Battalion Tuning Team (Refurbishment situation, part 2)

[Kampfzerstorer]

Hello, and welcome to Battalion. Today, we have two cars to reveal, one for the relaxing long distance drive, and another, an evolution of a previous car, this time tuned, and stronger to mark its spot under the Battalion family
Without further ado, here are the cars.

Featured first is the Emden, a luxury saloon catered for those who want a softer, cushioning ride, while with amenities to keep you entertained on long journeys, with the soothing burble of the Arnaud V8.
This 4.2 litre OHV crossplane V8 engine was built specifically for the Emden, focusing on powerful low end torque, to propel this beastly shell weighing at 2.2tons.











The next car... its previous, first generation was like a neglected child; forgotten from the pages of Battalion history as the fame of the BattleCruiser eclipsed its existence. Not anymore. With Ukyo backing
the project, along with Fiolina, our fellow, 2nd test driver, the duo redesigned, and revitalised the once forgotten child into a machine it should have been. No longer it has a 1800cc inline-4 turbocharged engine
living underhood. Now, lives a 2.9 litre naturally aspirated flatplane V8 producing 350 horsepower called the Valentine, and installed in a traverse fashion; an engine placement normally seen on front engined cars.

This is the Archer Mk.II

[Kampfzerstorer]

Hello, and welcome to Battalion. Now, before we get to the main purpose of this release, there are... some misconceptions about naming our cars. As a normal company brand, take for example, Mitsubishi,
they would start out with the brand of the car, followed by the model; Mitsubishi Lancer. Mitsubishi Galant. Same goes with other car brands; Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Here at Battalion, however, it's the reverse.
The model name comes first, then the brand name. Archer Battalion. Emden Battalion. Tenryuu Battalion. If the cars were to have a successor, like the Archer Mk.II, the Mk.II portion is only mentioned when the
brand name is not used. Same goes for the BattleCruiser and its Courageous Edition.

With that aside, and cleared with, to the main point. Now, here at Battalion, we are aware of the consumer group where having a car is not a want, not a toy. To them, it is a necessity. A form of transport to get to
and fro from point A and point B. And such consumer targets would want a vehicle that's cheap to purchase and run, and easy to maintain. Enter the Panzer sedan. And this time round, to accommodate the wide range
of consumers who have their own opinions on a low priced car, we have made not one, not two, but five variations of the Panzer; The BT, ES, ES Turbo, VR, and VR-S. And as such, I hereby present you the looks of the
Panzer sedan.






First, the BT spec model. It is equipped with a 1200cc SOHC, naturally aspirated engine producing 100hp. Pricing of the BT model will be subsidised to consumers that fall under the lower income group up to
30%. This, of course, depends on the household annual income. Rest assured, the price stated, will not cost that much. Yes, my fellow customers, the Panzer BT will be sold at $6000 instead, before the subsidies come in.
This decision comes from the core team members of Battalion, who consists of people who used to barely get by each month; more particularly, Bristol.

BT Trim



Next, it is the ES, and ES Turbo Trim. Equipped with a 1400cc SOHC, naturally aspirated for ES, and turbocharged for the ES Turbo, each producing 124hp and 155hp respectively. This caters to those who wants a bit more grunt
on power, yet with suspension set up to be as comfortable, while able to flex through the corners at higher speeds without worrying of both understeer and oversteer.

ES Trim



ES Turbo Trim



Finally, we come to the VR and VR-S. The top of the line of the Panzer sedans. The VR equipped with a 1600cc DOHC, and the VR-S, a 2000cc DOHC, both turbocharged, each producing 227hp for the VR, and 300hp for the VR-S. Catering to those who want a cheap, yet sporty car, the VR sports an aggressive differential setup which negates any possibility of understeer, with suspension tuning to have traction constantly. The VR-S, the only All-Wheel Drive model from the rest of the trims, sports a
rear wheel biased setup, with aggressive turbocharging that kicks in as early at 3500rpm. Truly a wolf in a sheep's clothing, the VR-S is specifically tuned in the hands of Raquel Schmidt, one of the two test drivers of Battalion,
and the owner of the violent Audi Quattro S1 coupe.

