Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 101: The Final Generation?
With the recent announcement that the Generations II tournament is drawing to a close, I would like to share some important details along with my plans for the future lore of the Hampton Motor Group. First and foremost, the 12th and final round of Generations II is unique for two reasons: It is the only one to be set in 2010 or later (2013, to be exact), and is the only one with no passenger car categories. Instead, there are three full-sized truck/SUV categories: compact and mid-sized crossovers, plus full-size pickup trucks.
Above: Hampton's 2013 truck/SUV lineup, from left to right: Herculean, Brigand and Fairlie.
To integrate this round into Hampton company lore, I decided to make the next-gen Fairlie a transverse-engined crossover based on the Fennec platform, while a larger crossover, the Brigand, would sit above it in the lineup. In addition, the all-new Herculean would become the brand's first full-sized truck. On top of all this, the Nevis would be refreshed, although given that it would not fit into any of the categories for the final round, I decided not to submit it. Speaking of which, the Braemar nameplate would no longer be used for this generation - all examples would simply be called the Nevis, regardless of body style or engine/transmission combination.
As for the passenger cars that were once the bedrock of the range, I decided not to ignore that part of their lineup either - the Ferret would be replaced by the Heron, but the Fennec, Valiant and Vanguard nameplates would continue, albeit on new platforms and with new bodies (although the Venator name would no longer be used - all Vanguards were once again referred to as such, regardless of body style). The Transliner, however, would most likely be axed after 25 years due to lack of demand late in its lifespan; in its place, the Brigand received a seven-seat option.
Hampton's presence in the performance car sector will continue, but it will be represented by only one dedicated sports car - the Halberd. This would replace the Harrier in the range, and be available with either a V8 or V12 engine. Speaking of which, such engines would be relegated mainly to high-performance trims of longitudinally-engined cars; other models and trims would receive turbocharged straight-fours and straight-sixes instead.
Beyond this, I plan to continue to expand the company's lore to include 2020 onwards. Any successors to these new-for-2013 models may be out of the question for now due to game engine limitations, but it might still be worth exploring what happens to the company around that time.
Ultimately my dedication paid off - all three of these new models were well-received at launch. The upshot was that Hampton Motor Group was the most successful import brand of the entire tournament, and in fact would be the second-most successful brand overall. Needless to say, I felt chuffed after spending nearly a whole year creating, developing and polishing the Hampton Motor Group and its backstory. And so one of my most satisfying long-term commitments as an Automationeer finally came to an end.
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