The Car Shopping Round (Round 9)

[Madrias]

Find some way or another to reduce your Fuel Mixture. Lean is efficient but makes less power. You might need to sacrifice horsepower in favor of fuel efficiency.

[Vri404]

Do you want Fun? Do you want Cargo Space? Do you not want to be shunned by your peers for not driving something cool? Do you want V6?

Then the 2014 Needle Production Cars Del Piero W-Edition is the car for you! With a 2.5L NA V6 and RWD on a 6-speed H-gate Manual transmission, you'll be shifting around in pure epic. Built in Australia for Bogans in mind, this machine has the ability to fit all matter of engines. With great comfort and reliability means that NPC will make piss all money from repairs. With enough boot space to fit three corpses below the window-line, and a cloth over-top, this wagon has all the means to do what you want, pretty much when you want. You'll stand out from the crowd, while fitting in. Speed? not an issue, with a top speed nearing 245kp/h and a 0-100 in exactly 7 seconds... wait... that's slow. Don't worry about that then. Safety is enough, but with a slightly less-than-okay fuel consumption that isn't so nice. however the 110L fuel tank means that you won't burn through your fuel in three days, it'll be more like 6 or 7. Anyway, enough rambling, have some pictures.










OOC: First to be done, and I did this because today I'm getting a New PC, and I'm too lazy to transfer my files, so got this done as fast as I could. Won't win, but I just want to give everything a go.

[nialloftara]

maybe I could get some help? I've built a decent car that I'm proud of, except the fuel economy on it sucks balls....What do you guys recommend to drastically improve fuel economy

Not to detract from the thread here's a quick rundown of options, find what rpm you want your red line(a few hundred rpms above peak power) select low friction pistons then set the stroke as long as possible without hurting reliability, keep your air:fuel ratio above 14, if you use vvl set the first profile in the 20-30's, size your exhaust pipe a bit below your power, have at least 1 gear go above your maximum speed, use medium or hard tires,avoid downforce, do not have more than twice your engine's required cooling, save weight where ever possible.

[strop]

To answer some questions: I'll accept any mod available on the Steam workshop. I have all of them, except the replica cars and engines.

Also, I certainly don't expect all the info to be on the post this round as I've been very specific. So just the basic stats and the market tab will do. Whether you want to show track times or showcase the engine is up to you.

Edit: challenge post edited to include these clarifications.

[Madrias]

So, you're looking for a new car, and yet you don't want something boring? Still need to haul your groceries? Take the kids to school, or your friends on a long drive?

Storm Spirit - SE-4.png (1.25 MiB) Viewed 19189 times

Storm Automotive has a car for you. The Storm Spirit is an all-American V6-powered beast designed for export. Assembled from aluminum, this car is guaranteed not to rust, and the comfortable interior is designed to keep you in your seat while throwing this car's weight around. Now, being an American-made car, deep in the heart of Chicago, you'd think that it would be equipped with a fire-breathing, fuel-gulping, roaring beast of an overhead valve V8, but you'd be wrong. Instead, under the hood hides a sophisticated Dual Overhead Cam V6 with VVL and VVT, made with Cast Iron. At 4.2 liters, with 340+ horsepower and 290 ft-lb of torque, you'll have no problem getting off the line. The V6 is coupled to a seven-speed sequential transmission, minimizing shifting difficulty and maximizing performance.

Storm Spirit - SE-3.png (1.15 MiB) Viewed 19189 times

Oh, but don't worry. You won't be blowing the tires off at the line, letting the other guy blow your doors off. We've got you covered. With limited slip differentials front, center, and rear, all four wheels will put the power straight to the ground, through 15 inch alloy rims wrapped in 255mm wide sports tires.

Unlike most manufacturers, we've put the switches for Traction Control and Stability Assistance right under the radio. Feel like sitting back and relaxing? Turn them on and the car becomes a tamed kitten. Flip the switches off, and the demon is unleashed. We don't recommend it, obviously, but we know you'll do it at least once.

As for fuel capacity? With 25.6 miles per gallon, you'd think we were crazy putting a 25 gallon fuel tank onboard. We all know the pain of being stranded within sight of the gas station, or worse, stranded at the sign saying "Next town, 5 miles" because the car ran out of fuel. Our solution was to simply install a bigger tank and inform the driver about their fuel situation with two gallons to spare. Now, we understand this car won't be the cheapest to fuel. She takes Premium Unleaded, but that's because our engine is tuned to make the most of it. By giving you 600 miles of range, we're hoping that fuel stops will be few and far between.

