The official AMW thread

[TheTom]

Greeting, petrolheads! Did you miss me? You may have noticed that i haven't been completely inactive if you checked the OP in this thread regularly because i did update all the previews except the Peregrine's (because i haven't built a replacement for it yet).
Today i'd like to show you a car that's pretty much the opposite of the car i showed you last time. It is the new Phoenix





This new Phoenix replaces not only its own predecessor, but also the Sparrow. The reason for this is that the Phoenix and the Sparrow were so similar to each other (aluminium chassis, polymer panels, RWD, same bodyshell, almost the same interior, same price class, etc.) that AMW decided it would be best to discontinue one of them. So now the Phoenix takes the only place in this niche.
Engine-wise you now have the choice between a 2.0 NA Inline 4 with 250hp or the same basic engine, but with 304hp because it's basically as racey as it gets keeping the engine road-legal.
We wanted these cars to be fun for those who know what they're doing, but also accessible for those who... don't, i guess. Anyway, therefore they come with only 235mm of rubber on the rear axle in order to really enjoy the nature of a car like this once the electronic driver aids are turned off. But of course, they come with traction and stability control, as well as the obvious ABS and power steering.

The Phoenix competes, but also doesn't compete with the Toyota GT-86. It is basically in the same class, that is it's a small, affordable RWD sports coupe. However, even the 250hp version will absolutely dismantle the Toyota. It does 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds and can run round the Airfield course in 1:27.1 all while using less than 8l/100km.
The 304hp version, though, is 1.5 seconds faster round the Airfield track than the 250hp one, and it does 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds. The suspension setup is pretty much as dynamic as it gets, with a slight oversteer tendency at the edge. The Sportiness:Drivability ratio on the suspension says 1.00:0.93
Even with this kind of performance, the Phoenix 300 (as we call it) will use less than 10l/100km. It will cost you 40.000€, whereas the 250 will only cost 32.500€. Also, both of these cars are very reliable. The Phoenix 300 achieves an overall reliability score of 75.8 even with an engine redline of 9500RPM.
Let me know what you think about these cars!


Greets,
Tom

[TheTom]

Back to the more expensive cars. This is the Capricorn, AMW's first SUV, and by SUV we mean Sports Utility Vehicle.







With a sportiness rating of 31.6 despite weighing more than 2.5 tons, a utility of 109.1 and an Offroad value of 34.5, this car is certainly up for the task.
Inside, you get 5 luxury seats and premium interior, just like Germany's finest. And just like them and the Range Rover (or the Jeep SRT8 and basically any SUV for that matter) the theoretical fuel consumption is just a black number on white paper.

But the power and torque from the 6.2L twin-turbo V8 is so relentless that this 2.5ton colossus can not only beat but absolutely smoke an A45 AMG over the quarter mile, as it runs 12.4s. 0-100km/h takes just 4.2 seconds, however the top speed is of course very limited (255km/h) because of the very high drag coefficient.

Unlike Germany's finest SUVs though, this one costs "just" 90.000€. All extras included. So it's either this, or a regular Porsche Cayenne with less than half of its options. And nowhere near the performance. Choose for yourselves!

Greets,
Tom

[TheTom]

The new Mamba is here!






Lighter than ever, and with a brand new engine as well as a new place in the market, this car is ready to rock the world of students on a budget who want a practical and economical sports car!

- 800kg light. Mostly because it's now made from carbon fibre pieces that are left over from "bigger" carbon fibre AMWs. So this material costs us basically nothing, as instead of throwing the small carbon leftovers away (which is an expensive habit to begin with), we can put them together to produce a whole new car!

- The new engine is now a 1.0L naturally aspirated I4, with 140hp for the base model. This doesn't sound like much, but remember this car is lighter than a Lotus Elise, and so it'll do 0-100km/h in under 6 seconds even with the standard 6-speed manual gearbox. The top speed is 225km/h and that's easily enough for your daily driver sports car. Because of the small engine, no turbo weirdness and all driver aids except launch control, this car is also very easy to drive but still feels very sporty (63.5 Drivability, 60.9 Sportiness). And the best thing is that it'll do the Airfield Track in 1:31.4 which is faster than a BMW M3 E46.

- New place in the market: instead of being in a tier higher than the Lotus Elise, it is now in a lower price range than the Lotus. Remember, the previous Mamba way made from Aluminium and polymer and we had to buy all of that in order to produce the car, whereas now we don't have to order extra materials to build the chassis and panels which saves a lot of money.

On top of that, this 1.0L base model with 140hp uses just 5.2l/100km and has a reliability score of 74.7 even with an engine redline of 9500RPM.

The price for this beauty is 27.500€ so if you're a young student and your parents don't mind buying you a car for your birthday if it's not too expensive, then this is it! If you don't have rich parents but you have some spare cash, you can also pay 1/3 of the price right away and the rest over the course of the following 3 years. Like all standard AMWs you get a 5 year warranty and you only pay half the yearly service costs if you actually service your car once per year and you do it in an AMW workshop.

What do you think? Would you like to have one?

[utopian201]

Got screenshots of the stats for the Phoenix and new Mamba?
So the Phoenix performance wise is above the Mamba?

