Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 250: A 21st-Century Crusade

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 250: A 21st-Century Crusade

It's taken a while, but finally I've felt confident enough to attempt a fully detailed Automation build on anything made after the 2000s. The 2013 AAA Crusader is proof of that. It's based on the '09 Jackal body set (2.57m wheelbase) in 2-door configuration, so it's not the first time I've tried using it as the basis for any fully detailed build (the first one was a mid-2000s premium convertible sports car). However, this one is especially notable because it arose from an aborted plan to create something for a Discourse challenge - a pony car called the Arbalest. I backed out at the last moment after realizing that it would make even more sense as a 2-seat aluminum-bodied out-and-out sports car, rather than a cheaper, steel-bodied 2+2 pony car.

Above: The Arbalest may have been tempting on paper, but it was never a realistic proposition as a 2+2 pony car - it was just too small.

Turning the Arbalest into the Crusader was relatively simple on the outside compared to the mechanical upgrades I fitted. By extracting 100 more horsepower from the engine, I was able to fully utilize the weight reduction that resulted from using a 2-seat configuration in an all-aluminum body/chassis. Widening the rear tires by 40mm (with wider wheel arches front and rear, thus widening the track) and fitting 19-inch forged alloy wheels (in place of the 18-inch cast-alloy items) also helped, as did using uprated brakes and an aerodynamic undertray. With the suspension and gearbox (now incorporating adaptive dampers and a manual setup, respectively) retuned accordingly, I was able to maximize my performance improvements even further - 193 mph flat-out and a 0-60 mph time of 4 seconds were proof of that.

Above, from top: The Crusader made even more sense than the Arbalest, being a pure two-seater, but it was still a powerful front-engined rear-driver as before - and lighter to boot.

With that out of the way, I then added a fully detailed interior - but with only two seats due to the Crusader having a different seating arrangement. It took several hours spread out over several days to get it right, but I pulled it off.

Above, from top: It may have been my first attempt at adding a fully detailed interior to a post-2010 Automation build, but this one for the 2013 AAA Crusader turned out better than I thought it would.

In the end, I was satisfied with the results of this build, but there may be more to come. A more extreme supercharged variant positioned above it could follow, as could a convertible based on both it and the base model shown here. But for now, the base Crusader represents all the premium sports car a mid-2010s enthusiast could want or need.

Hotshot Tales, Part 18: The King of the Hotshots

Hotshot Tales, Part 18: The King of the Hotshots

Having already explained the worst car in Hotshot Racing and how you can win a race with it even on the most challenging tracks, I'll now show you the best car the game has to offer. And after two and a half years of experience, I have found the answer: Marcus's Speed-class car, the Carbon, is by far the best car in the game. But the stat sheet only tells part of the story on why this car is overpowered.

Above: The Carbon may be the fastest car in the game (over 220 mph without boosting, and 260 mph when doing so), but stats alone don't tell the whole story.

When I first tried out this car, it wasn't just its speed that shocked me; it was its surprisingly controllable handling (contradicting its low drift stat) that propelled it to the top of my list. Specifically, its body roll in corners is minimal, which gives it a stable feel while drifting. This ensures you'll be less reliant on the Brake Tap Drift technique (which I'd described in the previous post in this series) than you usually would; thus yielding higher cornering speeds; sometimes, you won't even need to brake at all while drifting, allowing you to use just the steering inputs to stay in control. Best of all, you won't even need to downshift at all when entering tight corners.

To prove a point, I tried entering the Carbon in the same type of event (7 laps at Surf City on Expert) that tripped me up so many times in the Eagle. Unsurprisingly, I didn't just win on my first attempt, I did so handily.

Above, from top: Thanks to the Carbon's unparalleled speed and surprisingly good handling, I was able to win this 7-lap race at Surf City on Expert on my first attempt (and by over 12 seconds, to boot!), whereas my first win at the same track over the same distance in the same class using Mike's Eagle was much closer, with a margin of victory measured in tenths of a second at most.

In fact, my extensive testing with the Carbon has confirmed that it is undoubtedly the best car to use on any track across all modes and speed classes. Unsurprisingly, anyone who chooses Marcus in local or online multiplayer is best served with one of these, although there are a few cars that come close to matching its overall effectiveness. Finally, I have found its speed to be a boon in Drive or Explode, where it is necessary to remain above a steadily increasing speed threshold just to avoid elimination, while its handling helps it avoid barrels more easily in Barrel Barrage.

