World Car of the Year - Top 10 Finalists

The 2008 World Car of the Year award winners will be announced on March 20 at the New York International Auto Show. And here are the top ten finalist:

World Car - Top Ten Finalists:


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


2008 World Performance Car



2008 World Performance Car


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

Honda Civic GX-Greenest Vehicle of 2008

The natural gas-powered Civic GX, stood first in the list of American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) ’Greenest Vehicles of 2008’. The Civic GX wins this award for the fifth consecutive year making it the most eco-friendly car available to the public. Three other Honda vehicles that featured in the list were the gasoline powered Civic, Fit and Civic Hybrid, which made up one-third of the cars.

Introduced in 1998, the Civic GX, is the cleanest internal combustion vehicle certified by the EPA, and is 90% cleaner than the average gasoline-powered car on the road today. Equipped standard with a 5-speed automatic transmission, its 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder engine delivers 113 horsepower and 109 ft-lbs of torque while meeting federal Tier 2-Bin 2 and ILEV zero evaporative emission certification standards and carries the "Cleanest on Earth" title.

"Honda continues to set the standard for socially and environmentally-responsible automotive products and our commitment to alternative fuels will further expand with the zero emissions FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle coming to market this summer," stated John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda.

The entire list of eco-friendly winners for 2008:

HONDA CIVIC GX

TOYOTA PRIUS

HONDA CIVIC HYBRID

SMART FORTWO CONVERTIBLE / COUPE

TOYOTA YARIS

NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID

TOYOTA COROLLA 1.8L

MINI COOPER / CLUBMAN

FORD FOCUS

TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID

HONDA CIVIC

HONDA FIT

SUV of the year - Volkswagen Tiguan

The readers of OFF ROAD, a German trade journal, have given the SUV of the Year prize to the Tiguan. Attracting 17.4 % of the votes, the Tiguan emerged as the readers’ choice among the 20 nominated vehicles, ahead of its second and third-placed rivals the BMW X3 and the Land Rover Freelander. In the exceptionally prestigious category of Luxury Off-Roaders, the Volkswagen Touareg won the number-two ranking amidst a field of eleven rivals for the award in this category.

In the continuously growing segment for off-road vehicles, readers could this year choose from a total field of 87 models made by 38 manufacturers for prizes in eight categories. In addition to the fiercely competitive categories of Off-Road Vehicles and Luxury Off-Road Vehicles, SUVs and Luxury SUVs, there were also categories for Cross-Over Models, Classics, Pick-Ups and Special Vehicles. The criterion applied for the classification "Luxury" is a basic price tag of more than 40,000 euro.

Over 58,000 readers took part in this year’s poll. The prizes were presented in Munich last night.

Corvette ZR1 best and sexiest car in Detroit

There is no wonder why the Corvette ZR1 was chosen the best at Detroit Auto Show. It is indeed a very good and anticipated car, but on the other hand it didn’t had a real competition in there. According to Detroit News, the ZR1 was the best and the sexiest car in the Show. Results were announced at the Detroit Economic Club’s North American International Auto Show 2008 luncheon at Cobo Center.

"We recruited a panel of 100 readers to inspect the powertrains, kick the tires and check the many shades of green in a contest to identify the best of show," said Jon Wolman, editor and publisher of The Detroit News. "They were dazzled by much of what they saw and we’re glad to present these awards in honor of the vehicles that stood out for their excellence."

While most of the awards handed out at the auto show are voted on by journalists or industry professionals, the Readers’ Choice Awards are intended to gauge the sentiments of consumers.

This year’s winners, by category, were:


Best of Show: Corvette ZR1
Best Future Fantasy: Mazda Taiki
Best Family Hauler: Chrysler Town and Country
Best Curves: Lincoln MKS
Plushest Interior: Maybach Landaulet
Most Innovative: Ford F-150
Sexiest Vehicle: Corvette ZR1

Audi R8 - 2008 Automobile of the Year

Automobile Magazine, America’s leading automotive lifestyle publication and part of Source Interlink Media, announced that the Audi R8 is its 2008 Automobile of the Year. The magazine also named the R8 Design of the Year and GM’s Two-Mode Hybrid System Technology of the Year.

