20th of 20User: Vri404
Company: Denki Hogo-Sha
Car: AMU-O
This car looks sporty. That’s what you’ll think as you walk up to it. Its aggressive compact sports sedan stance lets you know that it’s not supposed to be an eco-car. And that’s respectable & honest, because it’s definitely not.
Despite the Green Party Tax penalties for poor economy and high emissions, Denki Hogo-Sha has built a car with a 113 emission rating and 17.6 MPG. While this would be ok in a 5000lb+ truck with the new tax laws, it will incur huge penalties in taxes for the owner because of the performance. That increases cost of ownership significantly, making it less desirable. In the 1990s, this would have not been an issue, but now in the 2020s, this is a huge issue.
So there are tax penalties... People spending $118690 on a compact sport sedan probably aren’t too concerned with tax penalties. So what about this car might appeal to a buyer? Maybe the extreme engine and the sound it makes? Yeah, this 2.5L V12 with 5 valves per cylinder absolutely screams! 0 to 62KPH happens in 4.4 seconds. But then you hit a wall at 129MPH! The culprit is the extremely and unnecessarily short gears on the seven speed Double Clucher. This kills highway fuel economy and keeps the engine RPMs unnecessarily high. It also requires 3 shifts just to get to 100KPH.
On the flip side, the tuning of the transmission, the peppy V12, and the extreme suspension make for a great track car that can still haul your family through town. The huge sticky tires allow for great grip, and the brakes are just ridiculous!!! Just tap the petal, and 6 pistons of brake pad hit massive Carbon Ceramic brakes on every wheel! They must cost as much as the engine and it's a V12.
The interior is very nicely done, though adds a lot of weight to what otherwise seems like a track car. This reminds us that the designers intended this to still be a nice compact sedan family car. The Active suspension does it’s best to balance the best of both worlds, too. Plus, this guy is safe!
So if you want to carry your family around in sporty style, while sticking it to the Green Bureaucrats, this is your car! This is truly a balanced sports sedan that brings high performance and everyday usability, comfort, and safety into one package. But is there a demand for this exact combination at $119k and with all the maintenance? Maybe…However, we don’t see this as being an especially popular choice among the current demographics.
The Efficient Future Rank: 20/20 @ 721.7 points
Summary: Very Quick! Good sportiness and comfort at the expense of drivability. A very nice car, but it’s horrible fuel economy, high emissions (highest in the group), high running costs, wonky gear ratios, and lack of any stand out characteristics other than wicked acceleration leave it at the back of the pack in this competition
Carskick’s Overall Subjective Score: 6.5/10
Summary: I really like this car! It is well balanced, and if economy and cost didn’t matter, it would have scored much better. With a few revisions, this car has the potential to be a phenomenal sports sedan. But in a world of economy, it’s just not practical.
Sun Feb 14, 2016 1:07 pm 
