Start with thirteen cars and nearly 8,000 hp, then add the open road and more than 200 devotees of driving, and you have the winning recipe for the 2018 Robb Report Car of the Year. Here’s a primer on how the fine-tuned automotive gala was geared. It’s no exaggeration to say that the sports and luxury vehicles in our 2018 Car of the Year contest constitute one of the most diverse and exciting dream garages the editors have gathered for Robb Report’s annual autofest.

There was something to suit every taste: a couple of supercars, three gorgeous GTs, two feisty sports sedans, two ultra-luxury four-doors, three powerful convertibles, and an American muscle car, which elicited debate louder than its 707 hp engine. It would seem that power was this year’s theme, and there were plenty of horses kicking the stalls. A total of 7,945 hp, to be precise. Had the Bugatti Chiron made its appearance as planned (forestalled due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control), total equine output would have teetered on the precipice of 10,000 hp.

Power ranged from the 471 hp Lexus to the 710 hp McLaren, or an average of 611 hp per car. Fifteen years ago, the Lexus would have been at the top of the heap, yet now, 700-plus hp engines are hardly uncommon. Today’s drivers are a spoiled and entitled bunch, and carmakers are only too happy to indulge us.

As with any sport, half the fun is making friendly bets on which competitor will come out on top. With 15 Car of the Year competitions under this writer’s belt, the biggest lesson learned is that one can never predict the love or hate elicited by certain automobiles. And the sheer diversity of our judges ensures that one driver’s heartthrob could be another’s heartburn.

It’s a safe bet, however, that at the end of an exhausting day of driving, evaluating, and voting by our judges, every one of these 13 cars is someone’s winner. The criteria for selection and judging are simple: We choose 13 cars from among the best sports and luxury offerings on the market. Because that’s about the most cars that can be driven comfortably in a day. The model must be new, or at least offer a significant change in specifications from the previous model year.

So while a Porsche Turbo S (last year’s cowinner) is a stellar automobile, it’s not new for 2018, and thus doesn’t qualify. Other new models may have been available in Europe but not yet fresh off the boat in America, which explains the absence of cars like the Ferrari 812 Superfast and Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. Judging is done by enthusiastic drivers—not automotive journalists—and the results are tallied from 10 groups of as many as 26 drivers each, who drive in pairs.

Our Napa, Calif., event hosted seven groups; Boca Raton, Fla., had three, for 202 participants in total. Each driver answered questions with a grade of A through F, rating such aspects as performance, design, suitability as a daily driver, perceived value, and more. This broad scope of questions helps to level the playing field, with a sedan theoretically gaining a higher score than a single-purpose supercar. Needless to say, there were surprises at every turn. None of the judges were surprised by the hospitality received at the Meadowood Napa Valley resort in St. Helena, Calif., and Florida’s historic Boca Raton Resort & Club, now a Waldorf Astoria property. Both hotels lodged our guests and served as headquarters for our 10 demanding driving sessions.

The system enables the car keeps a close eye on the traffic with an improved camera and radar systems and uses map and navigation data for assistance functions. Active Distance Assist Distronic is able to support the driver in numerous route-specific situations, while predictively adjusting the speed when approaching bends or roundabouts. The four-door is also fitted with Active Emergency Stop Assist, Active Lane Change Assist, and Active Brake Assist as standard.

The latter can help to reduce the impact of rear-end collisions with slower-moving, stopping or stationary vehicles ahead, and even with crossing pedestrians and cyclists. The Pre-Safe Plus package from the bigger Merc can be ordered at extra cost. Pricing information for the A-Class L Sedan is not yet available, but it shouldn’t cost more than the BMW 1 Series Sedan in order to remain competitive. The sedan version of the Audi A3 arrive in 2013, about the same time when Mercedes launched the CLA, also a compact.

Slightly wider and lower than the A3 Sportback, the sedan comes with a revised rear end that includes a traditional trunk area. Updated for the 2017 model year, the A3 Sedan boasts a fresh exterior design with sportier, angular lines. It might not be as sleek as the A-Class Sedan, but the A3 Sedan has an attractive design that’s also surprisingly stylish. The interior isn’t as fancy as the A-Class though, and it doesn’t come with as many high-tech features.