2016-01-15_00002.jpg (269.77 KiB) Viewed 19189 times

Just look at that price! Sure, it's expensive, but part of that, unfortunately, is needed to help offset the cost of shipping and importing the cars. The rest, however, is entirely 100% car. Think on what you're getting for this price. Premium interior, 4.2 liter V6, 25.6 MPG, room for 5, plus room for groceries, a 7-speed sequential transmission, 15" alloy rims, sports tires from the factory, and a car that is actually fun to drive. Who said sedans can't be sporty? It's a five-seat, four-door muscle car that refuses to accept family life as a reason to give up having fun.

(Note to Strop: if the price doesn't match the screenshot, please make sure Active Wing is not selected. I keep having it glitch back on and it's not supposed to be.)

[HighOctaneLove]

I think, Mr McHorseguy, that you need a chance at sampling the ultimate drivers experience; you only live once so why waste time with compromise?

With that in mind, I present, the Bogliq Fox GT300!!!

Bogliq Fox - GT300-1.png (1.5 MiB) Viewed 19158 times

Bogliq Fox - GT300-2.png (1.54 MiB) Viewed 19158 times

Bogliq Fox stats!.png (366.22 KiB) Viewed 19158 times

Natural Aspiration, Manual gearbox, pushrod suspension and MR configuration; driving perfection guaranteed...

[asdren]

Hello Mr. McHorseGuy,

from what i understood, you are looking for a sporty all-rounder? Then look no further because we at Revera have what you need. Let me present to you the Revera NS 360 GTS. The Revera NS Series is a mid-size 4 door sedan with coupe like looks. The 360 GTS Trim is especially designed for people who love driving spirited and need a reliable all-rounder for their daily lifes. The NS 360 GTS represents Revera at its best: a sporty, practical, emotional, and a reliable everyday companion.

Following the Revera NS 360 GTS in Midnight-Blue, that we have now at our local dealership:





The Revera NS 360 GTS features a state of the art naturally aspirated high revving 3.6 V6 engine, the B6N36VT, producing 360HP@7800 RPM. Paired to our latest flappy paddle 7-Speed Double Clutch Gearbox, with shift times under 100ms, the way this powertrain screams to the redline is intoxinating. While other performance cars manufactures have adopted turbos, Revera stays true to its NA Engine heritage for its performance cars. An electric throttle response, a linear never-ending torque curve, and the unfiltered sound of this V6 are something a turbo will never match. Now with our latest direct injection system, RDi3, the B6N36VT is one of the most efficient naturally aspirated v6 currently on the market, resulting in an average fuel consumption under 9 L/100km and emission rating of 70. Unheard of for a sedan that reaches 0-100km/h in 4.9sec.

But driving is not just about going fast in a straight line, that's why the NS 360 GTS has been developed on the Nürburgring in Germany, the ultimate track on this planet. Double-Wishbone suspension all-round, a rear locking differential, an active rear wing and a near perfect weight distribution, thanks to the mid-front engine layout, give the NS 360 GTS cornering abilities that exceed 1.1G and a Nürburgring time under 8min 15sec!

Of course, making a car go fast is easy, making a fast car usable for everyday use is where the Revera NS 360 GT shines. Fitted standard with adaptive suspension, exhaust valves, premium full leather interior, and the silky smooth 7-Speed-Double Clutch Gearbox, the NS 360 GT is smooth when you need it to be and emotional when you want it to be. In the GTS Trim fitted with four full sport inspired seats so you can take your friends and family comfortably with you. Also featuring a dual hinge trunk-hatch system that gives you the ability to open the trunk for fast access or lift the rear hatch. The big rear hatch combined with the rear folding seats give an exceptional cargo space for this size of car, while still looking elegant and sleek.

Other options that the 360 GTS has fitted as standard:
Dual-Zone Climate Control
Our standard entertainment package with bluetooth and smart phone connectivity
LED Headlights
Front and Rear Parking Sensors
R-Traction control system (can be fully turned off)
6-Airbags
68 Liter fuel tank
18 Inch aluminum Wheels with 235 tires front and rear.
and much more.

Exceptional value for $29945!

I've sent you the complete technical and financial information per mail.

Sincerly,
Mr. Hendrik Asdren
Local Sales Manager at Revera






Edit: Typos

[strop]

Ooh all the entries pouring in, this makes me happy. But it's also going to make it difficult to choose...

I'm at work so will download the attachments later. Don't forget to include a screenshot of your market tab somewhere! (Though I'm taking entries via pm so this part isn't as essential... This time).

