Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 67: The Mystery of Zephorus Revealed, Part 2

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 67: The Mystery of Zephorus Revealed, Part 2

When I first discovered Zephorus, my jaw dropped almost all the way to the floor; everything they made had so much time and effort put into their exterior design that they served as an example for many other Automationeers, including myself. Although they are also renowned for reimagining other Automationeers' designs and improving on them, they are still best known for making original car designs, and in fact it is this branch which was established first. It proved to be fairly successful, to the point that their design studio established a division dedicated to redesigning other makers' cars. Since that part of their business has already been discussed before, I shall now dedicate this post to their carmaking division. And once again, I would like to point out that all rights to original designs from Zephorus belong to the brand's creator.

One of their most recognizable cars is the Tartarus, a highly exclusive mid-engined supercar available as either a road car or a race car. Here is a comparison of both versions.

Comparison of the street-legal Zephorus Tartarus (above and top) with the track-only R version (below and bottom).

Both trims make optimum use of the fixture layering feature throughout the body. Most notably, large air vents have been placed over where the rear window would usually be, while at the front and rear, light fixtures have been placed over vent fixtures. The side intakes, meanwhile, are basically a pair of vents stacked on top of each other, as are the front air outlets. Furthermore, on the R trim, a larger rear wing has been added to complement the wide front splitter.

At the other extreme is the Asteria, a small hatchback for the common man. This car is another good example of how fixture layering can be used to make modern headlight clusters. It was originally intended as a design proposal for a new purely electric vehicle from Sachiuri, before being repurposed as a mass-market model for the Zephorus lineup.

Above: The taillight lenses on the Zephorus Asteria are actually made from several overlapping indicator fixtures. Below: Stacking a pair of air vents on top of the upper grille provides some aggression to the front-end design, while the shape of the headlights - which in this case are a cluster of overlapping light fixtures - complements the overall grille shape nicely.

Next up is one of their classic models, the Azuma. Here is a comparison of the base model and the higher-performance S trim.

Whereas the regular Azuma (above and top) has a relatively small rear wing, a thin front spoiler and simpler fixtures on the bumpers, the S model (below and bottom) forgoes these for a taller wing, a larger front spoiler and a more complex bumper design front and rear.

Last but not least is another one of their mid-engined hypercars, the Z12. Although the body it uses (which is shared with the Tartarus) has no obvious place for a contrasting stripe in a different color, one can simulate this feature by placing an array of fixtures along the centerline and selecting a contrasting color for these fixtures. On the Z12 the effect is enhanced further with the use of that foreground color for other fixture elements.

Above and top: The Zephorus Z12 in a deep blue and yellow livery. Below and bottom: The same car in a light blue and silver livery.

This concludes our showcase of some of Zephorus' most notable work.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 66: The Mystery of Zephorus Revealed, Part 1

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 66: The Mystery of Zephorus Revealed, Part 1

Some Automationeers dedicate much of their lives to reimagining cars made by other Automationeers. Obviously, to be able to do that, extensive knowledge of car exterior design is required. Recently, I found a design studio that specializes in this field, one which started out as an offshoot of a well-known brand. That brand was Zephorus Automotive, a high-end, high-performance car manufacturer. Many of its cars are best known for their bold styling, but they are better known for their coachbuilding services. As a disclaimer, I would like to point out that the original designs for each of the cars shown here are the property of their respective owners.

This design branch works as follows: anyone can send a complete car to Zephorus via a PM which states the donor's intent, and as soon as they have time to do so, the stylists at Zephorus begin the potentially daunting task of reworking the car's exterior design. A few days later and the car emerges with a noticeably different look, exactly as the client wanted it to be. But regardless of the client's desires, the finished product is guaranteed to have superior aesthetics. This is especially true of sports cars, supercars and hypercars, all of which benefit most from such bespoke tailoring.

The Tanaka Akuma R before undergoing a highly extensive makeover, courtesy of the exterior design wizards at Zephorus.

A good example of this is their interpretation of the Tanaka Akuma R. This mid-engined supercar seemed to have it all, with striking styling and mind-bending performance. Nevertheless, Zephorus believed that there was still room for improvement, however slight, on the aesthetics of this highly exclusive machine. While this may seem like an impossible task, they somehow managed to pull it off - beautifully.

