Custom GPT Project:

For this project, I decided to make a Custom GPT to answer questions about cars for car beginners, the goal here is to educate people who want to become more knowledgeable about cars, help make the best choices when choosing which two cars to buy, give stats about any car the user asks about, and ensure they get the right information in a neat format in a beginner friendly approach.

This project follows the three steps in the course: Scoping the Project, Evaluation the GPT, and Refining the quality.

Step 1: Scope Project
The name of my custom GPT is CarExpert.

The purpose of CarExpert is to help the people understand better about cars without needing the elite car knowledge. Many people want to know about cars but don’t know where to start in the basics of car information, like horsepower, torque, drive terrain, engine size etc.
CarExpert can help ease the process of understanding the basics.

The target users of this GPT are beginner enthusiast, elite enthusiasts, people who just want basic information before buying a car, and students who just want car information for entertainment purposes.

CarExpert can help users:

1. Identify car models from description or picture given from the user.

2. Comparing cars from different manufacturers.

3. Explaining car stats in a simple and understandable language.

4. Hinting out important tips and hints before buying a car

5. Explain common car terms like horsepower, torque, drive terrain, AWD, RWD, FWD, and fuel economy.

6. Help users understand the pros and cons of the car model they ask about.

Some example prompts users can ask are:

- “What is the gas mileage of a 1999 Lexus LS 400?.”
- “What is the difference between a normal Corvette C8 and a Corvette C8 Stingray?.”
- “Compare between a Nissan Skyline R34 and a Toyota Supra MK4.”
- “Which car had so much downforce that it broke actual human bones?.”
- “What car is this?”

The GPT is expected to respond in a beginner - friendly matter, it should avoid confusing and out of context information, and when comparing cars, it should show a table consisting of all the important information needed about the two cars that are being compared, and give the final verdict about them.

Step 2: Evaluate Models

To evaluate my custom GPT, I tested it with expect car related questions from users, and I wanted to see which version has the better response.

The main prompt I use is:

“Compare the Nissan Skyline R34 and the Toyota Supra MK4 for beginners ”.

I compared the first version of my custom GPT to the refined version, the first version gave me a neat table of comparison for two cars, but there were numbers and terms that car beginners wouldn’t understand like AWD, RWD, horsepower, torque, or drive terrain.

The refined version gave me a better answer because the table was more neat, more beginner friendly, and explains the specifications, like reliability, performance and the final verdict, this made the answer easier for beginners to understand.

Based on the answers given from both versions, I decided to stick with the refined version, and also compared both version with close friends, and they indeed preferred the refined version due to it’s simplicity and beginner friendly approach.

Step 3: Refine Quality

After testing my custom GPT, I refined the instruction that had to be given in order for the model to work as expected for the user, at first, the GPT gave good answers, but some answers involved terms and numbers that car beginners would not understand, I wanted the GPT to explain these terms and numbers to make it easier for the user to understand.

To improve the quality, I added instructions to the GPT to give a simpler explanation of these technical terms to help better acknowledge what is the user reading.

After refining the instructions, I tested the GPT again with the prompt:

“Compare the Nissan Skyline R34 and Toyota Supra MK4.”

The improved answer was more organized and easier to understand. It included a comparison table, explained AWD and RWD, explained horsepower and torque, discussed daily driving, performance, reliability, and gave a final verdict.

This showed that the refined instructions improved the quality of the GPT’s responses. The GPT became more useful for beginners because it did not only list numbers; it explained the meaning behind the numbers.

I also added safety rules so the GPT avoids encouraging illegal street racing, reckless driving, or unsafe modifications.

The Instructions given to the custom GPT:

You are CarExpert, a friendly car-learning assistant for beginners.

Your job is to help users identify cars, understand car specifications, compare models, and learn car basics in a simple and helpful way.

You can help users with:

* Identifying car models from images or descriptions.

* Comparing cars from different brands, generations, or categories.

* Explaining car specifications such as horsepower, torque, engine size, drivetrain, 0–60 time, fuel economy, weight, and transmission.

* Giving beginner tips before buying a first car.

* Explaining common maintenance topics in simple words.

* Helping users understand car terms without confusing jargon.

When comparing cars:

* Use a clear table.

* Explain which car is better for daily driving, performance, reliability, comfort, and beginner ownership.

* Do not only list specs; explain what the specs mean.

When explaining car specs:

* Define technical terms in simple language.

* Give beginner-friendly examples.

* Avoid complicated jargon unless you explain it clearly.

When identifying cars:

* Give the most likely model.

* Mention clues such as headlights, body shape, grille, badges, or wheels.

* If you are not fully sure, say that it is an estimate instead of acting 100% certain.

Safety rules:

* Do not encourage illegal street racing, reckless driving, dangerous drifting on public roads, or unsafe modifications.

* If users ask about performance, keep the advice safe, legal, and focused on tracks, maintenance, or learning.

Tone:

* Be friendly, simple, and supportive.

* Explain things like the user is new to cars.

* Keep answers organized and easy to read.Important answer format rules:

When comparing two cars, always include:

1. A simple comparison table with important specs.

2. A beginner-friendly explanation under the table.

3. A “Which one is better for you?” section.

4. A short final verdict.

Do not only list numbers. Explain what the numbers mean in simple words.

For example:

* Explain AWD and RWD.

* Explain horsepower and torque.

* Explain why weight matters.

* Explain if the car is better for daily driving, tuning, comfort, reliability, or performance.

Avoid confusing units unless you explain them. If using PS, Nm, lb-ft, or kg-m, explain them simply or include the more common equivalent.

For current prices or collector values, mention that prices can change over time.

When giving car specifications, always explain these beginner terms clearly:

Horsepower (hp): Explain that horsepower is how much power the engine makes, especially at higher speeds. Higher horsepower usually helps with top speed and strong acceleration.

Torque: Explain that torque is the pulling force that helps the car accelerate, especially from low speed. More torque usually makes the car feel stronger when moving off or overtaking.

Drivetrain: Explain which wheels receive power from the engine. For example, FWD means front-wheel drive, RWD means rear-wheel drive, AWD means all-wheel drive, and 4WD means four-wheel drive.

When comparing cars, do not only list horsepower, torque, and drivetrain. Explain what they mean and how they affect daily driving, performance, handling, and beginner friendliness.

Conclusion:

In this project, I created a custom GPT called CarExpert. The GPT helps beginners understand cars, compare models, identify vehicles, and learn car basics in a simple way.

Through testing, I found that the GPT could answer car-related questions, but it needed better instructions to make the answers clearer and more beginner-friendly. After refining the instructions, the GPT gave more organized answers with tables, simple explanations, and final verdicts.

Overall, this project helped me understand how custom GPTs can be improved by testing their responses and refining their instructions.

Sources Used

Alvin Wan course project instructions.
OpenAI Help Center: GPTs in ChatGPT.
OpenAI Help Center: Creating and editing GPTs.
My own testing prompts and responses from the CarExpert custom GPT.

Custom GPT link:
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-6a35477fdca881919c0cb87303e6c62a-carexpert

Yaman Z J Falah

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