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Unlock Guide (Car Types & Components)
By bschneider
This guide details how you unlock all the components for your Chassis, Engines and Gearboxes, as well as the year that each car type becomes available.

This guide is a list based on the components.xml file pointing out the car type name and the year it becomes available. So if this ever gets out of date, you can easily check the unlock dates for yourself. This guide is just for convenience, since searching the forums doesn't always immediately give you the answer you're looking for. August 3, 2019, v1.25 RC1.

EDIT: I went blind in one eye staring at Notepad++ all the time, so I added all the components too. They're sorted by year, or skill in case two release years are identical, or the name, if two release years and two skill requirements are identical. The skill requirements always refer to the relevant component's design skill (e.g. Manual gearboxes require a certain Gearbox Design Skill, MacPherson Struts require a certain Chassis Design Skill). November 26, 2020, v1.25.0.11 (HF 8).
   
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Created by
bschneider
Online
Category: Gameplay Basics
Languages: English
Posted
Updated
3 Aug, 2019 @ 6:25am
26 Nov, 2020 @ 10:54am
2,241 Unique Visitors
25 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
Car Type Unlocks 
Chassis Unlocks 
Engine Unlocks 
Gearbox Unlocks 
Comments
Car Type Unlocks
Car Type
Year
Limousine
1902
Van
1908
Station Wagon
1910
Minivan
1920
Fastback
1926
Coupe Utility
1930
Hatchback
1930
Compact SUV
1930
Subcompact
1935
Compact Van
1950
Sport Utility (SUV)
1958
Microvan
1960
Supercar
1966
Crossover
1980
Chassis Unlocks
Frame

Component
Year
Retirement Year
Skill
Carriage
1880
1915
0
Ladder
1902
---
0
Backbone
1913
---
15
Perimeter
1928
---
25
Superleggera
1926
1980
28
Unibody
1930
---
35

Suspension

Component
Year
Skill
Leaf Spring
1800
0
Sliding Pillar
1878
10
Trailing Arm
1889
10
Swing Axle
1901
15
Air
1915
30
Double Wishbone
1924
35
MacPherson Strut
1939
35
Hydropneumatic
1944
40
Torsion Beam
1950
20
Hydrolastic
1952
40
Multi-Link
1988
45
Magnetorheological
1990
60

Drivetrain

Component
Year
Skill
FR
1890
0
RR
1891
5
F4
1896
30
FF
1902
0
FMR
1910
20
RF
1920
25
R4
1920
50
MF
1930
25
RMR
1940
35
M4
1945
45
Engine Unlocks
Layout

Component
Year
Skill
Steam
1870
10
Single
1890
0
Straight
1891
10
V
1892
15
Electric
1892
10
Flat
1893
15
U
1894
50
H
1895
30
Rotary
1895
10
Radial
1898
10
W
1903
40
X
1905
35
Wankel
1947
60
VV
1995
70

Number of Cylinders

Component
Year
Skill
Electric
1890
0
Steam
1890
0
Wankel (hehe, wank)
1890
0
Single-Cylinder
1890
0
2-Cylinder
1890
0
3-Cylinder
1890
0
4-Cylinder
1890
0
5-Cylinder
1890
10
6-Cylinder
1890
10
7-Cylinder
1890
20
8-Cylinder
1890
20
9-Cylinder
1890
30
16-Cylinder
1890
55
12-Cylinder
1900
40
15-Cylinder
1904
50
10-Cylinder
1906
35
18-Cylinder
1920
70

Fuel

Component
Year
Skill
Gas
1890
0
Steam
1890
0
Electric 1
1890
0
E85
1900
1
Diesel
1912
25
Electric 2
1930
20
Autogas
1960
40
Natural Gas
1960
50
Electric 3
1970
30
Hydrogen
1980
70
Hybrid
1985
60
Electric 4
1990
40
Electric 5
2005
60

Valve

Component
Year
Skill
L-Head
1890
0
Two-Stroke
1890
0
Poppet (Radial & Rotary Engines Only!)
1890
0
T-Head
1890
15
F-Head
1890
20
Sleeve (Radial & Rotary Engines Only!)
1890
25
SOHC (Single Overhead Camshaft)
1890
35
I-Head/OHV (Overhead Valve)
1900
30
DOHC (Double Overhead Camshaft)
1905
50

Induction

Component
Year
Skill
Naturally Aspirated
1890
0
Supercharger
1902
20
Turbocharger (Stage 1)
1932
20
Turbocharger (Variable Geometry)
1932
25
Turbocharger (Stage 2)
1952
27
Twin Turbocharger
1962
45
Turbocharger (Stage 3)
1972
32
Quad Turbocharger
1972
70
Twin Charger
1975
20
Hybrid Turbocharger
1985
50
Turbocharger (Stage 4)
1992
40
Gearbox Unlocks
Type

Component
Year
Skill
Non-Synchronised Manual
1890
0
Manual
1912
20
CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission)
1925
20
Automatic
1925
30
Semi-Automatic
1935
50
DCT (Dual-Clutch Transmission)
1950
50

Number of Gears

Component
Year
Skill
1 Gear
1890
0
2 Gears
1891
0
3 Gears
1892
0
4 Gears
1893
10
5 Gears
1900
20
6 Gears
1903
30
7 Gears
1906
50
8 Gears
1909
70

Add-Ons

Component
Year
Skill
Transaxle
1890
0
Reverse Gear
1890
0
Overdrive
1932
0
Limited Slip Differential
1955
0
7 Comments
< >
bschneider  [author] 29 Sep, 2023 @ 4:53am 
No worries, I appreciate you trying to give me a heads-up!
Jackie Daytona 28 Sep, 2023 @ 11:57am 
Oh, alright. That makes sense. Thanks.

I think I actually knew about that. Totally forgot.
bschneider  [author] 28 Sep, 2023 @ 10:41am 
The way it works is that once the unlock year is reached, the skill requirement decreases every quarter. I don't recall the exact values, but it would be something like at the start year it requires skill 30, but by 6/1900 it would only require 29.3, for example. Have a look at your upcoming components right now, you'll find all values should be less than they are in the guide here, as long as you've reached the unlock year already.

It's meant to simulate a technology becoming more universally adopted and easier to employ yourself.
Jackie Daytona 27 Sep, 2023 @ 7:41pm 
I was able to obtain a OHV on 3/1902 with only 29.48 Engine skill. (Going for the David Buick achievement.) Either the game rounds up, or an update tweaked the required value.
White Rabbit 23 Dec, 2021 @ 7:52am 
Gotta love a good Wankel :Wonkeye::2017tp:
bschneider  [author] 11 Mar, 2021 @ 12:24am 
Thank you! Glad you like it :)
Elisestar 9 Mar, 2021 @ 11:41pm 
Very usefull guide !