The test track for Ward's 10 Best Engines wasn't just long—it was the longest in the world. Winding through mountains and valleys, it simulated nearly every terrain imaginable.
This was no ordinary evaluation. Paired with aggressive, almost reckless professional drivers, the event pushed engines to their limits. Some past entries hadn't merely failed; they'd exploded under the strain.
This year, anticipation was even higher. Live-streamed globally, viewers couldn't wait to see what new mechanical disasters or triumphs might unfold. Inertia drifts were just the warm-up. The real excitement came from the madness—the maneuvers that wrung every last ounce of performance from each powertrain and chassis.
All performance data, from driver scores to real-time telemetry, would be compiled and audited. The top ten highest scoring engine-chassis combinations would walk away with the coveted Ward's awards.
When Haifeng arrived at the venue, he was stunned by the crowd.
Officially, only lottery-selected fans were permitted inside the gated evaluation area. But outside? Thousands of car enthusiasts from across the globe had taken up position along the 50-kilometer course. The track was packed with spectators from the mountain base to its peak and back down again.
It felt like a rally event—raw, loud, and energetic.
Haifeng marveled at the scale. It was barely past 7:00 a.m., yet tens of thousands were already camped out for a race that wouldn't begin until 1:00 p.m. The reach and reputation of the Ward's competition were undeniable.
Naturally, where there were crowds, there was commerce.
Licensed vendors sold everything from drinks and snacks to model cars and engine-themed memorabilia. Surprisingly, Haifeng noticed something familiar amid the chaos—food stalls from China.
Jianbing, hand-grab pancakes, and grilled pork skewers. Classic Chinese street food, recreated on American soil by hardworking immigrants.
He couldn't resist. Haifeng bought a jianbing and enjoyed it while walking with Audi's team toward the exhibition hall.
This year's event was less a competition than a public duel among global automakers. Each brand brought only their best, displaying their latest engines and designs to battle for tech supremacy.
Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Porsche, Ford, Hyundai, Mitsubishi.
The venue itself was circular, laid out like a cloistered ring. Each company had drawn a random lot to determine booth placement. Every booth was sixty square meters, with strict regulations: two engines per brand, no exceptions.
Audi had drawn booth #15.
Haifeng had chosen a high-tech, futuristic black theme for the Audi space—sleek, modern, and unmistakably premium. On either side of Audi's booth were Sanling Motors and Toyota.
Xu Zhilin scowled.
"Sanling and Toyota? What luck. We're sandwiched between two old rivals."
Many of the Audi team shared the sentiment but kept quiet.
Haifeng remained calm.
"Let them be next to us. That makes it easier to outperform them—fair and square."
Still, he wasn't entirely confident. While their performance and tuning were world-class, the interior and exterior categories were subjective.
Fortunately, Audi's second-generation A4L had received substantial visual upgrades from the lab team. Sharper lines replaced the older, rounder profile. The body was finished in a white-and-black dual-tone: white body with a black floating roof, a bold honeycomb grille, and Audi's signature matrix LED headlamps. The result? Sleek, sporty aggression.
Beside it, the TT coupe stood out in Tango Red—a color chosen unanimously by the team.
While Haifeng and Xu Zhilin discussed final details, a new group entered the exhibition hall.
At the front was a striking woman, tall, fair-skinned, no more than 24. Her tailored suit accentuated an elegant yet powerful figure. She carried herself with calm confidence, an almost holy demeanor, yet undeniably alluring.
Haifeng's eyes lit up. He'd seen many beautiful women, but few with this kind of duality—charm without vulgarity, beauty without pretense.
He assumed she must be representing another brand. He raised an eyebrow when her group walked straight into the next-door Toyota booth.
"So they're with Toyota."
He didn't linger.
Instead, he turned to the team and began assigning final tasks before the afternoon kickoff.