Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 263: A Sporty Daily Driver From 30 Years Ago

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 263: A Sporty Daily Driver From 30 Years Ago

As part of my entry into this Discourse Challenge, I made the EMR EL3 3.0 GT (an adaptation of an earlier contest submission) with the intention of positioning it as a sporty daily driver that was still comfortable enough for everyday driving. Here it is:

Above, from top: With its 240-horsepower, 3.0-liter straight-six powering the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox and a helical limited-slip differential, the EMR ML3 3.0 GT is a potent performance machine, And expertly tuned 4-wheel independent suspension (strut front/multi-link rear) combined with high-performance tires surrounding 16-inch alloy wheels and vented anti-lock disc brakes keep it planted and exciting in the corners, Combined with a premium interior/CD stereo sound system, advanced safety kit, and a sportier (and functional) aero kit, it's as close as you could have got 30 years ago to a one-car solution for more than two people - especially at its $28000 AMU in-game price.

Although I have plans for lesser trims below this one, the 3.0 GT is a fitting flagship for this particular generation of the model line. In short, it's an ideal one-size-fits-all machine.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 257: One-Ton Wonder

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 257: One-Ton Wonder

With the Parana P600 and LVC LS60 under my belt, I decided to ask myself a question that I had been thinking about for months: what if I could combine the former's styling with the latter's engine, in a smaller platform? Right from the outset, the first problem that I wanted to deal with was the car's physical size. Both of those builds were quite large, with a width of around 2.0 meters and a wheelbase of over 2.6 meters. This made them heavier than I had intended to be; even the latter weighed 1.1 metric tons, and while this was 160 kilograms less than the P600, it still seemed a bit too much for me. So, I decided to apply the lessons I learned from both cars to create the Macale Imperia - revisiting a Kee-era manufacturer name, but reimagined for Al-Rilma with a nameplate last used on a now-deprecated build from the pre-Ellisbury UE4 days, and made possible in this latest game build due to nearly everything made prior to the Ellisbury update being rendered non-canon.

Above, from top: In response to any criticism that the Parana P600 and the LVC LS60 were too large and heavy, I decided to combine the best attributes of both in the 1995 Macale Imperia - a smaller, lighter car than either, combining the former's styling with the latter's lightweight interior and smaller, higher-revving engine, complete with a 10,000 rpm redline.

Although built on the '88 Copy Cat like the P600, with very similar styling, the Imperia uses the smaller 2.53m wheelbase variant in fastback configuration instead of any of the larger 2.64m wheelbase variants. This results in an even lighter curb weight (exactly 1000kg), giving it a 500bhp/ton power-to-weight ratio in its final form, and thus making it even more eager to get up and go from a standstill or dance around corners, especially with modestly sized 305/35ZR18 rear tires and a 42.5%/57.5% front/rear weight distribution. While it retains the full carbon-fiber body/chassis and manually adjustable four-wheel inboard A-arm suspension of its inspirations, its size (or lack thereof) is its greatest asset, being 200mm narrower, and thus making it less unwieldy in confined spaces. Finally, its suspension. though relatively softly sprung by default, can be set up to be stiffer if necessary.

In short, the Macale Imperia is the ultimate embodiment of what I think an ideal supercar should be: relatively small and light, with a great naturally aspirated engine hooked up to an equally stimulating (preferably manual) transmission driving the rear wheels, and just the right amount of electronic intervention (or even none at all) to keep things in check.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 256: An Agile Albatross

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 256: An Agile Albatross

Migrating to Al-Rilma for the latest stable build of Automation created a few problems, to say the least. In particular, many of my Ellisbury-era builds were either unviable or needed major revision. The 1962 AMS Albatross was a clear example of the latter, being largely based on my earlier KMA KS20 aesthetically, but with a fiberglass body and a smaller engine to cater to the requirements of a Discourse challenge. Its 1989 namesake, meanwhile, is now called the EMR ECT4, and has also been revised accordingly.

