Microwave Designs - "Astro"

[Speedemon]

I think Microwave just created a whole new class. HYPER HATCH.

[Microwave]

I think so too We need someone to make a hyperhatch challenge.

[Oskiinus]

So, new niche was born? I need to sit down on my hyperhatch and design new version of Xy, called Spec-R3...
I wonder if I can fit huge turbo V8 in hatchback body

[Microwave]

Lol, you will be able to fit a decently sized turbo V8 in this body but you will end up with a lot of wheelspin.

[Oskiinus]

Lol, you will be able to fit a decently sized turbo V8 in this body but you will end up with a lot of wheelspin.

[strop]

I'm honestly a little envious (and kicking myself for not getting in on this first). For much of 2015 I had been grappling with the idea of the hyper-hatch. I toyed with the idea with a one-off (the Prato Rally Zoope, given the right old "Juke R" treatment, being modernised using mule parts from other projects) ultra hatch and it worked well enough there but I deemed it too improbable to succeed on the market. Then I also noted that 2015 was the year of growing concerns about impending recession, so I knew my company would get the jitters and not foray into it. It's only in 2016 following some big successes that they decided they could try something similar... but not the same.

For me, I was first focusing on making a front-wheel drive that could match the performance and price of a Radical SR8... except it was front-wheel drive only. For some very strange reason, I want to try keeping my hatches FWD only, to try and preserve the fundamental characteristics of their roots, so that's why I said it was like trying to pitch a Civic R against an AMG 45, which has so much power and AWD that it would completely spank the Civic R (or would it!?)


EDIT: holy shit I did go and make a 4 seater FF hatch that gets around green hell <7 minutes. It's doable for a price tag of ~150k... which now begs the question, is this something you'd pay 150k for, or for something like that, would you be demanding AWD to go even faster?

[Microwave]

Wow. Trust you to make a FF hatch that is faster than my 600HP AWD hatch Although, I've barely modified the suspension in mine from the race preset. I gave it slightly more negative camber and made it understeer a little bit more. I think if you were to get your hands on it, it could easily do something like 6:55.
I think though, if it was real life, these hatches would use a system where it is FWD most of the time but AWD when the driver demands it (this is what Audi Quattro is on transverse engines, isn't it?).

Edit: Along with tuning the suspension, I reckon that if I slightly decrease the size of the engine and fitted DOHC with VVT to eliminate some of the wheelspin, this thing would go a helluvalot faster.

[strop]

I'm also under the impression that this is what the AMG A45 does, since it can transmit "up to half" the torque to the rear wheels when required.

Also the FF hatch also has close to 600hp. I actually backed off LOL because I don't like it when a hatchback has a fuel economy worse than 15L/100km. And yes, the suspension tuning matters quite a lot in this sector, it was only through that, I was able to match your time and then tweak other things. Also the servicing costs.... are kind of high...

[Microwave]

Little ad for my latest car, the Kuiper. Stats to come soon after I've finished fine tuning it.

[strop]

Nice photoshop. Now I'm trying to guess which corner it is, assuming most likely that it is Nordschleife. Adanauer Forst? I can't think of any other right-handers that go over a crest with that kind of kerb on it.

[squidhead]

I think that's the exit from Breidscheid chicane. Could be wrong. Also yeah, nice photoshop!

[Microwave]

Thanks! Sucks that the car ended up looking all jagged around the edges because of the low resolution :/
And yes, it is indeed Nordschleife.

[strop]

Maybe so, yeah, it's not Forst, because there's no fence on the side. I agree it's more likely one of the segments post Metzgesfeld.

By the way Microwave, did you ever get around to finishing the tuning of the hyper hatch?

[Microwave]

Unfortunately, no. My computer's boot drive had to be reset and on that drive was my Automation Cars and Engines folder. ALLof my cars are gone.

I am, to say the least, rather salty. I could try re-making it, but I wont have time today.

[Microwave]

Just a little ad. Learned a good bit of stuff whilst making this. Feedback is welcomed and encouraged.