[Madrias]

Sadly, that market tab thing meant I didn't have room in my post for my Green Hell lap and the rest of the info I wanted in the post. Suffice it to say that it meets the lap time requirement, but only just barely. Which isn't all that bad, in my opinion, for a big, heavy four-door sedan.

[Puffster]

So, Mr. Stroppy McHorseguy, you are in need of a new car. Well, let me introduce you to the ABR Chameleon:



Model year can be whatever, just be sensible
This body was introduced in 2005, which should be sensible enough even for my father, and let me tell you, he is a tough old nut!
I'll accept trim years 2014-2016
The Leisure Trim is produced in 2015, so that's right on the spot!
Limited production and no-mass production parts are allowed
Even so, the combination of reliability, price and enjoyability of the car is our number one priority.
Four/five door is preferred but two/three door is acceptable
The chameleon is currently delivered with four doors and suit your needs very well then
Wheel-base strictly under 3m. I'm not fussed about body type but will lean away from utes and soft-tops unless they offer significant other advantages
Have no fear, the chameleon measures in at 2,58m with a proper roof and is far from a ute
I'm a little tired of Macpherson and Torsion beam setups, but if you can build something that literally outperforms superior setups (e.g. like what Honda did to the Civic Type R), you might yet be able to convince me otherwise
Now, the chameleon does have Macpherson front end suspension, but as we will cover later it has the inherent balance and setup to properly perform, and is able to do over 1g in both low and high speed cornering
Strictly no fiber-glass please, some of our roads have so many stones on them, the bodywork will be ruined within days
Not to worry, we prefer to use metal when building road cars sir.
Looks matter a lot. As I said, design should be edgy/distinctive but not outright douchey. I'll ignore colour for the time being as I will assume that the car will come in a range of colours, unless you specify otherwise.
Now I can only speak for myself as taste is quite subjective, but we have tried to keep the styling subtle to the laymans eye, yet apparent for those knowledgeable about cars and engineering. Soft widening of the wheelarches, Vents behind the wheels for the brakes and the rear lip are a couple of examples
You may use lips freely. You may use up to ONE wing. For road-legal reasons, the wing must be placed on the rear half of the car, or behind the C pillar if the car has one.
There is a lip at the rear of the car, but we have refrained from adding a wing in order to preserve the possibility of blending in and sliding under the radar. While wings are beneficial for racing, it ruins the subtle sleeper impression.
Any of FWD, AWD, RWD is fine. I'm not looking for a 4x4.
RWD has been chosen as it gives the car that sporty, playful attitude while preserving the economy.
.
The engine should have a reliability of at least 70.0
Unleaded only. The maximum RON should be 95. I may accept 98 but this will make it much harder to 'go bush' and do long road trips
Engine noise should be under 45
.
Chameleon is well within these limits as should all daily driven cars of this age be.
I am happy to drive auto, stick, or flappy paddles. They all have their pros and cons, so still choose carefully
As you say sir, all of these have their advantages, yet we developed this car for the enthusiasts. While the automatic might be more comfortable, and the sequential a bit faster, almost all enthusiasts prefer the manual gearbox like the chameleon is fitted with. The pure control and experience of a manual gearbox can not be understated.
Because of availability at most tyre retailers, plus road noise, plus simply not looking like the car's built specifically to beat the clock, the wheels must be not too wide, and have a profile of at least 50. By "not too wide", I mean the maximum width of the tyre can be determined by the following formula:



Code:
maximum tyre width = (car mass in kg + 1150)/10


Bonus points if they're the same size front and rear, so I can rotate them more readily. Semi-slicks are disallowed, because I need to drive this thing rain or shine far more than I do TRACK DAY BRO. Also, I'd really prefer not to have to fork out 3000+ bucks for a set (like I would if you used Trofeo Rs or something), so, like, see if you can keep the material costs of the tyres and wheels total below 1000.
Tires are not to be trifled with as they, next to the brakes, are the most important part of the car. The regular issue Chameleon is delivered with 215/50 tires on 17 inch rims, at 902 each set they are not the cheapest, but who would want to ruin a great car with poor tires. Still, they are withen your price range, as the alloy rims are only 70$
How you set the aero is up to you, since I can always be cheeky and get my car serviced at my company HQ once the warranty expires. But the engine cooling must meet the minimum required
Engine cooling is well within the limits, with plenty to spare should you ever want to tune the car further later on.
The car should preferably seat 4 or 5. It certainly does not need to seat any more than that. You may get away with 2 or 3 if you can convince me of the benefits, but this will be difficult
Mr. McHorseguy, may I call you Stroppy? Stroppy, the Chameleon has 4 seats to obtain plenty of comfort for all people in the car
I do need at least a rudimentary radio, and will have a problem if I don't have Bluetooth to pair my phone and use handsfree. At least Standard Infortainment recommended, but Basic may be acceptable.
Rudimentary is not a word we are too fond of, the car is of course delivered with Standard Infortainment
Minimum safety of 40, so it's road legal everywhere. More is good, too.
Safety is always important Stroppy, and that mark is surpassed by at least 30%
You can do what you like with the suspension, just make sure the car doesn't bottom out too much because one of the things that annoyed me about my Civic was that the front bumper and mudguard were forever scraping against things.
.
With a ride height of 196mm and -0,4 bottoming out this should not be a big issue at all

