Turboswing

3 comments on “Turboswing”

1. No need to show me the door, I’ll leave on my own

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2. Electroswing is one hell of a genre to pick when making a musical car. It’s rhythmic enough to be technically useful as an engine note substitute, and offers a lot of mixing opportunities when you drive the car. And when you look at Turboswing, you’ll instantly want to drive. Both its liveries are very vibrant, and while I’m not a biggest fan of the pastel used in the base one, the alternate seems to fit the theme of the car – it’s making parts of the bodywork look like an actual instrument. Model’s curves also help with that – whole thing is very sleek. Something I don’t like about the visuals are small mistakes in modelling though. Rear lamps are just painted when they could look so much better as protruding objects; front wheels clip a little through the fenders on bumps; and finally, headlamps seem to be misaligned and literally sink into the front collar.

   On track it’s a complete surprise from the very first second. At 2 kilograms kerb weight theoretically it would be either a slug or a hard to control monster, but no – it feels light as a feather. Laughably small top speed of 52kph, theoretically putting it below Semi-Pro window, is countered by lightning fast acceleration. It reaches its peak without slightest problems and has no trouble keeping it. In turn one, another surprise – all that weight was balanced very carefully, and you still don’t feel it. She turns in smoothly, goes through the turn at the exact angle you want, and straightens without as much as a wobble. Steering rack works like a charm at any speed.

   And then there’s suspension. Again, smooth – doesn’t bounce, doesn’t break contact with surface, doesn’t make you uncomfortable. Body is kept generally stiff thanks to heavy overall weight, and shocks do all the necessary work to keep the ride stable. And that’s why you can without any problems focus on listening to the engine… I mean the tune. It’s a nicely picked, upbeat electroswing piece that’s way longer than the usual engine sound, so you won’t go crazy instantly. Sound’s pitch is optimised to play properly at top speed on the ground, and it changes depending on what happens to the car. For example, engaging the battery is basically equivalent to playing 33rpm record on a 78rpm gramophone. It’s also complimented by an orchestral break hidden under the horn button.

   Overall, Turboswing is an honestly good car. It drives very nicely if a bit artificially, and it’s got a meme value beyond one-time novelty – especially if you encounter it as an AI car. The music is pleasant and engaging enough for two or three races, but after that you’ll probably need a break from the sound so it doesn’t become stale – I know I did. But for those few races in a row you’ll be having a great amount of fun with it.

   Pros:
   – Stylistically interesting piece of a car
   – Params do their job and don’t care if straight line speed is not quite your tempo
   – Simply awesome weight, steering and suspension balancing effort making the ride very enjoyable

   Cons:
   – Modelling does have some flaws,both minor and major
   – Hard to catch up to rivals if you make mistakes during the race
   – Tendency to dance around when hit, despite the weight

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3. Heh, this is a very good idea! Thanks for implementing it, it’s really fun to take a “musical drive” down the tracks like this :)

   Greetz,
   Ato

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