Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 166: Return to Letara

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 166: Return to Letara

With the recent introduction of the fourth update to the 4.3 version of Automation (which is now in its open beta phase), the long-running Letaran History Challenge has emerged from hibernation, and is now in its fifth round. The timeframe for this one spans the years from 1985 to 1995 inclusive, and in contrast to previous rounds, the techpool allocation was far more generous. Seeking to exploit it, I chose to be brave, and submit a high-priced, mid-engined car for the first time in the LHC - or rather, two trims of one (a road car intended for sale to the general public, and a race car for use in an annual production-based racing event). After some deliberation, I came up with the Wolfram Warhawk - a mid-engined, rear-drive supercar powered by a 5.0-liter all-alloy V12 developing 430 horsepower in the base model, and 450 (the maximum allowed by the regulations) in the race car.

Above and below: The 1989 Wolfram Warlord GT (tan interior) and its racing counterpart, the GTR (red on black interior). The latter is distinguished by its lower curb weight, slightly higher output, and improved aerodynamics, in addition to having more extreme track-focused suspension tuning as standard equipment.

Admittedly, there were other possibilities for the current round of the LHC, but the mid-engined flagship route was the most tempting. It may have been due to the fact that, after testing all the possibilities, it would have been the fastest around a track when configured correctly - and indeed it was.

Above and below: The interiors of the Wolfram Warlord GT (above) and GTR (below), with the former's plush, luxurious and opulent ambiance serving as a stark contrast to the latter's racier,  more spartan and businesslike feel.

But this isn't the end of the story - far from it, in fact, since there will be a few more rounds of the LHC after this one. In the meantime, happy Automationeering!