2008 Automobile of the Year: Audi R8

Audi’s first foray into the sports car arena impressed the editors with its depth of abilities, which include straight-line speed, deep reserves of power, generous suspension travel, laser-like directional stability, and the surefootedness of all-wheel drive. The R8’s glass-encased, 420-hp, 4.2-liter V-8 engine has the sound of a traditional Italian supercar. Editors called it a great real-world sports car in the vein of the Porsche 911, but with the exotic presence of a Ferrari.

"The R8 absolutely captivated the automotive world this past year," said Jean Jennings, President and Editor-in-Chief of AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE. "It propels Audi into a whole new league of driving dynamics, and it emphatically caps Audi’s steep ascent from the somnambulant lull in which it languished in the early 1990s. The R8 is a thrilling new sports car from a company that’s stronger than it’s ever been."


Design of the Year: Audi R8
The arresting R8 features a bright metal blade on its side, an unmistakable and dramatic design feature shared with no other car. For Design of the Year, AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE looks for innovation, style, beauty, engineering, dynamics, heritage and public approbation, and editors noted that the R8’s design is outstanding in almost every way.

"We honor the designers and the engineers who have so perfectly realized a truly civilized grand touring coupe," said Design Editor Robert Cumberford. "It is far more comfortable than cars of equal performance, and it features a highly focused environment for the driver but a relaxed and more open space for the passenger."

Fiat Linea wins the "Autobest 2008" prize

After winning “Car of The Year 2008” with the Fiat 500, “Carro do Ano 2008” with the Fiat Grande Punto and other prestigious international awards, the Fiat brand has now brought home the coveted "AUTOBEST 2008" prize with the Fiat Linea. The electors were an international jury of 15 specialist journalists representing 15 European countries containing a total of about 300 million inhabitants: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and Hungary.

The Fiat Linea placed first with 850 points, ahead of the Kia Cee’d (784), the Mazda 2 (705), the Skoda Fabia (679) and the Toyota Auris (583). Under the terms of the "AUTOBEST" award, the jury selects the winner from a shortlist of 5 finalists on the basis of 13 parameters that include design, comfort, economic running, driveability, price and value for money. Each member of the jury has a total of 240 points to distribute among the 5 cars and there is a ceiling of votes for each parameter.



The "AUTOBEST 2008" prize provides further confirmation of the acclaim with which Europe has welcomed the Fiat Linea, a three-box segment C saloon that offers original styling, functionality and driving pleasure as well as a very competitive price/content ratio.

Conceived within the orbit of Tofas A.S., the 50/50 joint-venture between Fiat Auto and Ko Holding quoted on the Istanbul Stock Exchange, the new car is manufactured in the Turkish factory of Bursa and marketed in a number of European and extra-European countries: from Spain to Germany, from Morocco to Finland. And starting next year, the Fiat Linea will also be produced and marketed in Brazil, China, Russia and India.


The new model was designed by the Fiat Style Centre and presents an elegantly dynamic external line with a distinctly Italian flavour to target an international market. Backed by an extraordinary stylistic heritage, the Fiat Linea is a gracefully elegant 4-door vehicle, that comes with generous dimensions that set it at the top of its segment: 4.56 m long, 1.73 m wide, 1.5 m tall and a wheelbase of 2.6 m, in addition to a sizeable luggage compartment of 500 litres

Playboy Crowns the Hottest Cars of 2008

Which cars will be turning heads on the street this year? According to Playboy’s "2008 Cars of the Year," a high-performance hybrid surges past competitors, a European import squeezes to the top, and a luxury carmaker provides one of the most fuel efficient and affordable vehicles on the road.

The selected cars were chosen by an expert team of automotive writers who traveled the world and test drove every new model hitting the showroom floor this year. The vehicles were taken on the sharpest turns, most challenging curves, and the steepest hills to properly separate the superlative from the mediocre.

And the winners are:

PLAYBOY’S 2008 CAR OF THE YEAR: Audi R8
BEST LUXURY SPORTS COUPE: Maserati GranTurismo
SMARTEST PURCHASE: Smart Fortwo
BEST SUV: Land Rover LR2
BEST CROSSOVER: Buick Enclave CXL
BEST CONVERTIBLE: BMW 335i
BEST EARTH-DAY CAR: Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec
BEST PINT-SIZE PERFORMANCE: Volvo C30