In short, the Carbon isn't just the fastest car in the game, it's also the best one overall, period. It should be your first choice in high-level play (unless an opponent already chose Marcus in a multiplayer match), and if the game had an Ultimate Grand Prix spanning all 20 tracks, it would be the best car for anyone to use in such a long, grueling championship.

Hotshot Tales, Part 17: Not an April Fool's Joke - The Eagle Conquers Surf City!

Hotshot Tales, Part 17: Not an April Fool's Joke - The Eagle Conquers Surf City!

Many players consider winning an Arcade Mode race with the Eagle (Mike's Acceleration-class car) on Surf City in the Expert speed class to be the most difficult task in the game. Why is this? The Eagle is, without doubt, the least effective car in the game; although it has the best Acceleration stat, it has one of the lowest top speeds in the game (only 203 mph) and a very weak Drift stat. Specifically, turning hard on its own is sufficient to initiate a drift - but on anything other than wide, shallow corners, this is generally seen as detrimental. Even worse, continuously holding down the brake button while drifting (a viable technique in some other cars) will cause it to understeer. However, there is one surefire way to keep the Eagle under control in tight corners, such as the tight downhill hairpin at the end of The Marina and the final corner (which is a wider, uphill hairpin) at Surf City.

Above: Mike's Eagle may be the least effective car on paper (despite its class-leading acceleration), but even it can be a race winner on technical tracks if you apply the proper technique.

If you really want to win anything with the Eagle, you'll need to master a secret technique known as the Brake Tap Drift, which involves tapping (rather than holding down) both the brake button and the directional button corresponding to the direction in which you want to turn. This prevents the car's mass from shifting forward, thus counteracting understeer. However, for the tightest corners, you'll also need to downshift from 6th to 5th or even 4th - something only possible when using manual transmission. Even so, without the possibility of engine damage due to over-revving, or even the need to use a clutch pedal, the Downshift Brake Tap (which combines the Brake Tap Drift with downshifting using manual gears), can help the Eagle navigate any hairpin turn without losing too much speed. Nevertheless, it is highly recommended to have at least one nitro boost in your inventory upon exiting such a tight corner; for the fastest exits from these corners, activate it as soon as the car has straightened out sufficiently, and shift up until you reach 6th gear to build up more momentum.

Applying these techniques allowed me to win at Surf City over 7 laps on Expert, but it took me dozens of attempts to do so. Even so, I had to adjust my racing line significantly to avoid going out of control and slamming into a wall. Finally, after an hour or so of finishing no higher than second, I claimed my first win with the Eagle on this event setup.

Above, from top: Winning a 7-lap race at Surf City on Expert using the Eagle required me to adopt a whole new driving style, but after hours of practice, it paid off - and I won by less than a fifth of a second.

In short, the Eagle may be my least favorite car in Hotshot Racing, but even it can become a winner on any track with enough skill and practice.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 249: Sharpening the Knife

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 249: Sharpening the Knife

As a continuation of my work on the 1992 Kodai Kunai, I started looking into what a more highly tuned version of it could be. However, since the donor car was already a highly capable sports car, I knew I had to make the new trim more like a supercar, at least in terms of power output. So I took the GT trim (which I had just made) and created the GT400 trim out of it.

The engine received the most comprehensive changes, developing 400 horsepower on 98 RON super unleaded (up from 276 on 95 RON premium unleaded) thanks to increased boost pressure (1.0 bar instead of 0.5 bar) and larger turbochargers, as well as a high-flow intake and exhaust (catalytic converter/muffler). A shorter final drive ratio (to better harness the increased output) yielded a significantly faster 0-60 mph time (4.2 seconds, down from 4.7), but it wasn't the only factor. Staggered tires (245/40R18 up front and 265/35R18 at the rear) wrapped in 18-inch forged wheels (to accommodate 350mm vented front disc brakes with 4-piston calipers - the rear brakes are 325mm-diameter vented discs with 2-piston rear calipers) also account for the quicker acceleration, and extra grip to go along with it. Also, by setting the weight optimization slider to its lightest setting, I saved 70kg even after installing an aerodynamic undertray (to generate additional downforce in conjunction with a front spoiler in place of the lip fixture, which was moved to the rear). Finally, I retuned the suspension to maintain the base car's sporty feel, albeit sharpened.

