Gojirra99

NEW YORK, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The countdown has begun in
preparation for the 2008 World Car awards winners' press conference at the
New York International Auto Show on Thursday, March 20, 2008.

A jury of 47 distinguished international automotive journalists
selected the finalists 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.

World Car - Top Ten Finalists:

The following Top Ten World Car finalists are listed below in
alphabetical order:


Audi A5 Coupe / Audi S5 Coupe
Audi R8
Cadillac CTS
Ford Mondeo
Ford S-Max
Mazda2 / Mazda Demio
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Nissan Qashqai/Dualis
Nissan Skyline Coupe/Infiniti G37 Coupe
Volvo C30

The 2008 World Performance Car, to be chosen from one of these top ten
finalists:


AMG Mercedes-Benz S 63
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster
Audi R8
Audi S5 Coupe
BMW M3
Honda Civic R (Japanese & European spec)
Maserati GranTurismo
Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series
Renault Clio F1 Team R27
Mercedes-Benz CL 63

As there are ten candidates for the 2008 World Green Car title, they
become by default the top ten finalists in this class. They are:


BMW 118d with Efficient Dynamics
Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell Electric
Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon Hybrids
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
Lexus LS 600h L
Nissan Altima Hybrid
Saturn Aura Green Line
Saturn Vue Green Line
SmartForTwo cdi
Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI BlueMotion

The jurors' next steps are to re-evaluate the "Top Ten" cars in the
above categories in preparation for a final round of voting. Jury members
will specifically rate each vehicle in terms of overall merit, value,
safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal, and significance.
KPMG will tabulate the vote results and the top three finalists will be
announced.

The selection of finalists in the World Car Design of the Year category
are handled quite differently. A panel of international design experts
assists the jurors by developing for them a short list of finalists from
the array of eligible candidates in the 2008 World Car of the Year
category. The jurors will choose the 2008 World Car Design of the Year
winner from this short list when they vote in February. The top three
contenders will also be announced by KPMG on February 20, 2008.

"Announcing the annual World Car of the Year awards at the New York
show is a fitting finale to the auto show season that begins each fall with
either the Paris or Frankfurt motor shows," said Gerry Malloy, co-chair,
WCOTY. "Next, it's on to Tokyo in alternating years. The Detroit and Geneva
shows take center stage early in the year. Finally, in March, the season
reaches its exciting climax at the New York International Auto Show."

About World Car of the Year

The World Car of the Year Awards program is initiated by, organized by,
and conducted by, automotive journalists from around the globe. A
non-profit association guided by a steering committee of journalists from
Asia, Europe, and North America administers the awards program. WCOTY is
intended to complement, not compete with, existing COTY awards by raising
consumer awareness of regional Car of the Year award programs as well as
the World Car of the Year.

About New York International Automobile Show

Kicking off the springtime selling season, the 2008 New York
International Automobile Show will feature an impressive collection of
cutting-edge design and remarkable innovation. More than four floors of
displays from the world's automakers will feature the newest vehicles and
futuristic concept cars. More than 1,000 cars and trucks will be on display
at the Javits Center, filling 846,000 square feet of exhibit space. In
addition, dozens of World and North American vehicle debuts are expected at
the Show. NYIAS is owned and produced by the Greater New York Automobile
Dealers Association.


Important Auto Show Dates
Press Preview March 19 & 20
Public Sneak Preview March 21
Public Show Dates March 21 - 30


SOURCE New York International Auto Show

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

I would go with:

Top: Audi A5/S5

Performance: Audi R8

Green: LS600hL

RXSF

i wonder why the performance category didnt include the IS-F. anywhoo

world car: Audi A5/S5 as well
Performance: the Aston just because its gorgeous, or the Cl63, or the S63
Green: LS600Hl- funny its the only extravegant hybrid on that list

cpone

I felt like singing that song when you were a kid.

One of these cars is not like the other, one of these cars just does not belong:

encore888

Hmm, World Car of the Year went first to Audi, then BMW, then Lexus. Will Audi repeat, or will Cadillac or Mercedes take the title?

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

I doubt Caddy will take it. Neither will the C-Class.

Although both are better than their previous generation, neither is "goundbreaking."

Gojirra99

Don't think 600hL will take it ..., & R8 would be my choice too

XeroK00L

The IS-F isn't included probably because it's currently only sold in Japan and the USA--not exactly a "World" car.

My predictions:

World Car: Cadillac CTS--world-class quality at a bargain price.

Performance Car: Audi R8--the only true all-out sports car of the 10 candidates

Green Car: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid--only because it improves what most desperately needs improvement in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions, thereby doing the planet the greatest service

Gojirra99

Posted on Monday 25 February 2008


As this year’s New York Auto Show approaches, organizers of the annual World Car of the Year awards have released details about the top three finalists for each of the World Car, World Performance Car, World Green Car and World Car Design categories. The final winner of each respective category will be revealed on March 20th at a press event in New York.

To be eligible for an award, the vehicles had to be in production, and sold, on at least two continents during 2008. The cars were shortlisted from an original field of 39 new models by a panel of 47 judges comprised of automotive journalists and industry officials from 24 countries. The top three finalists in each category are as follows:

World Car
Ford Mondeo
Mazda2 / Mazda Demio
Mercedes-Benz C-Class

World Performance Car
Audi R8
Audi S5 Coupe
BMW M3

World Green Car
BMW 118d with Efficient Dynamics
SmartForTwo cdi
Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI

World Car Design
Audi R8
Mazda2 / Mazda Demio
Volvo C30

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Well, only one of my three predictions came up on the Top Three for each category...