VR Trim



VR-S Trim




Raquel: This is, also, not the end for the development of the Panzer. Another model of the Panzer is currently underway in development. As leader of the Panzer project, rest assured,
the spirit of the Group B rally cars will live on, and if possible, revived. The Group B cars in the 80s need a successor to hand over the torch, and we at Battalion will make sure it will
happen. Stay tuned!

-------------------------------

Behind the Scenes


Kampf: This is the first time I see Raquel talk that much. Not only that, being that excited and motivated sure makes her appear in a different light.


Erika: Yeah. She's always so silent around here. I swear I thought she's the female version of the The Stig.


Lean: Guess you lot didn't even see her face when she first saw the development of the VR-S back then. It's like euphoria hit her. Seems she has a thing about rally cars,
or potential ones in general.

[Kampfzerstorer]

Ladies and gentlemen, as sales of the Panzer sedan continue to soar, we hereby announce the release of a special variant of the series; not managed by project leader Raquel, but
by Kampf himself. Challenging that he would be able to develop an engine that is more fuel efficient than what the BT version has to offer, Kampf has developed a 2000cc, naturally
aspirated engine, developing 134hp, from a V8. I kid you not, a V8 being more fuel efficient than an inline 4?

This is, the BT Special.




Staying true to the BT series, it will subsidised, up to 15% for the Special variant.

[Kampfzerstorer]

Tuning of the Princess Royal continues, and now with Fiolina behind the wheel of the precious machine, things have gone well.


Kampf: Well I'll be damned. Seems the car is just getting better and better. Just look at the reports on the result for the suspension tuning and engine tweaking.




Bristol: I knew using that rear spoiler just makes it look, and perform better. And Erika's AWD system is insane as well. It keeps on gripping.


Erika: Of course! It's bearing fruit as well!


Lean: Results of it running through Green Hell is out! Fiolina's running it again just for kicks.






Lean: Well would you look at that?

[Kampfzerstorer]

After scoring yet another collaboration with another company; this time from BZ Motors, Kampf seemed intrigued by how their new model, the Kashima, could be improved.
Just making it faster won't do with the conditions they have placed. A pure track day car. No traction control and electronic stabilty, and no changing of the engine block, heads, and capacity.
the rest is a free for all. Sure, making it rear wheel drive does the Kashima good with lighter mass, and better overall performance. But the race track they need to beat the time of eight minutes...
was the Nurburgring, or Green Hell as a nickname. If staying rear wheel drive won't do...Then... Yes, Raquel!


Kampf: Hey, Raquel. I know you're very preoccupied with the development of the Panzer, but listen me out on this.


Raquel: Out with it.


Kampf: I got a collaboration from BZ Motors, and I think it might be up your alley. They want one of their cars to be extensively tuned
so it could beat the Nurburgring in under 8 minutes.


Raquel: What about it?


Kampf: Well, I was thinking if you could do the honours of tackling this as a side project-


Raquel: Not interested.


Kampf: Wait, I'm not done yet. I was thinking if you could use your idea of the All Wheel Drive system to power this machine.


Raquel: One condition. I can go all out on the engine output.


Kampf: That's part of what they want, Raqu-


Raquel: I'll take it. I'll make a monster out of it.

-----------------------------------------------
Months later

Welcome to the Battalion Tuning Team. Today, the team, and BZ Motors are proud to reveal a collaboration which concerns of the BZ Kashima. A deal was
set to make it into a no frills track day machine. No traction control, no electronic stability system. Just the pure input from the driver to the car, and nothing in between
to separate them. The Kashima has been extensively tweaked, once again, using the Group B rally car concept of high power, and All-Wheel Drive. This... brutal tuning has
made the Kashima tougher, more aggressive, more raw in nature; the essence of a track day car, with a touch of Group B spirit living within.

I hereby present you, the Kashima R.






The engine has been extensively upgraded from its S2 Turbo stage, now making an impressive 771hp.


And the Green Hell timing? It has shattered the 8 minute mark.


-----------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, in the back scenes...


Lean: Erm... Kampf?


Kampf: Yes?


Lean: Fiolina took a spin of the xY Spec-R2 through the Green Hell, and well...have a look.


Kampf: I don't even-

[Kampfzerstorer]

One day, in the Battalion Tuning Team office, at shift's end...


Kampf: Good work guys. We're just about a month's worth of work left on the Princess Royal. Let's keep it up, and please do support Raquel on her Panzer project when she needs assistance.


