Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 5: A Retrospective on CSR32
As the latest installment of the longest-running Automation community challenge comes to an end, I will share my thoughts and opinions on the requirements, entrants and results on this post, especially since I started writing it on February 1st, which is the deadline for submissions for CSR32. Some of you may be wondering why I am discussing a round which I did not host but did not enter. Well, as it turns out, it perfectly summarizes the problems faced by customers in my home country when they want to buy an entry-level car. The fact that regulations here are particularly lax when compared to those found in developed markets (such as Australia, Europe and America) does not help matters either. Unsurprisingly, after the farcical conclusion to the previous round, I was hoping for the host to implement a totally different rule set from what he eventually came up with - but I could not have been more wrong.
When I first saw the rule set for CSR32, it hit me closer to home than ever before. Although the 28th round also required entrants to build cars suitable for the Indonesian market, that round's rule set classified entrants into sporty station wagons, dedicated sports cars and crossover SUVs. Without going into too much detail, the requirements for each type of car were challenging, but not too strict. The current round, on the other hand, turned out to be much tougher.
Even though I didn't feel like entering the current round, I decided to take a look at the rules anyway. Almost immediately, I was taken aback by how strict and demanding they were: not only were the cars required to be 5-door hatchbacks with at least 4 seats and cost no more than $11,000 with a 20% markup, but they had to be extremely economical (47 US mpg/56 UK mpg, or 5 L/100km) and have an engine of no more than 1200cc (1.2 liters). On top of that, minimal running costs, a modicum of safety, and the ability to use regular unleaded fuel were all mandatory, but the worst part was the $500 penalty for each driving aid included as standard! Understandably, I threw up my hands at this convoluted rule set the moment I saw it, and left the task of building and submitting eligible entries to other users.
However, within just one week, most of the reviews had been posted, and I soon developed mixed feelings about taking a break from CSR. While I now considered it one of the toughest rounds in the history of this challenge, I somehow regretted not taking the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone with a competitive ultra-low budget build, especially since there were plenty of strong contenders for outright honors in this round. On the other hand, there were also quite a few cars that clearly would not have made the first cut due to one or more poor design and/or engineering choices. And after some deliberation, the host awarded the overall win to... an SUV. Specifically, it was a crossover, but although it wasn't a compact passenger car per se, it was still cheap, economical and practical (it had seven seats, after all) - just as the design brief stated. That said, the second-placed car would have been a good choice for those who would rather prefer to focus on economy and running costs - a philosophy that the third-placed car took to greater extremes at the expense of even less practicality.
Thus ends one of the most challenging, yet rewarding rounds in CSR history. And as I now settle down to prepare for the next round, I will prepare for the upcoming CSR33 - assuming it is worth the effort. At the same time, though, I can't help wondering how different a cash-strapped Indonesian car buyer's situation would be if both of the top two cars in CSR32 existed in real life. In that case, he or she would enjoy a stunning blend of practicality and economy, without having to make too many compromises in the name of affordability. And isn't that exactly what the market really needs? I sincerely hope it is.
Even though I didn't feel like entering the current round, I decided to take a look at the rules anyway. Almost immediately, I was taken aback by how strict and demanding they were: not only were the cars required to be 5-door hatchbacks with at least 4 seats and cost no more than $11,000 with a 20% markup, but they had to be extremely economical (47 US mpg/56 UK mpg, or 5 L/100km) and have an engine of no more than 1200cc (1.2 liters). On top of that, minimal running costs, a modicum of safety, and the ability to use regular unleaded fuel were all mandatory, but the worst part was the $500 penalty for each driving aid included as standard! Understandably, I threw up my hands at this convoluted rule set the moment I saw it, and left the task of building and submitting eligible entries to other users.
However, within just one week, most of the reviews had been posted, and I soon developed mixed feelings about taking a break from CSR. While I now considered it one of the toughest rounds in the history of this challenge, I somehow regretted not taking the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone with a competitive ultra-low budget build, especially since there were plenty of strong contenders for outright honors in this round. On the other hand, there were also quite a few cars that clearly would not have made the first cut due to one or more poor design and/or engineering choices. And after some deliberation, the host awarded the overall win to... an SUV. Specifically, it was a crossover, but although it wasn't a compact passenger car per se, it was still cheap, economical and practical (it had seven seats, after all) - just as the design brief stated. That said, the second-placed car would have been a good choice for those who would rather prefer to focus on economy and running costs - a philosophy that the third-placed car took to greater extremes at the expense of even less practicality.
Thus ends one of the most challenging, yet rewarding rounds in CSR history. And as I now settle down to prepare for the next round, I will prepare for the upcoming CSR33 - assuming it is worth the effort. At the same time, though, I can't help wondering how different a cash-strapped Indonesian car buyer's situation would be if both of the top two cars in CSR32 existed in real life. In that case, he or she would enjoy a stunning blend of practicality and economy, without having to make too many compromises in the name of affordability. And isn't that exactly what the market really needs? I sincerely hope it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment