AND NOW THERE ARE TEN ...
Top Ten World Car and World Performance Car Finalists Announced
The countdown has begun in preparation for the 2011 World Car Awards winners' press conference on Thursday, April 21, 2011. The 2011 World Car of the Year and the 2011 World Performance Car will be declared at this time.
The top three finalists in all award categories will be announced at the Geneva International Motor Show on Tuesday, March 1st, 2011.
A jury of sixty-six (66) distinguished international automotive journalists selected the following top ten finalists in both categories by secret ballot, based on their experience with each candidate as part of their professional work. The jury members constitute a balance of representation from Asia, Europe, North America, South America, as well as other parts of the world. All hold significant stature within their own regions and countries. Padraic Deane of Automotive Publications represents Ireland on this global jury.
The international accounting firm KPMG then tabulated the jurors' ballots and announced the top ten finalists in both categories today. They are in alphabetical order:
The top ten 2011 World Car of the Year finalists:
. Audi A1
. Audi A8
. BMW 5 Series
. BMW X3
. Jaguar XJ
. Jeep Grand Cherokee
. Mercedes-Benz SLS
. Nissan LEAF
. Porsche Cayenne
. Volvo S60 / V60
The top ten 2011 World Performance Car finalists:
. Aston Martin Rapide
. Audi RS 5 Coupe
. Cadillac CTS-V Coupe
. Ferrari 458 Italia
. Lamborghini Gallardo SUPERLEGGERA
. Mercedes-Benz S63 / CL 63 AMG
. Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
. Porsche 911 GT2RS
. Porsche 911 Turbo
. Renault Megane III / Renault Sport
The jurors' next step is to re-evaluate the "top ten" cars in both classes, in preparation for a final round of voting in February. They will specifically rate each vehicle in terms of overall merit, value, safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal, and significance. KPMG will again tabulate the vote results. The top three finalists in both categories will be announced at the Geneva International Motor Show on March 1st during a press conference co-hosted by Bridgestone Corporation and the New York International Auto Show.
Previous World Car of the Year winners were the Volkswagen Polo in 2010, the Volkswagen Golf in 2009, the Mazda2 in 2008, the Lexus LS460 in 2007, the BMW 3-Series in 2006, and the Audi A6 in 2005.
Previous World Performance Car winners were the Audi R8 V10 in 2010, the Nissan GT-R in 2009, the Audi R8 in 2008, the Audi RS4 in 2007 and the Porsche Cayman S in 2006.
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The eight 2011 World Car Design of the Year finalists
The top three design finalists will be announced at the Geneva International Motor Show on Tuesday, March 1st, 2011.
The eight 2011 World Car Design of the Year finalists represent three continents. They are in alphabetical order:
. Alfa Romeo Giulietta
. Aston Martin Rapide
. Audi A7
. Citroen DS3
. Ferrari 458
. Honda CR-Z
. Kia Sportage
. Nissan Juke
This is the fifth time that a Citroen design has been in the top finalists' position for the World Car Design of the Year award having won the inaugural overall title in 2006 for its C4 design. It is the second time for the Kia design team; the Kia Soul reached the "top three" finalist position in 2010. And it's the third time for Audi having captured the overall 2008 and 2007 World Car Design of the Year honours.
Cars eligible for the 2011 World Car Design of the Year award are taken from the list of fifty-one (51) candidates. Those candidates may be on the overall World Car of the Year list or may be included as a stand-alone entry provided the vehicle is introduced and available for sale in at least one major market during the period beginning January 1, 2010 and ending May 30th, 2011
The World Car Design of the Year category, and the corresponding award, is meant to highlight new vehicles with innovation and style that push established boundaries.
A design panel consisting of five highly respected world design experts asked to first review each candidate, and then establish a short-list of recommendations for the jurors. The design experts are:
Masatsugu Arimoto: as Japan's foremost automotive design commentator, Arimoto is chairman of the Japan Auto Colour Award program, and a juror on Car Styling's "Car Design Awards" as well as judge on the Japan Car of the Year awards. Silvia Baruffaldi: as Managing Editor of Auto & Design magazine, Silvia Baruffaldi has contacts with design centres of car makers and consultant studios the world over.
Gernot Bracht: former designer at Renault who now teaches at the Pforzheim design school in Germany.
Sam Livingstone: Director of the consultancy Car Design Research, Senior Tutor in Vehicle Design at the Royal College of Art and Associate Editor of Car Design News.
Tom Matano: currently the Executive Director, School of Industrial Design, at Academy of Art University, San Francisco. From 1983 to 2002, Matano worked at Mazda managing the Chief Designers group that created the entire Mazda car line designs. Judges on many Concours d'Elegances including Pebble Beach
The sixty-six (66) World Car Awards jurors will now vote on the expert's recommendations in February 2010 and their ballots will be tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG. The top three design finalists will be announced at the Geneva International Motor Show on Tuesday, March 1st.
Previous winners of the World Car Design of the Year award were the Chevrolet Camaro in 2010, the Fiat 500 in 2009, the Audi R8 in 2008, the Audi TT in 2007 and the Citroen C4 in 2006.
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The six 2011 World Green Car finalists
The top three World Green Car finalists will be announced at the Geneva International Motor Show on Tuesday, March 1st, 2011.
The six 2011 World Green Car finalists are in alphabetical order:
. BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics Edition
. Chevrolet Volt
. Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
. Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell
. Nissan LEAF
. smart electric drive
To be eligible for the 2011 World Green Car* award, a vehicle had to be all-new, or substantially revised, in production and introduced for sale or lease to the public in quantities of at least 10 in at least one major market during the period beginning January 1, 2010 and ending May 30th, 2011. Tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, and use of a major advanced power plant technology (beyond engine componentry), aimed specifically at increasing the vehicle's environmental responsibility, were all taken into consideration.
Due to the complexity of some of the 'green' technologies, three (3) green experts were appointed by the World Car Awards Steering Committee to extensively review all documentation and specs associated with each candidate. They were asked to create a short-list of finalists for review by the sixty-six (66) jurors in their second round of voting in February. Their ballots will be tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG. The top three World Green Car finalists will then be announced at the Geneva International Motor Show on Tuesday, March 1st, during a press conference co-hosted by Bridgestone Corporation and the New York International Auto Show.
The three green experts are in alphabetical order:
Sam Abuelsamid (representing North America) is the technical editor of several 'green' web sites including GreenFuelsForecast.com, DieselForecast.com and HydrogenForecast.com.
Dean Slavnich (representing Europe) is editor of Engine Technology International (ETi) and its sister publication, Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International (E&H).
Tadashi Tateuchi (representing Asia) is the creator and chairman of the Japan Electric Vehicle (EV) Club. He was awarded the Environment Minister's medal in 1998.
Previous World Green Car winners were the Volkswagen BlueMotion (Golf, Passat, Polo) in 2010, the Honda FCX Clarity in 2009, the BMW 118d with Efficient Dynamics in 2008, the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec in 2007 and the Honda Civic Hybrid in 2006.
The World Green Car award is presented by Bridgestone Corporation (Japan).
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More Information:
Prime Research International, a global leader in strategic communication research and consultancy is one a again the World Car Awards' research partner. The company will provide strategic reports in 2011 that analyze our awards global automotive media coverage.
Now in their eighth year, the annual World Car awards have become one of the world's most prestigious, credible and significant programs of its kind.
The awards were inaugurated in 2003, and officially launched in January 2004, to reflect the reality of the global marketplace, as well as to recognize and reward automotive excellence on an international scale. The awards are intended to complement, not compete, with existing national and regional Car of the Year programs.
The awards are administered by a non-profit association, under the guidance of a Steering Committee of pre-eminent automotive journalists from Asia, Europe, and North America. Peter Lyon (Japan) and Matt Davis (Italy) are the co-chairs; John McCormick (USA), Jens Meiners (Germany) and Gerry Malloy (Canada) are the directors. There is no affiliation with, nor are the awards in any way influenced by any publication, auto show, automaker, or other commercial enterprise.
Padraic Deane,
Publisher/ Managing Editor,
Automotive Publications.
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