Lean: A great day at work needs a great day of workout in the gymnasium! Sure, I did sweat a lot today, but I gotta tone up my abdominal a bit. I feel pudgy, like Bristol.


Bristol: I might be pudgy, but hell I run faster than you. And you wonder how I keep catching you.


Lean: Then I dare you to go to the gym with me! I challenge you!


Bristol: Deal! Imma Spitfire your arse back to Berlin!


Lean: Then I'll Würger you back to Dover!


Erika: They're like kids. Nothing is ever dull with them around.


Kampf: Yeah, but it does liven up the place. We'd be yawning to death with work without them.


Erika: Yeah, so you're not going just yet?


Kampf: Haha, yes. I got some backlogged paperwork to finish up. I still need to finish up the follow up of the BT Special's V8 engine. Should be done within the next hour.


Erika: All right, we'll be moving out first. See you tomorrow.

As the remainder of the team left the workplace, Kampf lay slumped on the office chair, letting out a big sigh. He never thought he could get away with it for so long. Glancing through the window, Kampf
stared at a storage hangar, where most of the fabricated parts were kept. Only he knew one little secret about that building; he had partitioned one-fifth of the building off, and could only be entered by the huge back doors.
Only Kampf have the keys to enter it, telling the team that that part of the building consists of documents only available to his eyes; collaboration documents where the customers' sensitive information are kept.
Those were lies. There were no confidential information at all.

Kampf paced his way to the said set of doors, unlocked it, and entered. Pitch black darkness welcomed him; it was close to 9pm after all. Turning on the light, it illuminated the whole area, with a vehicle under a layer of cloth.
He had been working on a car, and had not told anyone about it. Tugging the sheet away, it revealed the vehicle he was working on. It was a prototype, and components were made from materials that were deemed too heavy to use.
Cast iron block,heads and crank, steel chassis and panels, and yet...it still worked as intended. Its mass already tipped past the 2 ton mark, but a quick drive on the test track showed that it can still fly...

... And yet, Kampf was so careless...

As he began work, going under the car to change the oil, a pair of eyes peeked from the door that was left open. Fiolina.


Fiolina: What's this? I didn't even know this place existed... Wait, is that Kampf?


Fiolina: But that coupe... Looks massive, but...I like it. Oh yes. It exudes an air of elegant aggression. It might look simple, it might feel unpolished, but it's good enough for me- he's coming out.

Hiding behind the doors, she peeked again seconds later, looking at Kampf pacing his way to the nearest table, while wiping the oil off his hands. There, she took yet another glimpse of the car...




Fiolina: And the whiteboard... seems to say something...

Project Kongō Class

Fiolina: I better get the heck out of here before he sees me. I'm liking the car so far, Kampf.

[SeriousSimon]

I am curious to see the car.. and as for your conversations which you act out so beautifully.. My dirty mind always imagines them ending some other way.

[Kampfzerstorer]

As weeks went by, Fiolina was able to eavesdrop on Kampf without fail, even as far as getting initial reports of this elusive Project Kongō Class vehicle...
As far as she knows, it really has been up to her expectations. The mass has yet to even faze the machine.




Fiolina: Seriously, I feel like a stalker. But it hasn't caught Kampf's attention yet. There's still more work to do on it, Kampf.

[Kampfzerstorer]

What begins, must come to an end. The Battlecruiser, Battalion's very first car, as well as the Courageous Edition, has ceased production, leaving up to the two successors, the Tenryuu, and Yudachi
to continue the lineage. But no matter, if the original were to end, here in Battalion, we will let it go with a bang! An all out assault as a track day car, and possibly, one day as part of the GT500 competition.
As of now, the ultimate variant is complete, sporting an excess of over a thousand horsepower, paired with our All-Wheel Drive system designed by Erika, the final evolution of the Battlecruiser shall be
revealed.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present you, the Battlecruiser Princess Royal







Such lunacy a vehicle could exude, would need an equally insane driver to test drive it, and even drove it to the ragged edge. Our fellow Fiolina was appointed as test driver of this...beast, and was able to
get an impressive time on the Green Hell.



Other than the GT500 variant of the Princess Royal, this is the end of the line for the original Battlecruiser. The original prototype will be displayed in the showroom as renovations on the expansion of the
showroom is completed, earliest within two week-


Kampf: And yet, I still can't accept the fact that we could just end the Battlecruiser name.