Zephorus succeeded in their task of making the Tanaka Akuma look even more like a hard-edged supercar than it did when it left the factory.

The Akuma emerged from the Zephorus design studio resplendent in bright yellow with a black stripe. Equally obvious was the much larger rear wing, which was reminiscent of those found on actual race cars. But the most important change was reserved for the sides and front end; there were now air intakes on the flanks where there had previously been none, while the nose had a more aggressive and purposeful appearance thanks to the addition of four air vents (two on the bonnet and one on each front fender). The overall effect was a more overtly sporty look, in sharp contrast to the car's understated appearance, and one that fit the car's mission statement much better.

Another prime example is their interpretation of the Stella SR8. It started out as a sleek and elegant hypercar, but its enormous rear wing was out of step with its overall appearance. Zephorus replaced it with a smaller wing and added vents to the bonnet, roof and engine cover, thereby adding more visual aggression. The result was clearly appropriate for a hardcore track-focused version of what was already a scintillating performance car, although the smaller wing would not have been out of place on the original design either.

The Stella SR8 - a good example of a clean, simple design spoiled by a disproportionately large exterior feature.

Prior to this, Zephorus had already worked their magic on a few examples of cars which used this particular body, but this one is especially noteworthy because of how elegant and fluid the original design was, despite (or because of) the body's limitations - some of its morphing zones were glitched, making fixture placement more difficult than usual.

Having seen the effect of Zephorus' design work, I caved in to temptation and decided to donate some of my cars to them. One of these was the DMS Imperia GT, a mid-engined supercar from the late-90s/early 2000s. Here is a comparison of the original design with Zephorus' version:

Above and top: The DMS Imperia GT as it was originally built. Below and bottom: the same car reimagined by Zephorus.

As originally built, the Imperia's front fascia had a somewhat soft appearance, with small intakes and slim headlight lenses. Zephorus decided to give the car more presence with narrower headlights and a full-width grille incorporating a set of fog lights. The rear spoiler was reshaped and enlarged, while the third brake light was moved to the top of the rear fascia and a prominent diffuser added. The most profound changes, however, were found on the upper surfaces, where two large intakes replaced a large slatted panel; these inlets were flanked by a pair of auxiliary ducts running all the way to the trailing edge of the side windows. Even so, some parts of the design remained unchanged, such as the front air extractors and side vents. In short, this redesign was a more cohesive look overall, as expected from Zephorus, and given that it was completed on August 14th, 2019, it was a fitting (virtual) 27th birthday present for me.

To conclude this showcase of Zephorus' coachbuilding services, here is a look at the Arion Cetus III before and after it was redesigned.

Above and top: The Arion Cetus III already had one of the best designs anyone could come up with. To say that Zephorus had its work cut out improving its aesthetics is an understatement.

It seemed unlikely that third-generation Arion Cetus could be aesthetically improved, but Zephorus did just that by over-delivering on the client's expectations. The result was, as expected, more aggressive and, crucially, period-accurate.

Above and top: Zephorus' version of the Arion Cetus III had a much more menacing and aggressive appearance compared to the original design, especially from the front.

In short, Zephorus is one of the most highly regarded design studios on the Automation forums. However, restyling other users' cars is not the only thing they are known for; they are also a manufacturer in their own right. I will explore this particular branch of their business in the next post as promised.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 65: Getting Schooled

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 65: Getting Schooled

The recently concluded CSR 108 marked a milestone for me. Not only was it my first top-5 finish in a long time, it was also the first time I had collaborated with another user to develop an entry - an offer I gladly accepted at the first opportunity. Specifically, I chose to tackle the engineering aspect of the car, while my partner would work on aesthetics. This was important, since although I am quite good at exterior design, I am clearly not a patch on some of the more respected users. As for the round's premise, it was about a rally school seeking to replace its entire fleet of aging hatchbacks with several examples of a completely new car with superior economics and safety.

After accepting the deal, I began work on a test mule (which would be mechanically representative of the final build) to send to my partner. On my end, aesthetics would not matter; I only had to deal with the mechanical setup. Due to the tight budget, I opted for a simple strut front/torsion beam rear suspension on a galvanized steel chassis with treated steel panels. The engine - a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter straight-four - was moderately advanced, with all-alloy construction and variable valve timing but not lift, again to save cost. Even so, despite the addition of long-tube headers, it only made 115 horsepower, which nevertheless proved to be adequate for the client's needs.

