
I think it evens out to a nice 10. A pretty plain sports car, but it has something underneath.
Oh, hey, this is a proper yellow sports car! I mean, it’s older than the other one, but it’s still pretty striking! How fast is it? Seems to be more powerful, apparently. Wikipedia says it turns somewhat bad for a sports car, but hey, a sports car is a sports car.
I think this is another straight 20!
Alright, alright, this is a pretty interesting thing. It’s got accents, a little spoiler, its mostly pretty plain but it’s got its accents. Also, apparently the technology in this thin is advanced for the time. Apparently, it’s not actually super fast, but Wikipedia says one reviewer said it feels like a luxury car even though it isn’t one.
Overall, it feels like a regular car with some good improvements. I don’t like the base looks especially and wish it were sportier, but I do like those added touches… an 8 for you.
Well I do like this one’s general shape. Looks like a luxury car with a bit of sportiness, and honestly that sounds like a great car to be inside… and Wikipedia seems to agree with this. Actually, according to Wikipedia, it’s really fast; maybe the fastest here so far. It does look a bit plain, though, and maybe a bit old (though still very good for its age).
Overall, I like it. Have 12 points!
Oh hey, another car with stripes and stuff! Cool! Looks really long though- yo wait, it’s got pop-ups! Sick, I love those!
Yeah, this car’s really been tricked out on the inside too, the post says it’s pretty fast now. Sure, the mods aren’t as good as that last racecar-type-car (and it looks weird and long), but this one’s based on one of those sports/luxury cars, so it was probably good to begin with; and I don’t know how practical it is now, but I do like it.
I’ll give it a 15. Actually, no, a 16; b/c the pop-ups. 
And again to something more tame-looking… what are those orange things on the side for, are they like, lights? Stickers of some sort?
Oh, apparently this one’s got a big-as engine again. Like, Wikipedia says it was considered “one of the fastest FWD cars,” and I don’t know what that acronym means but it still has to be good, right? And the owner here says they upgraded it further, too!
Though, it does look kinda dull- no, not that dull actually, I mean you can tell it’s a sports car, with that spoiler, and that shape, and the Spanish-mustache-vent-thing on the front; the mustache is weird tho, and I can’t decide whether it’s a funny weird or just a weird weird.
Considering how actually-fast it seems to be… 11. Good show.
(Actually, a lot of good shows today, Jeez. I’ve yet to find anything at least somewhat uncool, and I’ve already clicked on the worst looking profile… dang, what a lucky day to buy a car)
Ok, yeah, this is the most typical sports car ever. Another really awesome-looking one. And is it fast… uh, yeah, it seems to be. I will say, this one does look much older than the other 2- I mean, I like it (I really like it), but I don’t like it as much as the other 2.
And it doesn’t seem to be especially better or worse… I say 19. Just a tad bit less cool, for being older.
And, sports car number 400! Good god…
It’s about as old as the last one, and it looks… about as old as the last one. Better in some ways, there are other things I don’t like as much, but honestly it’s pretty much the same to me.
Wait, hold up… ok ok ok, so Wikepidia actually- lol, it actually compares this one to the last car, saying people liked it better. Actually, Wikipedia goes on for a really long time on how fast this car is, way longer than all the others- like, apparently its super iconic and good or something. Like, bro what the hell is this car doing selling for $2,000 bucks, like seriously is this a scam or something?
I mean, if it’s so much faster than the other cars, that makes up for its age. 20 points!
Wait, is this the car’s name, or its license plate? …no no, there is a page about it.
This one looks a lot more normal than the other 2, but apparently it’s still pretty fast. Wikipedia describes it as a “budget GT car,” whatever that means… from context, I guess it’s like a cheapo-luxury car, but sporty?
I will say, it does look pretty bad in the back. It’s really plain. The front isn’t very bad, but the rest of it is so dull.
I mean, it does seem to have some actual, good speed to it, so… I guess 7.
Ok, straight away I love how this one looks. It’s got like a really aggressive look and a really interesting shape, almost like a coupe. I mean, for a sedan, this is really cool… oh, wait no, 5 doors? What… OH, wait is that whole back thing a door, like that white car again! Nice! Apparently the car actually is fast, too, not especially fast but still pretty good- though the post here says the tires aren’t as good as normal).
I mean, I wouldn’t make this my favorite, but overall I like it. 14 points!