Stats wise, I recommend comfort at least 25. I don't care about prestige. Drivability and sportiness matter but not in any specific way.
Of course, I have a complete understanding of this. AS you can see from the technical details the Chameleon is well covered in all these areas
Preferred fuel economy is better than 11L/100km (10km per L), but hey, if the car's really fast, I might not mind going a bit over.
Why should one exclude the other, Stroppy? With a fuel economy of 8,11L/100km and 0-100 in 5,6 seconds you get the best of both worlds
I'd also prefer it if the total emissions rating was <300.
Preserving our nature and possibilty to drive as long as possible is paramount to ABR, and the Chameleon is no exception at 77,3 in emissions
Track times do matter, getting this thing around Green Hell in under 8:30 would be nice. Faster is even nicer.
Currently the car is very close but not under, finishing at 8.33.82, but I suspect our driver may have been bribed to underperform by our competitors Stroppy! That being said, at the current price there is plenty of money left over to make modifications should you choose that will help you get way below the mark. Not to mentione the perfect weight distribution at 51,3F/48,7R which evens out to 50/50 when you step on it.
Environmental resistance should be preferably over 80. I'm not a fan of rust.
Neither am I, car cancer is not to be trifled with. At 89,62, the Chameleon should last for decades.
It needs SOME storage room. The way this is currently calculated is a bit wonky, so I'm not going to grouse over the actual number, I just need to visually confirm there's room for a trunk. But I'm not going to ban you from trying to sell me a 2 seater MR coupe with just enough room for a small luggage bag up front. Just saying
No worries, Stroppy. Some competitors might try to fool you, but ABR delivers the full package. This car can be used both as a track car and a holiday hauler!

To conclude, the Chameleon is the entire package. At 24150$ it is a steal and leaves plenty of room in your budget to alter whatever small thing you might want. The torque curve is incredibly even delivering 250nm from 1500rpm up to 296nm at 6600rpm, giving you an incredibly smooth enginge and experience, which should soothe your mother and girfriend when you take then on a trip. The hp curve is also almost linear delivering increasing amounts of power up to the 8000rpm mark, the same limit that Toyota had in their fantastic 4age engines, only this is a 3L inline 6 with almost thrice the power. The blue colour is called happy sky and will melt any girls heart, as they will think it is incredibly cute, while in reality being a wolf in a sheepskin. The handling is great even with the ride height to go a little off road when necessary. Dear Stroppy, can there really be any doubt?
Should you need any further reasons please see the attached specs

[Puffster]

Asdren, that one is beautiful man, really nice work!

[asdren]

Asdren, that one is beautiful man, really nice work!

Thanks , really enjoyed your and the other talks

[Racer13]

Are points deducted for obnoxious posts? *cough* Puffster *cough* Because dear god, I was going to read that but had to stop before I made myself sick.

Also, I'm still having fuel economy problems. I made the engine as lean as I could run it, but only got a couple extra MPG out of it. I mean the fact it weighs as much as a house, uses a 6.0 L V8 and has AWD probably doesn't help, but still, I should be able to get better figures than I am. Tips? I tried the extra gear, that didn't help much. I'm really rather stuck.

Cheers - Racer13

[DoctorNarfy]

Well.. That's certainly brave.. Have you tried converting the extra gear into overdrive? Different spacing also helps. So play around with that as well.

Other than that, you can mess around with tires, aero packages, and Aero quality.

Also, my car might be the quickest. 0-60 in 4.2 seconds and it does it with an engine that's less than 2 Liters.

[Racer13]

Well.. That's certainly brave.. Have you tried converting the extra gear into overdrive? Different spacing also helps. So play around with that as well.

Bigger is better, right?