3. Add some really ugly bells and whistles

The next menus are where you can squeeze out a few remaining points. The first thing to understand is that while it’s not sexy, the hybrid design is going to give you the highest score. What’s odd about the choices from this point forward is how much seemingly insignificant aspects of car design can boost your score.

As an example, few people pay any attention to tires. That’s a mistake. The next time you operate the panel, give no consideration to how the tires look. Your goal isn’t to build a hot rod. You want a top score, and you can game the system quite easily. Each selection comes with its own scoring data. If a tire design offers +2 Responsiveness and -2 Efficiency, you shouldn’t choose it. That’s a net score of zero, which literally helps you none.

Scroll through the options for each menu. Pick the one that offers the highest overall net score. Generally, it’s either +2 or +3. That doesn’t seem like much for a single selection. Over several screens, however, it’s the difference between a score of 210 as opposed to 225. The former one probably beats your friends. The latter puts you at the top of the leaderboard.

Circling back to tires, you’ll quickly realize that the ugliest tires imaginable, the ones that look like they belong on a James Bond amphicar, score the highest. To maximize your points, use the slider at the top of the screen on the next menu. Move your finger on the Capability side (the first few bars) to see where your score looks highest. Then, take a moment to laugh at the absurdity of your tires before moving on to the next menu. The quicker you make your peace with how ugly your car is, the better off you’ll be.

“Accessories” offers the final series of menus. This is the place where you can increase your score through the simple counting method above. The Front, Hood, Side, Top, Rear, and Trail should have about 15 points of additional scoring available. Presuming that you’ve followed all the steps listed above, your final selections should push your score past 225, possibly even 230. If you’re over 230, you’ll likely earn your place on the Today’s Top Design page, especially if you’re at the park early in the day.

4. Practice, practice, practice

Note that you can practice Test Track if you want to become a champion of the Today’s Top Design display. A few practice consoles reside in the post-ride portion of the Chevrolet area. After only a few minutes of messing around with the scoring system, you should have a strong grasp of how to attain a consistently high score. Then, you can easily set up a situation where you can show off to your friends.

Also, try to ride Test Track earlier in the day. That way, you’re competing against only a few hundred others. A score in the 225 range should easily place you at the top of the leaderboard. Toward the end of the day, a score of 230 or more is generally required to reign supreme. So, if your goal is not just to beat your friends but to take a selfie of yourself with your car as the winner of Today’s Top Design, earlier in the day is better.

Still, if you're anything like me, the most important thing is having bragging rights over your friends. By following these tips, you can be a Test Track ringer then gloat about your win indefinitely. If you get a high score using these tips, feel free to leave a comment below!