Aaaand another sports car, for your consideration. This car reminds me of that orange one from a while back… geez which one was it- Phantasm! Yeah, it reminds me of that one. It’s really well rated apparently, Wikipedia says its turning especially was really good. Owner says they’ve done something to the suspension, I don’t understand their description of what, though, so I’m gonna assume it’s been made better.
It looks good, it’s fast, it’s a 20!
And here’s another sporty sedan. This one isn’t very explicitly sporty, but it still has like a spoiler and stuff so you know what it is. It’s a bit old, but has aged well, and Wikipedia verifies that it is actually pretty fast -almost as fast as a regular sports car. Also, the features on this thing are pretty dope for back then, it sounds like.
Doesn’t look quite as good as the last sedan (or hatchback, technically), but is better equipped and more capable… balances out to 14!
Ooh, uh, what is this? Like a convertible or something? Wikipedia says it’s a sedan… aw dang it, it’s not a convertible. But it does have pop-ups, so lets gooo!
So this is like some really sporty sedan then? Like, it sorta looks like a sports car, but technically isn’t… but it’s still small and light like one… yeah, it sorta looks weird too. But you know what, it’s a good weird for the most part. Good shape, good details, one of those vents on the hood- I mean some of it looks a bit off-putting, but the overall thing is working.
You know what, it’s fast, it’s interesting; Imma go for a 16, then raise it to 17 for them pop-ups.
Ah, okay, see this is what I think of when I hear “hatchback.” Though, this one’s a bit nicer than normal, it’s got fancy-as rims and a huge spoiler.
Yeah, Wikipedia confirms, this is that “hot hatch” thing that one guy mentioned. They’ve made a sport version of it; doesn’t seem quite as sporty as some of the lot I’ve seen today, but it’s good for what it is. Owner says they also upgraded the transmission, which I assume is nice.
I mean, it does look well decorated and stuff, but like it still looks like just a normal small car. I’m not crazy for it. I’ll give it a 6, in respect to its actual sportiness.
And another really generic looking car. I mean literally, the epitome of boring… oh it does have a spoiler lol. I’ll give it that. And the rims are pretty dope.
Yeah, Wikipedia says this is some sort of “sport” package for the car, but one that mainly adds like cool wheels and spoilers and interior stuff to make it look sporty. I mean, it’s not lethargic or anything, but it’s really just “dull car but slightly more fun.”
Honestly, this is probably the car I should actually buy no joke- like it’s probably the best one here for me by far. But like, how much do I actually want it?.. eh, a 3. I do appreciate the sporty package.
Hey yo why this car look like a brick? Like fy? Like, bro this is the longest hatchback I’ve ever seen… or is it, like, a squashed SUV? I can’t tell, it’s like something in between, don’t know how to describe it.
Y’know, it’s not actually that bad, especially in the front. And like, it looks like one of those luxury cars, right? Yeah, Wikipedia says it’s pretty high end. Saying it’s known for good engineering, it’s… fast too, I guess. Wikipedia spends a lot of time talking about the sedan, doesn’t mention any hatchbacks or anything- I mean, there is a photo of it, at least. I guess it’s not that different, or they’d say something…
Yeah like, this kinda car is probably the most baller kind of thing you could get without putting stickers and stuff on it, minus that big back end- like a rich-boy car, soccer mom edition. It’s still got that class, tho, so it’s gonna get an 11.
Bro, this car looks ooold- and I don’t mean just that it is old, but like, look at it; it looks sick and tired, like it was done with life when it first came out of the factory.
Another luxury-type car with a big engine. I guess there’s some sportiness to, says Wikepedia, 'cause of said big engine, but you wouldn’t know it by looking. Yeah, maybe it’s a really good car from the inside, but it ain’t gonna look good from the outside.
Eh, we’ll do a 5.
Ok, see this one just looks old-AF because it is old-AF. It’s actually pretty good though, I love the details- looks properly energetic and sporty! Page says it’s a… wait what, a hatchback, but like 4 doors? So far hatchbacks have been like 5 or 3- and wait, I only see 2 handles? I don’t understand.
Whatever, I’ll figure it out if I buy it. Point is, this thing looks really cool- like the good kind of boxy. Wikipedia also likes it, they say its faster than many other sports cars from back then, while also being really-well equipped- almost luxurious inside! Holy cow… Like there has to be something wrong with this car, right? Like there was some friggin’ city car back there for $3,000, how is this under $2,000?!
