Young Norwegian Car Enthusiast Challenge(reviews published)

[strop]

lol koolkei's been working hard to get a win since joining and nabs it with the smart build! Nice job.

[koolkei]

well tbh. a bit too hard #tryhard
it's only now that i'm starting to get into the "fudge this, i'm entering something stupid for fun" area

[Dragawn]

Great result !
Congratulations to Asdren and Koolkei and thanks to Puffster for hosting the challenge.

[stensen]

congrats to koolkei and thanks to puffster for this great challenge!

[Puffster]

Time for the final two reviews, thank you all for your patience and great feedback, will be working out a new format for my next challenge and hope to see you all participate there as well. If anyone has some constructive feedback/criticism I am all ears as I like to improve. Have learned a lot from this and hope the next challenge will be even better. Without further ado:

Special Review, Bogliq Storaj:



The Bogliq Storaj was the first car to enter the competition, and straight off the bat we knew this was something else. Although it looks like it is drawn with a ruler and compass, there are several aspects that are quite good. So let’s start with the facts. Powered by a 1,3L inline 4 it is the second least powerful car of the challenge, only beaten by the winner. It is however the car with the least amount of torque at 116nm and pretty poor engine reliability at 67,6. In most of the categories it is a bit below average, until we get to the environmental aspect. It has the highest total reliability of 82,2 and the lowest weight of 1092,8kg. Fuel economy is 6,19 L/100km and emissions are 107, all stats that are well below average and contributes to the good final position.

Even though I’ve harped on about boxes and circles in more than half of my text about the Storaj, I will be more thorough now. I will not describe it as a pretty car, but the utter emphasis on practicality and maximizing every cubic inch of space does fascinate me. Looking at the pictures this appears to be a rather large car, but it is only 2,52m wide and 3,94m long, allowing it to be the lightest car of the challenge and still have almost 5500 litres of combined passenger and cargo space. The body also has an extraordinary quality at +10 and it feels so solid, yet not excessively so. It is so charming, there is something fuzzy that i really can’t put my finger on, that x factor. This car might very well go on to become a cult classic, quirky and special, but truly loved by its followers.

Taking it for a spin is next up, and immediately the advantages of “the box” becomes apparent. Parking in the city is a breeze, and the square shape truly gives you total control of the edges of the car. Combined with a comfortably high driving position you have a complete overview of most situations. In the city, the 85hp is sufficient even if 0-100 takes 11,7 seconds. However, when we reach the more open areas and get to my favourite twisty roads, it starts to stand out, and unfortunately not in a good way. Pretty slim tires combined with a high center of gravity results in quite poor handling, and I am never able to pass 0,9G while turning. And while the weight distribution is fantastic, there just isn’t enough power to make it matter. Even downhill, the slim tires increase the braking time enough to reduce that joy as well.

In conclusion, the Storaj is a great example of what a city car should provide, but it falls a bit short when it comes to the width of needs of our target group.

Special Review, SME Banshee:



As I’ve said before, the moment I saw the Banshee I was smitten. While there are several beautiful and interesting cars that entered, and specifically the Legatus Njörðr came quite close, none took my breath away like the Banshee. Where the Njörðr was a classy and elegant sportscar and the Vichingo an almost purebred rally specialist, the Banshee left me wondering. With a front end that brings me back to classic european sports cars, flared arches and wheels that give me an american vibe and a rear end I could swear comes from Japan, it is a hodgepodge mixture of design features that I never would have guessed could look good together. And to many they will not, this is purely a subjective point of view, but for me, it really works. And perhaps that makes it even more appropriate that the Banshee finished dead last, with only just above half the points of the winner. Like an Alfa Romeo, this is a car that looks fantastic on a poster or in the driveway and gives you that chill when you get into it. But show it to someone disinterested in cars or the owner of a BMW, and they will point out the flaws and errors that are blatantly apparent, yet you don’t care, cause it is not just a car, it’s a being with a soul and character. It is a companion for great adventures.