Erika: Kampf, what are you doing? You're obstructing our announcer!


Kampf: Because of that, I have an extra surprise. Not even the other fellow team members know about this. I'll go get it. Please be patient.


Erika: You what?

Minutes later, Kampf appears in a sports coupe, in about the same shade of green as the Princess Royal


Kampf: Well then, I suppose this does not need an introduction, eh? I hereby present you, Battlecruiser Mk.II. This prototype you are seeing is the Kirishima,
one of the four planned versions of the Mk.II. Weighing in at a colossal 2.6tons, it's powered by a massive 6500cc V8, outputting 706 horsepower, enabling to
propel this beast to 340kmh. It is also equipped with all the luxury features that one would expect to see from the likes of a Rolls Royce; from the hand-stitched
leather from New Zealand, to the furnished mahogany wood lining the dashboard, down to the seats that has close to eight settings that massage you as you
cruise down the road.







----------------------------


Lean: I can't believe this! You keeping this all to yourself? You could have asked us!


Kampf: Haaa, I kinda of expected such response from you guys.


Fiolina: Not me. I've been observing you building and tweaking that car. And I must say, I like that determined attitude of yours.


Kampf: Okay, Fiolina...


Fiolina: Please, just call me Fio. Hmm hmm?

As the Italian walks past Kampf, and left the office, the other members of the team, including Kampf, were left awestruck. Never once they have seen Fiolina
behave that way, let alone be that forward. Without uttering a word, they went back to their respective locations. Kampf, on the other hand, was embarrassed
throughout the remainder of the day.

[Oskiinus]

Nice 2.6 ton modafoca!

[Pleb]

I love this thread. That Princess Royal is insane!

[EnryGT5]

Wow, just found out about this company, i haven't read the Car Sharing forum in a while... i really like the interesting approach you took to explain the happenings in the company, and yup, the cars are really cool, with unique, striking design cues, but i feel like you should try out more fixture combos and mods to improve them even more.
The Princess Royal is awesome! It reminds me of a certain prototype i designed before Steam

[Kampfzerstorer]

Wow, just found out about this company, i haven't read the Car Sharing forum in a while... i really like the interesting approach you took to explain the happenings in the company, and yup, the cars are really cool, with unique, striking design cues, but i feel like you should try out more fixture combos and mods to improve them even more.
The Princess Royal is awesome! It reminds me of a certain prototype i designed before Steam

Haha, thanks. I am trying to see if I can use other fixture combos and mods for my vehicles, but I keep ending up using the same ones, but with varying degrees of differences here and there. I'll see what I can
do with it.

-------------------------------------------------
Hello, and welcome to Battalion, months ago, we, or more specifically, Kampf, revealed the first prototype of the 2nd generation Battlecruiser, which was known to be Project Kongō Class. Consisting of 4
variations of the Battlecruiser, the first, namely called the Kirishima, was unveiled to be a 2.6ton GT coupe, which is still able to flex its muscles to reach 340kmh. Not anymore.

The production version of the Kirishima now sports a larger engine; a 6600cc X-plane V8 nicknamed the Iron Kongō, producing 730hp. Despite putting on yet another 4 kilograms to the total mass, the speed
of the Kirishima has increased, to 345kmh. Production of the Kirishima is limited, depending on the availability of material. It is the only model from Battalion that uses the ladder chassis type.





Onto the next car. The second car of the Battlecruiser was built to mirror the original, 1st generation, but with more grunt to keep up with its heavier, and more powerful sister, the Kirishima. Equipped with
a 4200cc, Twin-turbo X-plane V8, it produces 505hp propelling the 1.57 ton aluminum chassis to the car's natural limit of 309kmh. Despite that, it is still able to keep up with the Kirishima in Green Hell. And despite
all that, still be very economical. Your wallet will love you for this.

This is the Hiei.









---------------------------------------------

Lean's Tuning Team Corner


Lean: Hello and welcome to the tuning corner! Here, we will show you the modifications we have done to existing cars from other brands. And today,
we have Ukyo to join in as well for this story, where we encounter a customer, who owns what he calls the "Devil Z".