[TheTom]

Yes, the Phoenix is above the Mamba in both price and performance.

Phoenix 250:




Phoenix 300:




Mamba 1.0 base model:




I erased the total cost and production units for the Mamba because being from carbon fibre, the numbers were way higher than they would be in reality because like i said, it's made from leftover pieces from carbon fibre. That would of course decrease those numbers drastically.

[Oskiinus]

Mamba has really 1000cc engine?

[TheTom]

Yes, 999cc.

[TheTom]

With the new Mamba came a new design language for AMW when it comes to rear-end designs. So fist up in the line of facelifts is the Mantis, which was formerly the car all other AMWs would follow design-wise. And here it is:







Like in its previous generation, there's 7 different engines, ranging from 90hp to 370hp (in the HP model). Even in its base trim, the "Mantis 90" (for 90hp) you get 4 standard seats, standard Infotainment, ABS, power steering, Traction and stability control as well as advanced safety features. Apart from that, all models share the same Aluminium chassis and plastic body panels. Not amazing for prestige, but plastic is cheap and light. Speaking of weight, all Mantis models are significantly lighter than comparable VW Golf/BMW 1series/Mercedes A-class/(god forbid) Audi A3 variants.
That, as well as the carefully tuned engines, is why the 90hp version, the standard 1.4, the 1.6 and the 1.8 eco will only use 3.7-3.8l/100km. So how about that, VW? 90-159hp in the same car with basically no increase in fuel consumption.
Plus, the 90hp version will only cost 17.000€ which is at least 2.000€ less than a Golf with 85hp (in its base trim, but the options list is long; whereas the Mantis comes with all of its available options as standard).

Of course, you might be saying there has to be a drawback. That is in this case people's conservativeness, and their anxiety about the car's rear-wheel drive. Many people think that even with all the driver aids in today's age, RWD is dangerous. Well, look at this safety value then.





What do you guys think? Would buy one over a VW Golf? Why/why not?

Greets,
Tom

[TheTom]

The new Puma is here, and it's ready to rock the world of sporty compact sedans!







The Puma's main rival will be the Subaru WRX, an established topseller in its very own class. However, whereas the Suby has recently been affected by Downsizing (it now has a turbocharged version of the 2.0 FRS engine, as opposed to its former 2.5L), the Puma will come with a 2.5L turbocharged Inline 6 engine producing 282hp.





Like the WRX, the Puma comes with AWD as standard, and it also features a 6-speed manual gearbox. Combine that with the engine's power output, and you get a 0-100km/h time of 4.8 seconds and a topspeed of 261km/h. Not too shabby for a 40.000€ sports sedan, eh?
And on top of that, it'll only use 6.3l/100km, less than a current BMW 328i (which is also less powerful, slower and more expensive).





What do you think? Do you like the design?


Greets,
Tom

[Oskiinus]

I like almost all of your designs. Good to see that one of somewhat better and famous car artist is still on the road.

[TheTom]

Thanks! I appreciate your feedback!

These days, if you want an exotic entry-level supercar, a McLaren 12C, and Audi R8 or a Ferrari 458 isn't gonna do the job because these are too mainstream. However, if you want performance to be on par with Europe's finest (or on some tracks even better) for around 200.000€, there's AMW's new model for this market: the Aspis.





With a 5.0L NA V8 producing 633hp, it's certainly not underpowered. It's not top-of-the-line considering the McLaren 650S has more power and torque, but then the Aspis weighs less than 1250kg.
The chassis and panels are carbon fibre, as you would expect. So are the brakes, with 6 pistons in the front and 4 pistons in the rear.
The power from the V8 engine is going through a 7-speed double-clutch gearbox to only the rear wheels. However, with 355mm rear tires and 23 inch rims (anything smaller than that would have resulted in a very oversteering handling even without applying throttle), it puts the power down well enough to do 0-100km/h in 2.7 seconds and the quarter mile in less than 10 seconds.




The top speed of 326km/h (203mph) doesn't sound that impressive any more, given what kind of performance we're used to from today's supercars. But this car generates enough downforce to out perform every european supercar in its price class, even the fantastic Lamborghini Huracan, around the Airfield track. It does that in 1:15.18 seconds. Also, this car is so well balanced that it will run down Mount Haruna in 4:37.
Still not impressed? How about its reliability and fuel economy in relation to this performance, then?




Considering these stats and its performance compared to its main rivals, 200.000€ seems like a fair price, doesn't it?
Would you buy one? Why / why not?


Greets,
Tom

[TheTom]

Brace yourselves, the new Royal has arrived!







As always, this is AMW's top-of-the-line luxury flagship saloon. With updated looks, engine and interior as well as revised aerodynamics, this car is ready to rule the world of high-class luxury saloons.

The looks are elegant for sure, but they are also very much modern, unlike some of its real-life rivals. And you know why? Because this car isn't aimed at 80+ year-olds, instead it should attract young or middle-aged (and rich) people who aren't afraid to try out something new. (Mark Zuckerberg is a good example) You get LEDs in the front, a good bit of chrome details on the front bumper and the sides, as well as some futuristic taillights surrounded by chrome. This isn't for everyone, but then again, not everyone can afford this car to begin with.