As for the 1962 Albatross, its lighter weight helps it more easily leverage what little power its smaller engine develops - and vastly improves the driving experience. Being quicker off the mark and through the corners was an inevitability, but in the context of the challenge in which it was submitted, where it was one of a few cars with at least 100 horsepower, it was enough to justify its $18,000 AMU price (the highest allowed) with ease. Key to its performance is the fitment of tubular headers and dual DCOE carburetors, yielding a 110-horsepower output harnessed using radial tires (again, to meet challenge requirements) and a 4-speed manual gearbox (to save weight, and also because a fifth gear would've been overkill given the era in which the car was launched). I had toyed with submitting a lighter mid-engined car in its place, but felt that it wasn't enough of an improvement over a single flying lap by comparison to deem it worthwhile.

Above, from top: Reimagining the AMS Albatross as a 1960s sports car with a fiberglass body made perfect sense, since it more closely aligned with its avian name.

On the other hand, the EMR ECT4 was more faithful to its progenitor, retaining the steel/aluminum body it once had, along with a turbocharged iron-block/alloy-head 16-valve straight-four driving all four wheels via a helical center differential.

Above, from top: The first car that bore the Albatross nameplate is now called the EMR ECT4, with extensive mechanical revisions to make it suitable for Al-Rilma.

In short, both of these cars may have come from different eras and aimed at two distinct market segments, but they are united in their quest to put smiles on drivers' faces at reasonable prices.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 254: A New Take on an Old Flagship

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 254: A New Take on an Old Flagship

With the deprecation of the body set that underpinned my earlier 1987/1992 KMA KX12 in the Al-Rilma update (which added the '87 Bossa Nova body sets in its place), I decided to reimagine it from the ground up - as an even more upmarket flagship supercar. However, I realized that it would make even more sense as a hypercar considering how much more expensive it would potentially end up being. Taking my earlier 1984 Wolfram Warlord as a basis, I adjusted the morphing zone settings and reworked the aesthetics (for both the interior and exterior), while also adding 50 horsepower and a six-speed gearbox, along with a full carbon-fiber chassis/body and inboard pushrod-actuated suspension to improve overall performance, with the interior being a fully hand-made item (complete with a high-quality CD/cassette stereo audio system) to further justify its top-tier market positioning.

Above, from top: Reimagining the KMA KX12 and KF12 as a fully hand-built flagship hypercar made more sense with the Al-Rilma update - using the '86 Rosso was the only option given that the '87 Bossa Nova's closest equivalent in size had an engine bay that was too small for the engine I chose to use.

At $100k AMU before options, such excellence doesn't come cheap, but you get what you pay for, which in this case is a lot. Then again, this was never meant for large-scale production anyway.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 253: Of Warriors and Warlords

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 253: Of Warriors and Warlords

Reimagining the Wolfram Warrior and Warlord in 1984 for the sixth iteration of the Automation (or should that be Aragan?) Legacy Challenge wasn't the work of an afternoon - but I made it look like it did by repurposing some of my preexisting designs. By taking my earlier WM Warrior and revamping it to align with the Wolfram brand philosophy, I ensured that I could create two trims of it: the GT (with 275 horsepower and a premium interior) and the GTS (with 300 horsepower and a sports interior, plus forged wheels and wider tires, in addition to a hood-mounted scoop fixture, a taller rear wing, and dual exhaust tips on each side in place of single items). Positioned further above the two was the Warlord, whose mid-mounted 48-valve V12 displaced six liters and cranked out 550 horsepower - good for 218 mph (almost 40 more than the Warrior GTS) thanks to a ground-effect undertray. Having a luxury interior helped justify its upmarket positioning even further, which was justified considering its whopping $80,000 AMU base price (nearly three times as much as a base model Warrior).

Above, from top: While the 1984 Wolfram Warrior GT (red) and its track-focused GTS sibling (yellow) were great sports cars in their own right, thanks to a high-displacement V8, neither of them had the true supercar status and presence of the larger, mid-mounted V12-powered Warlord (black).

