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.