Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 178: A Warrior's Redemption

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 178: A Warrior's Redemption

I recently cloned the WM Warrior, engine and all, to see what it would be like if it were built on a platform based mainly on steel instead of aluminum. The result was a revelation: despite weighing more (especially after adding semi-active dampers and active sway bars), it ended up as a more viable proposition overall.

Above: The techpool distribution for the revised WM Warrior, with some points transferred from the engine to the trim and chassis to account for the use of a mainly steel chassis instead of an aluminum-based one, as the original version had.

In particular, the leftover cash from using an AHS steel chassis with partial aluminum bodywork could be used for additional quality points across the board, especially after the techpool was adjusted accordingly. In terms of performance, it was broadly comparable to the all-alloy original, with 20 extra horsepower to offset the weight gain (which was minimized by setting the weight optimization slider to its default setting of 50, thus sacrificing some reliability for more cash to invest elsewhere).

Above, from top: Reforging the WM Warrior in a mostly steel bodyshell (with some aluminum panels in critical locations) made it heavier, and adding fancier suspension components compromised its reliability somewhat, but this was an acceptable trade-off considering that the end result was objectively superior, and at the same price to boot.

The Beam cam fixtures have been retained, but they are now transparent; also, the wheels are regular cast-alloy items measuring 19 inches in diameter to save costs. Even so, after some fiddling with the engine, gearbox, brakes, and suspension, as well as reshaping the taillight clusters, I am more proud of the Warrior than before.

Update (30/07/24, 10:50pm UTC+7): After scaling back the amount of quality points, and upgrading to a full-on luxury interior and satnav, here are the new stats for the WM Warrior SE:

The stats for the revised WM Warrior SE after upgrading to a luxury interior and satnav. It has lost very little in sportiness or outright performance (even after reduced use of positive quality points), but gained a sizable amount of prestige and comfort.

Considering that the revised Warrior was meant to be a grand tourer, it makes perfect sense to double down on comfort and prestige for this build. The only aesthetic changes are a different set of interior door handles and wheel fixtures, and woodgrain trim in some areas that were originally covered in aluminum or Alcantara, for a more luxurious ambiance.

Above: Aesthetic revisions to the WM Warrior were minimal, being limited to a different set of door release and wheel rim fixtures, and some parts of various interior fixtures now having woodgrain trim.

In short, the Warrior may have grown up on the outside, but it's still a sports car on the inside - and one that still excites when given an opportunity to cut loose, with a robust feel to boot (as far as luxurious grand tourers go).