All in all, this sports car and supercar blitz, despite being a necessary evil to compensate for the fact that their earlier iterations were based on deprecated or less desirable bodies, was an enjoyable experience for me, as it tied into the company's later history more easily.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 251: A Duo Reimagined

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 251: A Duo Reimagined

Having created the 2013 AAA Crusader, I began asking myself a question that had been on my mind for weeks: Would this have made even more sense as a 2000s build? To that end, I decided to use it as the basis for the 2005 Wolfram Wolfclaw - and I intended it to be the successor to the WSC-95 concept I'd made in Ellisbury a few years earlier.

Above, from top: Although aesthetically derived from the 2013 AAA Crusader, minor exterior changes helped set the 2005 Wolfram Wolfclaw apart from its inspiration, and a 32-valve dual-overhead-cam-per-bank V8 displacing 5.0 liters replaces the overhead-valve 16-valve 6.0-liter unit the Crusader had, thus guaranteeing WES 9 compatibility. The basic mechanical layout (front-engined, rear-drive, with a 6-speed manual transmission/helical limited-slip differential combo as standard) remains unchanged, however.

Broadly similar in performance to the Crusader, the Wolfclaw is slightly lighter, but more expensive due to a greater use of positive quality points, although given its more premium positioning, this extra quality is justified - especially given the increased redline (7500 rpm instead of 6500). In addition, the two-seat interior was retained - a 2+2 would've been too heavy, cramped, and therefore self-contradictory. Moreover, to more closely align with 2000s aesthetic trends, the roof and pillars are now color-coded instead of being finished in a contrasting color. The result is an even more cohesive and competitive offering for its time. However, it wasn't the only car I recently reimagined as part of my two-pronged plan.

Shortly before I finalized the 2005 Wolfclaw, I dusted off an old manufacturer name from my Kee engine days and created the Macale Manta, a mid-engined, V8-powered supercar with 500 horsepower, peaking near its 9000-rpm redline. This, however, wasn't the original specification - as originally built for a forum challenge, it delivered a more conservative 480 horsepower, and lacked the electronic limited-slip differential and adaptive dampers found in the final version on cost grounds, instead using a simpler helical unit with monotube dampers. Also, the color scheme was changed from a red exterior with a red-on-black interior to a deeper blue exterior with a blue-on-cream interior. Finally, its techpool was increased to a uniform +7 in all areas (except for +8 on the gearbox and suspension), which the Wolfclaw matched.

Above, from top: Duplicating the 2005 Macale Manta I'd previously made for a forum challenge to unlock its full potential was a no-brainer - but I had to increase its techpool allocation to what the Wolfclaw would use just to make that possible, especially since it gave me additional headroom left in the budget for more advanced components compared to the original design.

While the Wolfclaw is a better everyday companion due to its superior reliability, drivability, comfort, and safety ratings, the Manta's more exotic mid-engined look, combined with its slightly higher prestige score and greater sportiness rating (helped by taking 3.5 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill compared to the Wolfclaw's 4.1, among other things), make it more of a supercar than a grand tourer by comparison, and in an era and segment where competition was as fierce as it had ever been in real life, this is what would've mattered most to customers.

Above, from top: They may not have been direct rivals, but the Macale Manta and Wolfram Wolfclaw were among the most competitive options in the premium sports car/supercar segment in 2005 according to my lore.

In short, envisioning the 2000s Wolfram Wolfclaw as a brawnier, more refined counterpart to the contemporary Macale Manta (which itself underwent significant revisions after a cheaper, rules-compliant version of it had been submitted for a forum challenge) made a lot of sense for me - and allowed me to make direct comparisons between the two, to more easily justify their place in a highly competitive market. There is also growth potential in both model lines that could lead to additional trim levels - track-focused variants, convertibles, and even actual race cars come to mind - but for now, the base model for each of these cars will suffice.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 250: A 21st-Century Crusade

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 250: A 21st-Century Crusade

It's taken a while, but finally I've felt confident enough to attempt a fully detailed Automation build on anything made after the 2000s. The 2013 AAA Crusader is proof of that. It's based on the '09 Jackal body set (2.57m wheelbase) in 2-door configuration, so it's not the first time I've tried using it as the basis for any fully detailed build (the first one was a mid-2000s premium convertible sports car). However, this one is especially notable because it arose from an aborted plan to create something for a Discourse challenge - a pony car called the Arbalest. I backed out at the last moment after realizing that it would make even more sense as a 2-seat aluminum-bodied out-and-out sports car, rather than a cheaper, steel-bodied 2+2 pony car.