Ukyo: Yes indeed. To those that are unfamiliar with the "Devil Z", I suggest heading over here and here to have a gist on what we are
talking about. Moving along, we have a customer, who has modified his Fairlady Z, the S30Z to look somewhat similar to the mentioned vehicle. However,
it was clear that even with the extensive upgrades to the engine, even as far as purchasing and boring the same type as the Devil Z, he was not able to
output his intended power; 600hp. On the rolling road, his S30Z was at best, touching 400hp. That's where we step in to see what's what. Even the intercooler seemed
to be jutting out from the car as well.


Lean: Indeed, but no matter, we gave a shot. New heads, crank and pistons help push the power up, but not by much. The turbocharger needed to be changed; but the intercooler could not be
removed; the front bumper was somewhat reliant on the intercooler as a mounting point. Not sure how he even pulled that off, but we let it be.


Ukyo: And that was after we got the new, custom built turbocharger into the system, and got it onto a rolling road, we get this...




Ukyo: How, what, we don't even-. The ECU hadn't been dealt with, and we got ourselves 666 for both the horsepower, and torque. Needless to say, our customer was beaming.

[Kampfzerstorer]

In Raquel's personal project hangar for the Panzer series...

She lay slumped on the office chair, her clothes drenched heavy in sweat. It was already well over two hours past her shift, but she decided to keep on pushing. Overtime pay did not matter for her; it was
the project she has been working on. The Panzer Battalion. Ever since the completion of the VR-S prototype, she knew that there was a hidden potential. Mitsubishi had decided to pull the plug on their
Lancer Evolution line up, leaving Subaru's Impreza victorious, and unchallenged. That was where the Panzer comes in. However, something just drives her, somewhat reaching a level where she might just
lose it, both mentally, and physically...


Raquel: Slowly, day by day, I'm starting to lose myself, not because of anything negative, but the drive of making a competitor of the Impreza to fruition. But...why am I so insistent on it?
It's just a project that I was assigned to as I'm entirely capable of making. It's just not myself, drinking can after can of coffee. Come to think of it, when was the last time I slept? 3 days ago,
4 days ago?

Both her hands shuddered, as if begging her not to move them. Raquel is exhausted, but the Panzer...


Raquel: Heh, that's how it is, eh? It's that same feeling I have when I became obsessed upgrading my Audi Quattro. I didn't sleep for 3 days straight on that occasion, and crashed one of Audi's test cars
the day after. No matter, tuning that Quattro was worth the trouble. I love it. I adore it. The way it screams, the way it cries, the way it handles any surface. It's as if we were connected, mind and soul.
It knew how I drive, adapted to it, and begged for more. That's how I see it when I began the Panzer project. But nevertheless, it's still worth it. The Panzer Evolution should be done within a month
or so...

She tilted her head to the left, where the mentioned car was. Shock hit her. What has she done?


Raquel: Wait! This isn't what I was supposed to do! The design's all wrong! What the hell did I do to the Evolution? This isn't even the intended design! What have I done?

Against all odds, she willed her body to stand up, and stumbled her way towards the Panzer Evolution. Her vision waned. Her breaths became ragged. Exhaustion was kicking in. The bonnet of the car was still
unlatched. Using her shivering hands, then thrusting it open with her right elbow, silver eyes met the engine. Wrong. Even the engine was far from the one she had planned to build. She pushed herself away from the car.
The bonnet slammed shut. The audible thud it produced rang into her ears. Her hands, cold, clutching her shirt at the chest area. Hyperventilating.


Raquel: Why? Did my mindless development of the Panzer Evolution gave birth to yet another monster? It exudes the same air of savagery as the Quattro. What...

Black was what she saw as Raquel collapsed to the ground, breathless, exhausted, cold.

... ... ...




Fiolina: What did you do now you damn Germa-


Fiolina: Raquel! God damn it, what did you do to yourself, you freaking workaholic?



Raquel was warded at a nearby hospital for exhaustion. It was only a week later she regained consciousness. Dazed, confused, and slow to react. It would be
another two weeks before she returned to work, and resumed development of the Panzer project. Fiolina was assigned to overlook the project in those two weeks.
She did not touch any of Raquels works. Instead, she has her own ideas. A normally aspirated engine. A V8.

[nialloftara]

While I never read or watched wangan midnight I played plenty of toyko extreme racer from the dreamcast on and I loved racing the devil Z. Very nicely done.