Editing Fifth's Muscle Manual (section)

== Chassis Appendix ==

[[Phoenix]] - The venerable Phoenix is probably your first muscle car, as it’s the most common in [[Somerset]], and even as you move onto better muscles, Phoenixes remain the best option for training drivers, because replacements can always be found. I’ve found them generally forgiving of newbie driving mistakes. Like all muscles, they have a tendency to drift and tend to lose armor to terrain.

[[Sunrise]] - The [[Phoenix]]’s twin. The [[Sunrise]] and [[Phoenix]] are identical in the garage, with identical armor, engine, and bulk characteristics. But out in the wild, the Sunrise is quite different from its sibling. The Sunrise tends to handle differently, softer and with a pronounced drift. After turning at high speed, it’s not uncommon to drift on your original course for several turns. The Sunrise demands planning four or five turns ahead. For all its faults, the [[Sunrise]] is marginally faster than the Phoenix and tends to lose less armor to terrain.

[[Voyager]] - The Voyager's a controversial muscle, sitting where it does right on the border between the the muscles and sedans, but with a 3.2L engine and light weapons, it's a joy to drive. A bit slippery offroad, it boasts a very tight turning radius and the largest killware space of any of the common muscles, but beware its lighter armor. One good setup uses twin [[Machine Gun]]s or [[Gatling Gun]]s to make a versatile interceptor with room for lots of spare ammo or a second gunner to carry home the loot. Drop the tire pressure and increase the length and stiffness a few points, and use it for hit and run attacks. For extra firepower, try a [[Rocket Launcher]]/[[Gatling Gun]] or a [[Micromissile Launcher]]/[[Medium Machine Gun]]. 

[[Vampire]] - It’s easy to see the rental [[Desert Striker]] as representative of the Vampire, even to take it for a spin, but the rental’s Standard Tyres cripple the Striker’s beautiful possibilities, and lead many to underestimate this beautiful interceptor. The Vampire drives like a [[Phoenix]] on steroids, but the increased responsiveness comes at the cost of 10 bulk. The [[Desert Striker]] build is almost overgunned, because with the [[Heavy Machine Gun|HMG]], you don’t have room for a single reload with a gunner. Switching the HMG for an [[Medium Machine Gun|MMG]], you make one of the best combat cars in Evan, because then you can fit in a gunner, a reload and a [[Light Rocket]]. This build is one I’ve used to solo-kill [[Poltergeist|Poltergeists]] and [[Mutant Bomber|Mutant Bombers]], and once scored three kills in a single scout. The Vampire truly shines with a 3.2 v8 under the hood, which lets you fit in a [[Medium Rocket Rack]].
On the other hand, the Vampire seems to be a bit more fragile than the [[Phoenix]], so use it with care.

[[Bullet]] - It’s easy to dismiss the Bullet as a Redneck Racer, since it is a Ford Fusion, the NASCAR car. But I’ve found the Bullet to be a surprisingly flexible hunter on the battlefield. It’s a fair sight faster than either the [[Phoenix]] or the [[Sunrise]], and very maneuverable. With a good driver, I feel like my Bullet is reading my mind, like it’ll do precisely what I ask it to, with a minimum of drifting. Low bulk is certainly an issue, but with a [[Medium Machine Gun]] and a [[Mini Rocket Pod]] or a [[Light Rocket]], the Bullet is a nasty little predator. Like the [[Vampire]], the Bullet truly shines with a V8 under the hood, which frees up space for more ammo or weaponry.

[[Buccaneer]] - The Bucky is one of the larger muscle cars, but it also has a slightly lower armor value. On the other hand, being able to fit a 5L engine, a MMG, and a gunner in makes it SPEEDY. Or you can fit in a 4L and free up 20 bulk for reloads, One-Shots, or even a secondary Gatling for your driver. I’ve seen a few people mount an [[Anti-Tank Gun]] in a Buccaneer, but that takes it out of the Muscle category and places it into a Sedan class, tactically, because there is NO WAY you can maintain speed and control while firing an ATG.

[[Flash]] - The Mini Muscle. With a 2L engine, it’s almost as fast as a 4L Phoenix, and it is so light and fast that it’s a joy to drive. The downside is, you have paper armor, not much of it, and you will have 40 bulk with a gunner. That’s enough for a [[Medium Machine Gun|MMG]], a reload, and a Light Rocket. I wouldn’t recommend mounting anything heavier than a [[Medium Machine Gun|MMG]] on this chassis, it’s very susceptible to recoil, and extremely fragile.