Above: The Arbalest may have been tempting on paper, but it was never a realistic proposition as a 2+2 pony car - it was just too small.

Turning the Arbalest into the Crusader was relatively simple on the outside compared to the mechanical upgrades I fitted. By extracting 100 more horsepower from the engine, I was able to fully utilize the weight reduction that resulted from using a 2-seat configuration in an all-aluminum body/chassis. Widening the rear tires by 40mm (with wider wheel arches front and rear, thus widening the track) and fitting 19-inch forged alloy wheels (in place of the 18-inch cast-alloy items) also helped, as did using uprated brakes and an aerodynamic undertray. With the suspension and gearbox (now incorporating adaptive dampers and a manual setup, respectively) retuned accordingly, I was able to maximize my performance improvements even further - 193 mph flat-out and a 0-60 mph time of 4 seconds were proof of that.

Above, from top: The Crusader made even more sense than the Arbalest, being a pure two-seater, but it was still a powerful front-engined rear-driver as before - and lighter to boot.

With that out of the way, I then added a fully detailed interior - but with only two seats due to the Crusader having a different seating arrangement. It took several hours spread out over several days to get it right, but I pulled it off.

Above, from top: It may have been my first attempt at adding a fully detailed interior to a post-2010 Automation build, but this one for the 2013 AAA Crusader turned out better than I thought it would.

In the end, I was satisfied with the results of this build, but there may be more to come. A more extreme supercharged variant positioned above it could follow, as could a convertible based on both it and the base model shown here. But for now, the base Crusader represents all the premium sports car a mid-2010s enthusiast could want or need.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 249: Sharpening the Knife

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 249: Sharpening the Knife

As a continuation of my work on the 1992 Kodai Kunai, I started looking into what a more highly tuned version of it could be. However, since the donor car was already a highly capable sports car, I knew I had to make the new trim more like a supercar, at least in terms of power output. So I took the GT trim (which I had just made) and created the GT400 trim out of it.

The engine received the most comprehensive changes, developing 400 horsepower on 98 RON super unleaded (up from 276 on 95 RON premium unleaded) thanks to increased boost pressure (1.0 bar instead of 0.5 bar) and larger turbochargers, as well as a high-flow intake and exhaust (catalytic converter/muffler). A shorter final drive ratio (to better harness the increased output) yielded a significantly faster 0-60 mph time (4.2 seconds, down from 4.7), but it wasn't the only factor. Staggered tires (245/40R18 up front and 265/35R18 at the rear) wrapped in 18-inch forged wheels (to accommodate 350mm vented front disc brakes with 4-piston calipers - the rear brakes are 325mm-diameter vented discs with 2-piston rear calipers) also account for the quicker acceleration, and extra grip to go along with it. Also, by setting the weight optimization slider to its lightest setting, I saved 70kg even after installing an aerodynamic undertray (to generate additional downforce in conjunction with a front spoiler in place of the lip fixture, which was moved to the rear). Finally, I retuned the suspension to maintain the base car's sporty feel, albeit sharpened.

Above, from top: The GT400 trim takes the standard Kodai Kunai and turns it up to 11 inside and out.

Aesthetically, this new trim was distinguished by different interior materials (to better match its performance-oriented positioning), hood vents, larger frontal air intakes, a taller rear wing, wider wheel arches, and deeper side skirts. However, such giant-killing performance doesn't come cheap - with the base car having a price of $40,000 AMU, adding the GT400 package resulted in something that cost half as much again ($60,000) when new. Then again, when you consider that its performance figures put it in the top flight of its era (with only very the fastest hypercars remaining out of reach), all that extra money is guaranteed to be well spent.