As for trim options, the car was set up like a base-model compact car would normally be, with a manual gearbox, narrow, steel wheels wrapped in hard economy tires, small disc brakes all around, a standard interior and safety suite, and a suspension tune calibrated for a balance between sporty handling and a comfortable ride. Having fulfilled my end of the bargain, I sent the mule to my partner for an aesthetic makeover.

My first joint-venture CSR entry, the Lyon Nave 1.6 Sympathique.

After what amounted to a total aesthetic redesign (although the mechanicals and trim were left as-is), my entry reemerged as the Lyon Nave 1.6 Sympathique. Resplendent in a light metallic blue hue, it was one of the better-looking offerings in that round. Now that it had finally been submitted, I now had nothing to do but wait for the final results.

When they finally came, I felt somewhat relieved. Some entries were disqualified for simply not meeting requirements; others passed technical inspection but were deemed insufficiently worthy of further consideration. Fortunately, neither of them applied to the Nave. It was now time for the client to examine the remaining cars further, and the Nave acquitted itself very well here. Despite its modest power, it proved to be quite fun to drive, and was thus a formidable contender, almost finishing in the top three. This wasn't exactly true of a few other finalists, which turned out to be too slow and/or difficult to handle for the client's liking.

The winning car in CSR108 - the AG3 VTR - shown here driving off into the distance through the forest.

Ultimately, the winning car, the AG3 VTR, clinched the top spot by virtue of being much more fun to drive than the opposition, despite being even less powerful than the Nave - a fitting result for what turned out to be the most aggressive-looking car of the bunch. But I could hold my head high knowing that this was my best CSR result in quite some time - and the fact that it came just after my 27th birthday made it all the sweeter.

Thus ended one of the more memorable and enjoyable rounds in recent CSR history, not just for me but also for anyone and everyone involved. In the next post, I shall put an esteemed Automationeer's design studio under the spotlight.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 64: Arcade Fired Up

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 64: Arcade Fired Up

Recently, I hosted the very first round of a new forum competition for Automationeers - the Automation Gamer Challenge. This was a recurring contest in which users are asked to submit ideas for cars that will be featured in a video game. I only took up the challenge of hosting the inaugural round simply because no other users were interested in doing so. However, I also had to come up with a rule set that everyone could agree on. After a brief deliberation, I decided on a theme that took me back to my childhood days - in a good way.

The premise was as follows: Back in 1995, the staff at a game development studio was in a grim mood, with finances running tight, but their latest game, SpeedStorm 3D, was expected to carry the studio out of the doldrums. To make that dream a reality, the dev team decided to search for cars that would be appropriate for the game. Given that SpeedStorm 3D was a fast-paced arcade racer for home consoles and PCs (a subgenre now sadly on its last legs nowadays), the team clearly wanted the fastest, coolest cars they could find, and would eventually single one of them out for being worthy of the cover art.

A week later, I had received a total of twelve submissions from other users. However, it was clear that, before deciding the final finishing order, I had to eliminate any entries that were either aesthetically challenged, not relevant enough, or both. With this in mind, four entries were ruled out of contention on the spot, and would therefore not be featured in SpeedStorm 3D. This left only eight cars under consideration for the cover, although these eight would still be included regardless of what happened next. Three of those, however, would soon be cut for poor aesthetics relative to the other cars - a shame considering their potential.

Close, but no cigar: despite looking promising on paper, the Haapala GT2 and Zacspeed R1 were ultimately held back by fundamental issues that, in hindsight, should have been fixed early on.

Thus, there were now only five cars still being considered for the cover of SpeedStorm 3D. In fifth place was the Haapala GT2 Street Legal; it may have looked racy, but it simply had too much wheelspin to keep up with the field. In fourth place was the Zacspeed R1, with its immensely powerful engine; only some mild understeer held it back from the podium places.

So near, and yet so far: the Greil Dainsleif and LMC Nessus almost took the title, but were both surpassed by something just a little bit more... awesome, for lack of a better word.