Above, from top: The GT400 trim takes the standard Kodai Kunai and turns it up to 11 inside and out.

Aesthetically, this new trim was distinguished by different interior materials (to better match its performance-oriented positioning), hood vents, larger frontal air intakes, a taller rear wing, wider wheel arches, and deeper side skirts. However, such giant-killing performance doesn't come cheap - with the base car having a price of $40,000 AMU, adding the GT400 package resulted in something that cost half as much again ($60,000) when new. Then again, when you consider that its performance figures put it in the top flight of its era (with only very the fastest hypercars remaining out of reach), all that extra money is guaranteed to be well spent.

Above, from top: A side-by-side comparison of both trim levels (with the GT400 now being yellow) reveals how much more aggressive and overtly sporting the GT400 is compared to its progenitor.

There could, in theory, be even more potential lurking within the platform - probably in the form of an even more extreme road-legal trim level, or an actual race car - but for now, the GT400 serves as the ultimate expression of the Kunai line, blending agile handling with addictive turbo thrust in a shapely package that can compete with the best that the rest of the world can offer. And it does all of this at a lower cost than others in its class, in both stock and tuned forms.

What next for the Kunai line, then? As good as it is, pitting it against a Parana P600 would be too much of a stretch, given the Parana's far greater prestige. However, it might be possible to throw it into the lion's den of a future group test featuring at least one other factory or aftermarket tuned car from the same year - and if anything like that were to occur in the future, I'd be looking forward to it.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 248: Eastern Winds

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 248: Eastern Winds

With the Automation Beam Championship currently on hold, even though I've successfully submitted an entry for it, I decided to turn my attention to another Discord challenge. This one was themed around 1990s JDM cars (a favorite of mine since childhood), but was hosted on the official Automation Discord channel. No AI-generated/enhanced imagery was permitted, nor was use of anything that had already been used in any previous design competition, but otherwise, I had free rein as to what I could enter.

This time, I created something completely from scratch - the 1992 Kodai Kunai - and immediately set about getting it ready for the challenge. Built on an AHS (advanced high-strength) steel unitary chassis with some aluminum panels, its dual-wishbone front/multilink rear suspension, tuned for road-biased performance, endowed it with sporty handling and a surprising level of compliance. Combined with large ABS-assisted vented disc brakes at each corner, it could also perform repeated hard stops from highway speeds with no fade whatsoever.

Regarding propulsion, I settled on a 2.5-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six (chosen to simulate a rotary engine as closely as possible within the game engine's limitations) developing 276 horsepower, sent through a 5-speed manual gearbox and helical limited-slip differential to the rear wheels. Other standard equipment included a set of front and rear spoilers (specifically, a front lip and rear wing), 17-inch forged alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance tires, a premium interior with a 6-speaker CD/cassette stereo sound system, variable-ratio hydraulic power steering, traction control, and dual front airbags.

Above, from top: Although originally intended for a Discord challenge, the 1992 Kodai Kunai also serves as a passion project in that it serves as my idea of a contemporary Asian performance car - small and light, with a modest output by today's standards - that can go toe-to-toe with Western equivalents.

In short, the Kunai may not be the most powerful car in its class, but its light weight and small size make it very wieldy and agile on the road, where it's most likely to spend its time.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 247: The Ultimate Summer Toy?

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 247: The Ultimate Summer Toy?

For my last post before my spring vacation in Japan (again - I haven't been there at any time of the year other than summer or fall, so my spring visit will be my first), I'll show you a variant of the 1992 Parana P600 that I somehow haven't yet made - until now. The P600 Spyder (an open-topped roadster variant with a detachable soft top) takes the basic recipe and lops the roof off, with minimal loss of performance, precision, or aesthetics. If anything, it's even more extrovert than the original car, and puts its occupants on display for all the world to see and hear.

Above, from top: Removing the roof from the Parana P600 to create the Spyder variant hasn't diluted its style or performance one bit - on the contrary, it has enhanced it even more.

As I am writing this, the astronomical start of spring is just over a week away; however, it feels like it's summer outside, and in such hot, dry conditions, a car like the P600 Spyder would be the best way to have fun in the sun on four wheels (budget permitting - it still costs $100k AMU in-game, which would've translated to at least $500k in real-life 1992 dollars), at any price point. It may have been reserved for the rich and fortunate few, but those who could've afforded it would not have been disappointed in the slightest.