Well, enough about me rambling on pompously, it is time to find out what it actually can do. As I get in, I notice seats are among the best of all, underlining the fact that this is the most prestigeous car of them all. It also has the worst utility and running costs, which you would also expect from this kind of car. So with a turbocharged V6 and 213hp, let’s give it a go. Immediately I get bogged down in city traffic, and the first issue arises. Even though I have a pretty big engine at my disposal, it is also turbocharged, and in the city the throttle response below 30 is quite bad. It almost feels slower than the Tiara Mega(!) due to the low nimbleness. But I have a decent entertainment system to keep me occupied until I reach the open roads. Now this is where the Banshee shines; the engine can open up and is quite smooth, along with active sport springs that are still rather comfy. 0-100 is done in 6,5 seconds and it peaks out at 228,3km/h. Not as high as I expected, and looking at the figures I am actually suprised. Where the Banshee has an aerodynamic efficiency of 0.845, the Storaj for instance only has 0.808. I would never have guessed the box was more aerodynamic than this! Still, I don’t care. Getting to the really twisty parts I push it to the limit and I’m able to pass 1G if only barely. Although the springs are great, it still only has MacPherson in the front and Semi Trailing Arms in the rear.

After the drive I am still smiling. Of all the cars in the challenge, the numbers tell me this is the one you should not to buy. It is the worst, by a fair margin. Yet cars are not just about the numbers, it is about following your heart. And in that regard, the Banshee has won in my book



On that bombshell, it is time to end the challenge! Good night and I’ll see you on the next one.

[HighOctaneLove]

Thanks Puffster for the bonus write-up pf my entry!

Just remember that Bogliq strongly recommends that the service schedule be closely adhered to which'll ensure your Storaj ownership is faultless and fuss-free for many years to come

[07CobaltGirl]

HA! Awesome! My company logo is "American Performance has no compromise!" and the Banshee lives up to the mantra. Who cares if a car is fast, or practical, or pretty? That isn't what these machines are about. They're about making you feel alive and one with the machine. They're about that smile that won't leave your face. This is what SME wants to bring to the world...the biggest smile you've ever had. It's even better when you cannot really explain the reason for the smile, but still like that you actually have it. Cars are an art form as much as they are a machine, and like all machines, cars should somehow make your life better. Happy always equals better!

Thanks for the great write-up, Puffster! Now you know I'm really dying to find out....how did the Banshee Sport GT (the MR sports coupe) compare with the Legatus? I mean, I know it was slower by a few seconds around Nordschleife, but it was actually my initial entry...even if I didn't submit it first (due to some rule confusion).

[Puffster]

Hahaha, of course, the rivalry always lives on Well, I've dived into the stats, and this is actually a really good matchup.
In the engine department, the Legatus Njörðr has a 1,8T I4 that produces 240hp and 254nm, while the Banshee Expo has a 1,0T I4 that produces 195hp and 186nm torque, so brute force goes to the Legatus Njörðr while the Banshee Expo gets the most points from less hp and smaller engine.

• Drivability, Legatus Njörðr wins by 7,9 points
• Sportiness, Banshee Expo wins by 1,7 points
• ... lots of less interesting facts...

• Top speed: Legatus Njörðr @ 250,4 vs Banshee Expo @ 225,4
• Acceleration: Legatus Njörðr @ 5,7 vs Banshee Expo @ 5,8
• Brake distance Legatus Njörðr @ 34,41 vs Banshee Expo @ 32,99

• Green Hell lap time: Legatus Njörðr @ 8,54,90 vs Banshee Expo @ 8,56,50
• Total Points in challenge: Legatus Njörðr @ 456,29 vs Banshee Expo @ 445,88 (without reliability deduction)

Very close, but a slight edge to Legatus Njörðr

[strop]

oooooh that's a close one indeed. It pretty much comes down to a matter of taste.

[07CobaltGirl]

Yes, fairly close indeed! Thanks for the breakdown, Puffster!