Above, from top: A side-by-side comparison of both trim levels (with the GT400 now being yellow) reveals how much more aggressive and overtly sporting the GT400 is compared to its progenitor.

There could, in theory, be even more potential lurking within the platform - probably in the form of an even more extreme road-legal trim level, or an actual race car - but for now, the GT400 serves as the ultimate expression of the Kunai line, blending agile handling with addictive turbo thrust in a shapely package that can compete with the best that the rest of the world can offer. And it does all of this at a lower cost than others in its class, in both stock and tuned forms.

What next for the Kunai line, then? As good as it is, pitting it against a Parana P600 would be too much of a stretch, given the Parana's far greater prestige. However, it might be possible to throw it into the lion's den of a future group test featuring at least one other factory or aftermarket tuned car from the same year - and if anything like that were to occur in the future, I'd be looking forward to it.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 248: Eastern Winds

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 248: Eastern Winds

With the Automation Beam Championship currently on hold, even though I've successfully submitted an entry for it, I decided to turn my attention to another Discord challenge. This one was themed around 1990s JDM cars (a favorite of mine since childhood), but was hosted on the official Automation Discord channel. No AI-generated/enhanced imagery was permitted, nor was use of anything that had already been used in any previous design competition, but otherwise, I had free rein as to what I could enter.

This time, I created something completely from scratch - the 1992 Kodai Kunai - and immediately set about getting it ready for the challenge. Built on an AHS (advanced high-strength) steel unitary chassis with some aluminum panels, its dual-wishbone front/multilink rear suspension, tuned for road-biased performance, endowed it with sporty handling and a surprising level of compliance. Combined with large ABS-assisted vented disc brakes at each corner, it could also perform repeated hard stops from highway speeds with no fade whatsoever.

Regarding propulsion, I settled on a 2.5-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six (chosen to simulate a rotary engine as closely as possible within the game engine's limitations) developing 276 horsepower, sent through a 5-speed manual gearbox and helical limited-slip differential to the rear wheels. Other standard equipment included a set of front and rear spoilers (specifically, a front lip and rear wing), 17-inch forged alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance tires, a premium interior with a 6-speaker CD/cassette stereo sound system, variable-ratio hydraulic power steering, traction control, and dual front airbags.

Above, from top: Although originally intended for a Discord challenge, the 1992 Kodai Kunai also serves as a passion project in that it serves as my idea of a contemporary Asian performance car - small and light, with a modest output by today's standards - that can go toe-to-toe with Western equivalents.

In short, the Kunai may not be the most powerful car in its class, but its light weight and small size make it very wieldy and agile on the road, where it's most likely to spend its time.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 247: The Ultimate Summer Toy?

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 247: The Ultimate Summer Toy?

For my last post before my spring vacation in Japan (again - I haven't been there at any time of the year other than summer or fall, so my spring visit will be my first), I'll show you a variant of the 1992 Parana P600 that I somehow haven't yet made - until now. The P600 Spyder (an open-topped roadster variant with a detachable soft top) takes the basic recipe and lops the roof off, with minimal loss of performance, precision, or aesthetics. If anything, it's even more extrovert than the original car, and puts its occupants on display for all the world to see and hear.

Above, from top: Removing the roof from the Parana P600 to create the Spyder variant hasn't diluted its style or performance one bit - on the contrary, it has enhanced it even more.

As I am writing this, the astronomical start of spring is just over a week away; however, it feels like it's summer outside, and in such hot, dry conditions, a car like the P600 Spyder would be the best way to have fun in the sun on four wheels (budget permitting - it still costs $100k AMU in-game, which would've translated to at least $500k in real-life 1992 dollars), at any price point. It may have been reserved for the rich and fortunate few, but those who could've afforded it would not have been disappointed in the slightest.