Looks good, is fast, I mean it’s old and the body shape isn’t to my liking, but like… 18 I say!
And that seemed to be the end of the website’s offerings in his price range.
His parents were even more surprised about his luck than he was when he told them just how good the pickings were today. Though they had already agreed to help him figure out the cars’ condition and practical stats, they doubled down on their analyses of the selection; to make sure he wasn’t walking into 20 different scams at once.
Side note; one detail I had established about Nathan’s car tastes was that he thought pop-up headlights were cool. I intentionally did not specify this in the original brief, because I wanted to see if people would discover through adding cars to the cool wall and asking their questions about it. Of the 2 entrants who submitted cars with popups, one of them was told about it through a question, and I don’t know anything about what the other had figured out.
Current Scoreboard:
1| 20 pts: 1994 GSI Phantasm XR4
2| 19 pts: 2000 Etherea Sunburst
2| 19 pts: 1992 MAHG Psi Rapide
4| 17 pts: 1992 Swanson 225Pf
5| 16 pts: 1993 Manda Tuono DX8 Z-line
5| 16 pts: 1993 Seneca R200 RS Turbotop
7| 14 pts: 1992 Armor Valencia GT
7| 14 pts: 2007 Wells H1 Track Edition
9| 13 pts: 1990 Stockholm 525B
9| 13 pts: 1994 VULKAN Kanna GTZ
11| 12 pts: 1992 KPS K30 3.2
11| 12 pts: 1991 Saarland Ambrosia ES-24
13| 11 pts: 1992 EHH 270ESiA
14| 10 pts: 1998 Ibis Phoenix
14| 10 pts: 1998 Schnell L20 SLX
14| 10 pts: 1995 Mantra GT 5.0i S8
17| 9 pts: 1994 Montebianco 42-130 20V Ultima Edizione
17| 9 pts: 1995 Kumos Garto
19| 8 pts: 1997 Autodelta Auriga by Gelera
20| 7 pts: 1990 Aim Swallow H8T
21| 6 pts: 1997 AZLK 2152
22| 4 pts: 1995 Neko CiX-2 X-Series
23| 3 pts: 1995 Vulcrum LB-5
23| 3 pts: 1998 Valiant 18AR SR 2 4
25| -3 pts: 1994 Denison King Snake DM-HP
With the 2 hardest-to-grade parts of the competition out of the way, I will now proceed to reveal the remaining category scores over the coming days, starting with the 5-point categories, and finishing with the 10-point categories; the bigger ones are being revealed later to make sure no one car runs away with a huge lead, and the reveals stay suspenseful.
Note that the variation in coolness scores is a lot lower than anticipated, thanks to how much effort every contestant put into boosting that stat. This means the more practical categories are now even more important than they were originally intended to be.
Are the cars at the top sensible enough to hold onto their lead long-term? Or are the lower-scoring cars’ stats just too high for rock bottom? Nothing’s decided yet, folks! (:
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oh, bugger. apparently i forgot to tell my interior designer that it was an american export model.
whoops.
as for brakes… yeah lol i have no excuse. originally it had a 3.0 V6 that needed those brakes, and i forgot again to swap them out.
as for the stagger… yeah it’s just for aesthetics. didn’t want it to look like it had spares on
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The practical scoring should hopefully help my car a bit. Who knew kids don’t like practical cars
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Wait, where?
That was a reference to the unrealism point off it got; primarily, the 6-speed manual.
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i know, right! i thought he’d appreciate that it looked relatively sporty but could still seat 4 people but who am i to judge the great Nathan… (/j)
I mean, a low score doesn’t mean he doesn’t appreciate it, he just doesn’t think it’s cool; He doesn’t care for its looks as much as the others, and/or wouldn’t feel as proud showing it to his friends.
But there’s still a whole 8 categories left to show how much he appreciates its practicalness. (:
The Kanna is doing better than I had expected. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for it.
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Sedans are doing unusually well, 5 of the top 10 are sedans.
My car is probably going to tank after this. It is very uncomfortable and has such poor fuel economy that you must measure it in gallons per mile.
I also found the description of a rather nice wagon (reminded me of Volvo 740) to be hilarious.
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