Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 102: Chassis and Body Material Options

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 102: Chassis Options Explained

With the guide to chassis options on the Automation forums now outdated due to numerous game engine changes, I have seen fit to create my own guide to reflect the latest version of the game. I'll start off with a brief explanation of the various body and chassis material options available as of the current version.

List of Body and Chassis Materials (current as of UE4 build LCV 4.1.16)

These are the various materials used to create the basic structure and bodywork of your vehicle. They are as follows:

• Steel (chassis and body material): Standard steel is the simplest and cheapest type of steel, and is generally viable for the body and chassis for most mass-produced cars until the late 1980s or early 1990s. However, its environmental resistance is poor, and as such it is recommended mainly for low-budget vehicles.
• Treated steel (body material only): Available from 1994 onwards, this is a kind of steel that has received basic protection against corrosion. It is slightly more expensive and difficult to develop than regular steel, but is still viable for newer cars that have been built on tight budgets.
• Galvanized steel (chassis material only): This type of steel has a zinc outer coating that protects it from corrosion. However, unlike treated steel, the galvanization process used to create it cannot be applied to bodywork. Even so, the fact that it is only slightly more expensive than standard steel makes it popular for low-budget builds, even for more modern vehicles.
• Corrosion-resistant steel (chassis material only in LCV 4.1.11, previously also available for body panels): Employing more advanced rust protection techniques than treated steel, this is a more expensive option, but one that is lighter than lesser steels. As such, it should be primarily reserved for mid- to high-priced premium cars, especially those made in the 1980s or 1990s, at least until more advanced materials become available.
• AHS steel (chassis material only): Advanced high-strength steel is more thoroughly engineered than lesser steels, making it stiffer, lighter and stronger. However, it is even more expensive than corrosion-resistant steel, and is only available from 1996 onwards. Therefore, it should be primarily used for the chassis of modern high-end premium cars.
• Light AHS steel (chassis material only): This is similar to AHS steel, but is even lighter, and costs even more due to having been subjected to very thorough testing during development. It becomes available from 2001 onwards.
• Partial aluminum (body material only): A mix of mostly steel bodywork with aluminum used for panels that are more easily manufactured - usually the doors, hood and trunk lid. Available from 1985 onwards, it becomes more common in later years.
• Fiberglass (body material only): This is a lightweight material commonly used for low-volume sports cars. It is not as safe or prestigious as any kind of metal, however, and is laborious to manufacture. Early Kee-based versions of Automation also had polymer plastic as a body material option; this was removed in later builds for being too statistically similar to fiberglass.
• Aluminum (chassis and body material): As a body material, it is available from the beginning; however, as a chassis material, it is not unlocked until 2000, and even then, only in the form of a bonded monocoque or a semi-space frame. Lighter and more resistant to corrosion than any kind of steel, it is also more expensive and difficult to manufacture, especially in the earlier years, and is therefore best used for high-end sports and luxury cars.
• Partial carbon fiber (body material only): Similar to aluminum bodywork but replaces some body panels with carbon fiber equivalents.
• Carbon fiber (chassis and body material): The most expensive and prestigious material of all, it is also the safest and lightest. As a body material, it is available from 1993 onwards, whereas it is unlocked for monocoque chassis a full five years earlier (in 1988). Due to its extremely high price, it is generally reserved for low-volume modern supercars and hypercars.

This concludes our summary of body and chassis materials. In the next post, we will take a look at the various chassis types available, along with engine placement options.