Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 129: Lap of Luxury

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 129: Lap of Luxury

In between designing cars for Automation forum competitions, I often find myself creating test mules for random ideas I have floating around in my mind. On one recent occasion, I ended up being so satisfied with the engineering aspect that I decided to make a full-fledged build out of it. As it turned out, this was the answer to a question I had asked myself earlier, shortly after the 4.27 build of Automation reached the open beta stage: "What if I had built something for a challenge similar to CSR 142, but in 4.27 (with limited use of tech pool), and with a more liberal rule set and a much higher budget cap overall?

With this in mind, I set the car model, trim, engine family, and variant years to 1995 (the same year in which the actual CSR 142 was set). Choosing a body was easy - the Indicator body sets (unlocked in 1988, and recently introduced to the game as a replacement for a similar body set dating back to the early UE4 builds) are very versatile and their basic shape remains period-correct into the 2000s. With the focus being on absolute luxury, I went for the largest of these body sets, which had a wheelbase of exactly 3 meters.

The engine choice was a no-brainer - a 400-bhp 6.0L V12 tuned not for power, but for quiet smoothness. I did not use the sandbox tech pool here, except on the basic architecture, where I added 1 tech pool point to unlock (and use) aluminum/silicon as a material for the block and heads. Just to prove a point, I created a far more powerful variant of this engine and installed it in another car I made in Automation - but that is a story for another time.

Above, from top: An overview of the heart of the Ventnor V12 - a 48-valve dual-overhead-cam V12 with an aluminum/silicon alloy block and heads, tuned for silent, smooth and economical running under all conditions.

The exterior design was originally intended to be copied wholesale from an abandoned test build I had made on the second-largest of the Indicator body sets, but I ended up significantly revising it to be more imposing and less generic. The interior, on the other hand, was created specifically for this car, and I used a wide variety of materials to simulate leather, wood and aluminum for different areas of the interior fixtures.

Above, from top: The exterior of the Ventnor V12 from various angles.

Engineering-wise, my choices were generally geared towards comfort. I used a 5-speed advanced automatic transmission sending the engine's immense power to the back wheels, with a geared LSD to prevent excess wheelspin. 17-inch wheels (staggered towards the rear to induce understeer) wrapped in medium-compound tires were standard, as were large vented disc brakes at each corner, with an anti-lock system and comfort-focused brake pads for improved drivability. However, aerodynamic aids (including an undertray) were not fitted, since I deemed them unnecessary.

In keeping with my plan to make the build one of the most luxurious of its time (and kind), I chose a hand-made interior with a luxury sound system incorporating a CD and cassette tape player, and my choice of interior fixtures and materials reflected this. I also installed variable hydraulic power steering and traction control for improved drivability, but I chose to invest 2 tech pool points in assists to unlock stability control early, thereby increasing drivability even further. In addition to this, I chose the most advanced safety systems available in Automation for 1995 (assuming 0 tech pool points allocated to safety), and set the weight slider to maximum weight to improve comfort and safety even more.

Above, from top: The lavishly trimmed interior of the Ventnor V12.

As for the body and chassis, I opted for an AHS steel monocoque chassis (which required 1 tech pool point for the chassis to unlock) clad in treated steel bodywork, with double-wishbone suspension up front an a multi-link setup in the rear, plus air suspension with adaptive dampers and semi-active sway bars set up to provide a smooth ride with a hint of sportiness. Advanced trim settings were mostly limited to a raised ride height and a less concave wheel fitment that appeared almost flush on closer inspection.

Overall, I was very satisfied with this build - I enjoyed every second of its construction, and would like to follow it up with other body styles of this specific car if I feel like it.