Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 228: Applying the Al-Rilma Automation Build Generator

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 228: Applying the Al-Rilma Automation Build Generator

With the necessary revisions to my Automation Build Generator now finalized, I decided to give it a series of test runs, to determine its viability. After generating a multitude of example combinations, I was finally confident enough to run it for real, and it came up with this:

Above: The initial combination generated by the latest random experiment on the Automation Build Generator spinner wheel set after its most recent revision.

The Respin x1 wheel landed on Choice, so I had the option of spinning the Year wheel, since the Option wheel landed on Year. I chose to do so, and this was the new result from that wheel:

Above: This is what the Year spinner landed on after I decided to give it a respin - and I chose to accept the new result.

After a brief period of deliberation, I decided to accept the new result in place of the original one, which meant that I would build a dark green German grand touring car (or luxury coupe) with a trim year of 1994, instead of 2002 as originally planned. With these criteria now confirmed, I started by choosing a body set to use as the basis of my build. The '87 Boat, '88 Indicator, '89 Ice Cream, '90 Kompetitor, and '92 Evade all stood out as being the most compelling options, being available in the right size and wheelbase range for such a prestigious vehicle. As for the engine powering it, I settled on a 6-liter 48-valve quad-cam V12 with an aluminum/silicon closed-deck block and performance-optimized aluminum heads, capable of developing at least 400 horsepower in base trim while still retaining WES 9 compatibility - after all, I was planning to make this trim a range-topper, with lesser trims to follow.

In terms of aesthetics, I chose the '88 Indicator with a 2.85m wheelbase for being in the sweet spot - of the other four options initially under consideration, most of them turned out to be too large and heavy, and the '87 Boat and '92 Evade didn't even have a wheelbase within 0.03m of that figure. Moreover, capacity for four full-sized seats (as opposed to two full-sized seats up front and two smaller +2 seats in the rear) was non-negotiable. Air suspension was considered early on, but ultimately not fitted - I realized that its statistical improvements would not be worth the cost, reliability, and weight penalties it would incur. Finally, although I chose a 6-speed manual gearbox for my build, I designed it with provision for an automatic transmission option (specifically, a 5-speed electronic controlled unit) in mind, if comfort and drivability were to be even more important relative to sportiness.

Built on an AHS (advanced high-strength) steel unitary chassis with treated steel bodywork and fully independent suspension (dual wishbones up front and a multi-link rear end, augmented by adaptive dampers), this big, bulky behemoth of a car was not only strong, but surprisingly agile. By fitting large-diameter vented disc brakes (with 4-piston calipers up front and 2-piston items at the rear), the build was also capable of stopping just as well as it could go and turn. This braking system, incorporating anti-lock assistance, was housed behind 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in staggered high-performance tires (245mm front/275mm rear). To keep wheelspin to a minimum, a helical limited-slip differential and traction control were both part of the standard equipment list. No undertray was fitted, however, since I felt it would be overkill on something that had to balance comfort with sportiness.

With a full luxury interior (available in a wide range of color and material combinations) and stereo sound system incorporating a CD player/cassette tape deck, plus the most advanced safety technology available at the time, all four occupants could enjoy a long trip in unexpected comfort, with assurance that they will reach their destination safe and sound. Variable-ratio hydraulic power steering was also fitted as standard - a necessity considering the car's weight. Although I had to choose a dark green exterior color for my build (as the combination stipulated), I also offered it a multitude of other paint colors in addition to this, to give the customer enough choices to satisfy their tastes.

I deliberately kept the car's price at or under $50,000 AMU, after realizing that this would be a reasonable price ceiling for anything aimed at the upper end of the Grand Touring demographic in-game, with the possibility of also competing in the even more exclusive Grand Touring Premium market. Both of these require an interior with four seats - hence my decision to fit exactly that many (full-sized) seats into my build, instead of just a pair. And while the 2-door sedan variant of the '88 Indicator had provision for such a seating arrangement, the same was also true of the 2-door coupe variant - which, crucially, was among the desired body styles for both Grand Touring demographics. It's worth noting that if the Type wheel had initially landed on the Convertible space (which would've led to a mandatory single respin of that wheel), and then landed on the GT Car/Luxury Coupe space, I would've had to choose the 2-door convertible variant instead.

Here is the car in its current form:

Above: The build resulting from the combination generated by the Automation Build Generator spinner wheel set.

In short, I enjoyed developing the build from this particular randomly generated combination, and could even add a fully detailed interior to it, if desired.