[[Pike]] - The [[Pike]] is the [[Sunrise]]’s bigger, nastier brother. If you think a Sunrise is too bouncy, walk straight past this baby. Fire 1 shot from a [[Medium Machine Gun|MMG]] and watch this thing bounce for 4 turns. Sitting still and getting shot will leave you bouncing wildly and struggling for traction and any ability of escape. Even under MML or MG fire you may find yourself stuck for 4-5 seconds hoping it doesn't roll. All that said, it drives over the rough stuff real well (with care) and is fast. Takes some time to get used to the handling (ghost)and tends to understeer heaps into a corner (especially if you fill its huge engine bay with motor) and oversteer once it does start to turn. Once you do get used to this though and drive accordingly, she's a dream to drive and the low-speed maneuverability is amazing. Reasonable armour. - Bastiel

[[Flail]] - The [[Flail]] has almost sedan-like bulk available and heavy armor. Well, it's more like driving a mini SUV than a musclecar depending on how you arm it, but for a musclecar, boy does it have a lot of armor and almost as much capacity as the [[Osprey]] - FireFly

I've found the Flail a very versatile car if used properly. It's easy to look at all that bulk and armor and think of it as a 'win button.' It isn't. Make a wrong move in the Flail, and you'll be lucky to live to regret it. With a 4L under the hood, its acceleration is substandard, and it really needs a 5L or better for optimal performance. Its maneuvering isn't bad, but like a lot of sedans, its best maneuvering happens under 30 MPH. Use it like a Phoenix or Sunrise, and your Flail will die. Use it as a heavy support car to back up your lighter muscles, and it will serve you very well.

Fully armoured up with B armour, the [[Flail]] weighs over half a tonne more than the smaller muscles, which on the upside allows you to mount some heavier weaponry, however whatever engine you mount, it's pretty slow at accelerating. Though, it doesn't stop accelerating, even when you're hitting 200mph+. With a 5LV8 under the hood (which you really need), you'll have room for a MMG/GG layout or something similiar with two reloads for the MMG, & one for the GG, which works very well if your driver has some gunnery skills. Handling wise, it's a big heavy muscle car so you can't expect much, though it doesn't do that badly. It does tend to get locked in a slide if you're running at speed trying to focus fire on a slow moving target, though the armour strength & points allows you to be a little "braver" than you would in any other muscle. Final note is that in close quarter combat, flooring the gas, leaving the handbrake on & fully turning the wheel lets' you turn 90 degrees plus in a single turn, which makes the [[Flail]] a very formidable chassis, though you really need a 5L or better otherwise it's far too slow.  -  Tez

The [[Flail]] also has a wide turning radius that should be accounted for.  With a 3.2Lv8 and a HCR or Laser it makes a good sniper.  -  Tango

[[Osprey]] - It has decent handling, not the best, but there are worse. The main issue is that if you get locked into a slide, it can take some turns to get back to moving straight. The main strength lies in its huge capacity, with a crew of 2 and a 3.2lv8, you still have room for 110 bulk worth of weapons, for example, a [[Heavy Car Rifle|HCR]]/[[Heavy Machine Gun|HMG]] combo works surprisingly well, but the real fun with that is that it's the most heavily armed musclecar around, and kicks the living snot out of other muscles, if you can handle the weight...  - FireFly

[[Roadrunner]] - It handles like a heavy Phoenix. It has the chassis strength of a [[Chomper]]. With the addition of a HUGE motor capacity, this car might fly if not for the downforce supplied by the extraordinarily large rear wing. 

It is VERY rare to find one of these beautiful cars. You might not want to risk it ANYWHERE once you do find it. 
If you do find one, you`ll be pleasantly surprised at it`s armor capacity and bulk available. - JD Basher

[[Moray]] - No middle ground really, people seem to either love them or hate them. Morays are a bit pricey for something with less armour than a [[Phoenix|Pho,]] but they will take a 5LV8 unexposed, making them a speedy travel car. 
They do VERY well with a 3.2LV8 under the hood. Like the [[Sunrise]], they can be a bit drifty at high speeds, do not expect radical changes in direction, and this chassis can be quite unforgiving if you oversteer, though they rarely turtle. 
There is, however, definitely a learning curve to overcome when using this chassis. 
Expect to spin out and lose all of your momentum if you expect too much. 

At slower speeds, such as when the dogfight has gone to hell, you can get a 90 degree turn out of this car, easily, assuming you have no major recoil happening from weapons fire, and a good bit more if you like using the handbrake. You can stay inside the turning arc of most NPC vehicles with ease, chewing away at them the whole time. As with all muscle cars, recoil can be an issue with heavier weapons. 
Personally, after a good bit of trial and error, I have found that an [[Medium Machine Gun|MMG]]/[[Machine Gun|MG]] combo works very well. An [[Medium Machine Gun|MMG]]/[[Micromissile Launcher|MMLs]] combo is effective as well, but one must keep in mind the ammo limitations [[Micromissile Launcher|MML]] have.  
As with any muscle car, DON'T STOP unless it's going to give you a BIG tactical advantage. 
The [[Moray]] can be a bit more forgiving in slow-speed situations than other muscle cars due to its tight turning radius, but it's best not to get INTO that situation if you don't have to. -Rev. V

[[Corghette]] - A dead sexy little racer - the Corghette is closest in handling to a tighter [[Vampire]] with one major difference. On rough terrain, it's entirely possible to get the Corghette stuck nose-and-tail on terrain, with none of its tires in contact with the ground. If it doesn't get stuck, it's a very responsive and deadly car, with 5 more bulk than the [[Vampire]]. Like the [[Vampire]], the Corghette shines with a 3.2LV8 under the hood. Properly handled with an eye for terrain, the Corgy will serve you very well.

[[Category: Guides]]