Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 46: Succeeding the Wankel

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 46: Succeeding the Wankel

Fresh off a top-five finish in CSR 77, I was once again awaiting the announcement of the next round with great enthusiasm. When the rule set for it was finally announced, I was as eager as I usually was to build and submit an entry, but there was a catch: all submissions had to score a minimum competitiveness value of 110 in three different non-track markets in Gasmea. There was widespread opposition to this rule, chiefly for forcing unnecessary min-maxing, and it was swiftly abandoned. The maximum pre-markup price of $15,000 didn't do the round any favors either, nor did the total ban on car bodies available only as mods; after further protests, the budget was increased to $20,000, and all mod bodies (except those with an unusually low drag coefficient) were allowed back in. Only when the rule set had been finalized did I finally commence work on my entry.

For this round, I reimagined one of the cars I had made earlier, shortly after the UE4 version had debuted. That car was the Morton Sparrow, a small, light and agile sports coupe powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four. My initial version was the base model, with 250 horsepower on tap, and surprisingly good fuel economy.

The reimagined Morton Sparrow as originally submitted for CSR78.

However, after the host told me that price and fuel economy would not be among the judging criteria, I began debating over whether or not to submit a faster, more powerful version in place of the original build. After several days of deliberation, I finally pulled my finger out and did it. The resulting trim, the 2.0 RS, was submitted mere hours before the deadline. It had different front and rear fascias compared to the base model, as well as air vents on the front fenders, and was even shown in a different exterior color (Gamma Green Pearl instead of Bright Orange Pearl) for good measure.

The Sparrow after revision, now restyled and fitted with a more powerful engine.

Unlike the standard Sparrow, the RS offered a more powerful engine (300 horsepower instead of 250) and cost slightly more. Even with all the revisions I made, though, it remained eligible for entry. All I had to do now was wait for the results of this round to be announced.

Surprisingly, the host managed to fit the initial reviews and final results into just one post - an impressive feat considering that there were 24 entries this round, a 33% increase from the previous one. This time, however, there would be only five finalists, and my Sparrow was one of them. Ultimately, it finished no higher than fourth, but it would have had an even harder time convincing the client had I not revised it to offer better performance than previously. In the end, the win went to the H4 Evanto TS 4.5, an imposing shooting brake with plenty of power.

The winner of CSR78, the H4 Evanto TS 4.5. Big and brawny, with a dose of practicality to go with its sporty feel - what's not to like about it? Not much, actually.

And so, despite a shaky start, CSR78 finally succeeded in bringing a breath of fresh air: after two consecutive rounds with a strong focus on utility, the theme for this latest round provided a chance for users to build proper passenger cars - specifically, affordable sports cars with a modicum of everyday usability. There was, however, an exciting postscript to this round: shortly after the conclusion of CSR78, the host decided to give out an Editor's Choice award to the car which was most fun to drive in another game, called BeamNG.Drive (more on which later). The award went to the deep blue Ars Astaroth GX, whose AWD system ensured that it understeered slightly more than most of the other finalists, but was easier to drive. Next was the light blue Hawker Typhoon Mk3 (not to be confused with the WW2 fighter-bomber of the same name), which recorded the fastest lap time but was more challenging to drive, and in fact was just barely ahead of my Sparrow 2.0 RS in the final standings for Editor's Choice. Bringing up the rear were the bronze Evanto and yellow FAAL Coupe 25TFE, the latter of which was the cheapest and most economical car in the top five, but felt out of its depth at the Automation Test Track compared to its rivals.

The five finalists of CSR78 as depicted in BeamNG.Drive on the Automation Test Track, from left to right: FAAL Coupe 25TFE, Hawker Typhoon Mk3, Ars Astaroth GX (Editor's Choice Winner), Morton Sparrow 2.0 RS, and H4 Evanto TS 4.5 (CSR78 winner).

Considering how controversial the rules were before they were revised, I had more fun entering this round than I thought I would, and have absolutely no regrets about revising my entry after being made aware of what stats would be scored and which ones wouldn't. The next post in this series will take a look at another recently concluded challenge, but until then, see you next time.