AMW's engineers have built a completely new 10.0L diesel engine for this car, putting out 10hp more, and a load more torque than the previous generation's engine, however the fuel efficiency did not suffer. Now you get 669hp (660bhp), 1346Nm of torque (that's 992 lb ft) but still 40% efficiency. The engine is now also running 0.75 bar of maximum boost, as opposed to the previous engine's 0.55 bar.
The gearbox is still an 8-speed double-clutch gearbox with automatic mode, and it still puts the power down to all 4 wheels. It does that through an electric LSD with a power distribution of 45/55%.

The interior is another big change and it's very different from Rolls' and Bentley's. Instead of old-fashioned wood and analogue clocks, you get carbon fibre, leather, polished aluminium and beautiful digital instruments. Of course, this car is equipped with all the electric features known to man, and even a bit beyond that. Even if your grandma had enough money to buy this car, she wouldn't know how to use all its features. And that's totally okay, because while we appreciate every customer we can get, this car is more for your uncle, a wealthy businessman who just had his 38th birthday and likes his car to look and feel contemporary/futuristic and, of course, high quality.

As far as aerodynamics are concerned, the Royal is class-leading with its sleek shape (relatively speaking, of course) and up-to-date technology, such as cooling vents that only open when needed, otherwise they're hidden.


The result is a nearly 2.7ton car that will do 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds, 337km/h top speed, the standing quarter mile in less than 12 seconds and all that while using an astonishing 8.2L/100km (28.6mpg US, 34.3mpg UK).
How's that possible? Through UPSIZING! Instead of using a smaller engine that would produce more power, we decided to keep this engine at the 10.0L mark so that we would stand even prouder in front of the final result here. If we'd used, say, an 8.0L that would still be enormous but even if it had put out the same power, it wouldn't have been as quick or as economical because we'd have to tune it way more aggressively to achieve similar numbers.




If you're wondering why this car is about 140kg lighter than its predecessor, it's mainly because we've thrown the middle rear seat out in order to have space for a small fridge between the two rear seats. That fridge contains a fine bottle of champaign upon purchase, but of course it's also good enough for some beer if you so choose.

One thing that hasn't changed at all, for better or for worse, is the price: 1 million €. Is it worth that sort of money? Of course, because long story short: It combines the things we're used to in flagship saloons (elegant appearance, high quality interior, high-tech safety equipment, etc.) with things we're not really used to in this sort of car (fast 0-100km/h time, futuristic interior, low fuel consumption).


What do you think?

Greets,
Tom

[TheTom]

Today is the 1 year anniversary of this thread. Also, a few days ago we crossed the magical 10.000 views mark!

So I'd like to thank all of you for continuing the support, thanks for checking this thread out, and I am happy to own one of the most viewed car design threads!


Let's take this special opportunity to celebrate another one of AMW's forgotten design concepts, this one is from 1981 and it's called the Taurus.





When this car made its debut at the 1981 Geneva Auto show, it received heavy criticism. Not only for its looks which, according to people, were just a failed attempt to try and steal the Lamborghini Countach's show. The main point of criticism apart from the basic silhouette with the silly "normally-numberplate-holder" panel standing out at the rear end, the wing, the fact that you can't see out of it, the quad exhausts, and what even are those taillights??! Triangular, with rounded edges?! A no-go for its day and age, that's what the design was. And then there's the engine, a 4.0L V8 that revs to 8000RPM (and makes 425hp) is something you don't even find in a Ferrari, and of course a naturally aspirated engine with more than 100hp/L can't last for very long.
On top of that, who dares to build a 425hp car that has naturally oversteering handling?
But the main reason why this car never made it into production is that Ford wanted to avoid any confusions between it and the Ford Taunus. Silly, but true. So it was back to the drawing boards for the Austrian engineers.

Today, however, this car is seen as a gem. A little unrefined, but very valuable as something that can be turned into a fantastic car (like the Serpent, which derived from this car). It made a proper supercar noise, and it weighed less than 1100kg!




That made for absolutely stellar acceleration figures, including 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds, a Quarter mile time of 12.00 seconds, and a top speed of 300km/h!



Today it is displayed in AMW's own museum, still running and looking like new. It may have never reached customers. But the memory remains.


Greets and another big THANK YOU,
Tom

[Nolli]

Front and sideview is great, but somehow the taillights are not my taste. The back itself is ok, but the triangle lights are a little bit 'out of the norm'. Everything is square, except those lights.

But what i like the most is the good economy combined with so much power and the low total costs. Efficiency.

[TheTom]

Thanks! And yes, AMW has always been a company to try and make designs stand out from the crowd, and since everyone in the 80's was using either circular or rectangular taillights, they tried triangular ones for this concept car. Sure, they weren't well-received but they were different. People knew this was no ordinary car, even if they didn't like it.

I have to admit, the total costs could be quite a bit lower if this car wasn't made from fibreglass. But that makes it light, and i actually agree about the fuel economy considering this is 1981 and it's a 425hp V8.