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Detroit, 7:11 PM
Mon Nov 30
29 posts in the last 24 hours
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02/12/09
02/12/09
The West brothers were computer programmers. They got a job programming a racing sim, and they became consumed with the idea of making the most immersive, realistic game environment that the world had ever seen. Unfortunately, the publisher who hired them was more interested in meeting deadlines and delivering a usable product to market, so they pulled the West brothers off the project, did a hatchet job on the coding, and pushed the game out the door to mediocre sales and poor reviews.
Fast forward a few months, the West brothers, with a bitter taste in their mouths and undoubtedly inspired by the success of Papyrus's breakthrough Grand Prix Legends, start a new project as independent coders. Their mission is to create the most realistic, most visually complex racing sim of all time. They set up a website, [www.racing-legends.com] and they started posting jaw-dropping renders of classic forumla racers. They hired a PhD in theoretical physics to help develop the physics model, and they went into great detail about their work modeling down to the nut and bolt of vintage race cars.
The level of detail in the renders is, to this day, unsurpassed. However, nobody has heard word one from the West brothers since 2003. Their website still stands as a monument to the vast vision and impressive talent of the brothers, and it is still quietly mocked in most corners of the web where simulated racing is talked about with any degree of passion.
Racing Legends, for a multitude of reasons, is vaporware.
Every time I see this Telsa Model S referenced, I think back to the days when I had a 500 mhz Pentium III processor, struggling to run the latest Papyrus sim, thinking to myself how cool it would be if the West brothers surprised everyone and actually released Racing Legends and it was as amazing as their website made it out to be.
And these days, whenever Tesla is mentioned on one of the automotive news websites I frequent, I have this sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach that the Tesla Model S is going to be the automotive equivalent of the West brothers' vaporware.
02/12/09
02/12/09
Seeing that Lotus 49B for the first time in four years was like passing an ex-girlfriend on the street, and the years have somehow made her look even better, and you can't help but wonder what might have been.
Sigh.
02/12/09
Nice beard though.
02/12/09
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02/12/09
How long exactly do you think it'll take to reclaim the premium paid on this vehicle in the first place?
But I suppose tree huggers only see in green and not in dollars and cents, or common sense.
02/12/09
I see you're a relatively new guy. Hang around for a while, and nothing that happens will ever surprise you again.
But back to your argument, it won't take as long to reclaim the premium paid on the vehicle than it would take for an equivalently-priced 5-series, etc.
02/12/09
But is it going to stack up to a 5-series class sedan in terms of power and luxery? I highly doubt it.
02/12/09
No, but at the same time, if you are talking about how long it will take to reclaim the premium in terms of gas savings, this would sure as hell have the 5-series beat, which pays back its premium in gas savings exactly the day after never.
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02/12/09
They call it working capital, not dreaming capital.
Also, it appears some wino is trying to steal those rims. Should have locked the car cover.
02/12/09
02/12/09
BTW, how have I never heart clicked you?
02/12/09
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02/12/09
They didn't copy Lotus, they contracted Lotus for the styling.
Interesting that they use Lorinser RS8 wheels. I thought they had a deal with Brabus.
[www.sportservice.lorinser.com]
02/12/09