Chapter 211: How can the Steyr engine be so strong!

The two almost spoke those words at the same time; after saying them, they felt it was a bit awkward to ask, and they both exchanged a smile.

That smile fell in the eyes of the others, making their hearts go cold.

What does that mean? What does that mean?

Could this bidding have some inside deal? The Eastern leadership is especially favorable toward the young Steyr newcomer, implying the bid is already decided? Then we other manufacturers… absolutely won't accept it!

Everyone looked at each other, me at you, you at me, before anyone could speak, we heard Old Yuan speak again.

"Alright, then let's see how strong Steyr really is."

"Well, first we'll add load to our truck, demonstrate its performance, then show everyone the truck cannon."

Initially Steyr sent over two chassis; one was upgraded into a truck cannon, the other hadn't been modified yet, so it was used as an ordinary military vehicle.

An empty heavy truck runs not necessarily worse than a small car; the key is its load capacity. According to military requirements, we load fourteen tons of cargo into the bed, then test!

For Steyr, this load is nothing—later generations called Steyr the "hundred‑ton king," meaning it can start moving with a hundred‑ton load, not that its limit is a hundred tons; as long as the bed can hold it, it can pull two hundred tons.

As for the result, even on a small slope it would crawl like a snail; if it stalled midway, it couldn't start again and had to roll back to the bottom.

Of course, military vehicles differ from civilian ones; the military requires that even after loading cargo, they can still move swiftly!

Looking ahead at the tank‑training slope, the gradient starts at about ten degrees, increasing upward; at seven or eight hundred meters—the spot where Deutz failed—the gradient is about thirty degrees, which is also the maximum grade most trucks can climb.

Beyond that, it reaches forty‑five degrees; even tanks can't climb it, so most tracked vehicles' marks stop there.

Previously, Steyr's power performance was lacking in all tests; now, even with a new vehicle, what good is that? Could it possibly match a new engine? Remember, developing a truck engine typically takes five years!

Kurt walked over nonchalantly, bent over… as if tying his shoelaces, actually lowering his head to look at the engine beneath Steyr's cab; when he saw the familiar inline‑six layout, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Steyr mainly has two engines: the primary is the inline‑six WD615, fitted with a turbocharger, boosting output to 260 horsepower; meanwhile, Steyr also has a V8 engine coded WD815, whose displacement increased from 9.7 L to 12 L, but…

The latter still lacks a turbocharger and remains naturally aspirated, so its power is only 240 hp and torque 760 Nm—its performance is still inferior to the six‑cylinder version.

Now, Steyr's engineers are reportedly rushing to fit a turbocharger to the V8 engine, but this takes time—it won't mature without a year or two of work!

Meanwhile, the top two contenders—Deutz and MAN—both use uniformly turbocharged V8 engines, delivering strong power that outclasses Steyr by a notch.

When Kurt lifted his head, through the gap behind the cab he saw Horst's silhouette opposite; both were staring at the engine. If the engine isn't changed, Steyr has no hope of winning.

Meanwhile, Qin Miao was still introducing things to Old Yuan.

"This cab was modified with help from Ha Gong Da; the bunk width inside reaches eight hundred millimeters, giving the driver a more comfortable rest space, and we've installed hydraulic support rods on the tilting mechanism underneath, making maintenance easier……"

Old Yuan nodded repeatedly, clearly pleased with these modifications.

Beside them, the Deutz and MAN representatives were unimpressed.

"Widening the rear bunk? What's the use? Just being able to sleep is enough—why all the fuss? As for the tilting mechanism, our engines rarely break down once a year; only during occasional maintenance do we tilt the cab, and turning the manual crank is sufficient."

"All show, no substance!"

After loading the weight, everyone dispersed.

The driver got in, turned the key; amid the crisp sound of fuel pumping, the engine started on the first try, and the driver habitually blipped the throttle twice, making the engine roar.

Listening… it sounds quite powerful, doesn't it?

Kurt and Horst exchanged a glance; experienced veteran engineers can judge an engine's condition and power just by its sound, yet for some reason they felt an ominous premonition.

This engine sounds quite strong…

The driver pressed the clutch, shifted gears, and pulled away—everything went smoothly, while Kurt widened his eyes.

"Listening to the rpm, it's only just thirteen‑fourteen hundred, yet it can start moving under load? This…"

This shows the engine's power is very strong!

"There's nothing surprising about that," Qin Miao smiled. "Everyone, our truck has reached the starting point; please keep your eyes peeled and watch its impressive performance!"

The starting point is about two hundred meters from the slope; this stretch is for the truck to gain speed—on the first flat section, whoever accelerates faster will have a greater speed when hitting the incline.

As the small red flag dropped, the stationary Steyr heavy truck lurched forward again; this time the engine roared, obviously the driver had floored the throttle, and as he released the clutch, the truck's front wheels slightly lifted!

How is that possible? This isn't even a tractor unit!

A 6×6 off‑road heavy truck never lifts its front wheels on takeoff unless the engine has exceptionally ample power…

The top‑ranked Deutz, with a 320‑hp engine, and second‑ranked MAN, with a 290‑hp engine, never showed this effect in testing!

This vehicle before our eyes…

"This truck's engine must be at least 350 hp, with torque no less than 1,300 Nm!" Kurt made his judgment: "This… this is impossible!"

The instant he spoke, the engine's roar suddenly cut off with a soft "whoosh," and then the vehicle surged forward again!

"This acceleration… it jumped straight from first to third gear—how is that possible?" Horst was also stunned.

And this is under full load! In this situation, the driver actually managed to shift up a gear!

Amid clouds of black smoke, Steyr surged forward, then—*pfft*…

That sound of the vent valve startled everyone—it meant the transmission had shifted from low‑range to high‑range, from third to fifth gear!

This Steyr is defying heaven!