The Greil Dainsleif claimed a very honorable third place, with its clean, uncluttered styling and excellent all-around performance. However, the more aggressive-looking LMC Nessus Type S beat it to second place; the fact that the Nessus was even better to drive than the Greil almost sealed the deal. Only a much more powerful car could steal the win from it... and the Adonijin Kite 8000S proved to be just that, and much more. In addition to being much better to drive than anything else in the field, it had much more presence on the road as well. Unsurprisingly, the Kite was chosen for the cover art of SpeedStorm 3D.

The winning car of the inaugural Automation Gamer Challenge - the Adonijin Kite, as featured on the cover of SpeedStorm 3D.

And so the inaugural Automation Gamer Challenge came to an end. But this would just be the start - a second round has recently been announced and is now underway, with results to follow shortly. Whoever wins it will take pride in knowing that they can create a car that not only belongs in a hypothetical video game, but will also feature on its cover as well.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 63: Road to Rehab

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 63: Road to Rehab

Not long ago, I got hold of a car called the Concord LaCampeli by winning it at a virtual car auction. This was a pristine example of a late-80s/early-90s personal luxury coupe, finished in metallic black and powered by a pushrod V8. It sounds like the ingredients for a desirable recipe, but in truth it was quite half-baked, to say the least. So here's how I turned a sow's ear into the proverbial silk purse it should have been.

The most obvious place to start was the engine. Bizarrely, hidden within its cast-iron block and heads was a highly aggressive cam profile and a flat-plane crankshaft - both of which were totally at odds with the Concord's mission statement of being a grand tourer. So I swapped in a milder cam and a conventional crank for more torque in the lower rev range. In addition, I ditched the cast internals in favor of sturdier forged items, leaned out the air/fuel ratio, advanced the ignition timing (for use with premium unleaded gasoline), fitted a second throttle body and swapped out the stock exhaust system for long tubular headers, a high-flow catalytic converter and reverse-flow mufflers. On top of that, I limited quality points to +2 on the valvetrain, allowing me to save costs on other areas by setting the quality there to zero.

The aero balance was all wrong (and a poor fit to boot)...

...the interior was all over the shop...

...the tires were the wrong size and type...

...the gearing and diff setup were awkward...

...the brakes were inadequate...

...the suspension was out of sorts...

...but at least it had adequate safety, plus power steering and anti-lock brakes.

Worst of all, the engine was under-delivering on its true potential.

The rest of the car received similar treatment; after going through it with a fine-tooth comb, I managed to make it better suited to the grand touring role its appearance implied. The gearbox was swapped for a five-speed close-ratio unit mated to a mechanical limited-slip differential, while identically-sized alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance tires were fitted at each corner. To complement them, the brakes were beefed up with larger brake rotors and high-performance pads, and the suspension retuned to provide a sportier drive while retaining a modicum of comfort. To that end, a true premium interior and sound system were installed.

Not only was the retuned engine exceeding all expectations...

...but the rest of the car was also massively improved.

Aesthetically, the Concord remained mostly unchanged, with the exception of different wheel rims (as stated above) in a larger size, and a modest rear spoiler to balance out the effect of the front spoiler the car came with by default. Downforce levels were then tweaked to ensure an appropriate aerodynamic balance between the front and rear ends. Thus, the basic look of the car was preserved in most places, and enhanced in others.

The revised Concord LaCampeli after its makeover. Despite the very subtle exterior changes, it became a much better car under the skin. To say that I was impressed by the mechanical makeover might even be an understatement.

The finished product was much more cohesive and better built than before, which was to be expected. What I did not expect was for the car to be more of a sports car than it once was. After its makeover, it gripped more tenaciously through the corners, and sprinted off the line much more vigorously. It also stopped better, too. In fact, the rebuilt car could now cover all bases with ease; it could finally be used as a grand tourer, daily driver, sports coupe, or muscle car (depending on the situation) simply by combining the best elements of all four of them.

In short, what was once a lame duck had finally become an apex predator of the streets, just as I hoped it would be. I had previously done similar work in the earlier Kee engine build of Automation, but this marks the first time I carried it out on such a severely flawed car using the UE4 4.21 release. And now that the transformation is complete, I feel proud of my work - and remain as eager as ever to make improvements as I see fit on outsourced cars whenever I feel like doing so.