INTRODUCTION - World Car Awards

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2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
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to all the fine cars, trucks and environm
Congratulations to the winners, and
our diverse list of finalists.
Gerry Malloy
Peter Lyon
Co-chair
Co-chair
Canada
Japan
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
INTRODUCTION
WORLD CAR
RDS
OF TH E YEAR AWAl’a
nnée
3
Eligibility
WORLD CAR
OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Prix mondial de la Voiture de l’année
About WCOTY
The World Car of the Year Association is a non-profit association whose sole objective is to organize, conduct, administer, and
promote the World Car of the Year Awards program.
It is administered by a Steering Committee of five automotive
journalists, comprising:
Peter Lyon – Co-chair – Japan
Gerry Malloy – Co-chair – Canada
Dan Carney – Director – United States
John McCormick – Director – United States
Matt Davis – Director – Italy
The work of the Steering Committee and voting jurors is voluntary.
Beth Rhind is the
Association’s Executive Manager
Contact Information:
World Car of the Year Awards Association
P.O BOX 851, M.P.O.
Cobourg, Ontario, K9A 4L1, Canada
Telephone: +1+ 705.924.3444
Email: [email protected]
Publisher: Niel Hiscox, CLB Media Inc.
Executive Editor / Executive Manager: Beth Rhind
Editor: Gerry Malloy
Website Manager: Ryan Blair, IntraNet Consulting
142 BlackDuck Terr., Hammonds Plains
Nova Scotia, Canada, B4B 1Z6
Telephone: +1 + 902.830.6398 Email: [email protected]
Website: www.wcoty.com
Creative Director: Einar Rice
Production Manager: Lisa Drummond
Acknowledgements:
New York International Auto Show
KPMG LLP
The Midway Group
CLB Media Inc., is one of Canada's leading providers of
information and marketing services to business professionals in
a number of industry sectors. Our media properties include more
than 20 business-to-business publications, web sites and a range
of services including custom publishing, business lists, research,
web development and industry events.
CLB Media is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canada Law Book
Inc. - a leading provider of information-driven services and
solutions serving Canadian professionals since 1855.
4
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
Eligibility Requirements
2008 World Car of the Year
Vehicles are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of
forty-seven (47) top-level automotive journalists from twenty-four (24) countries
around the world. Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee
on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. Each
juror typically drives and evaluates new vehicles on a regular basis as part of their
professional work.
Because cars are introduced in different countries at different times, a new car
must be available in a minimum number of markets before becoming eligible for
World Car of the Year consideration. Specifically, for the 2008 award, the car had
to be on sale on at least two continents before January 1, 2008.
In addition, each candidate needs to prove to the panel of international jurors
that it is the best overall choice, based on multiple criteria. They include the usual
parameters of styling, performance, handling, comfort, and utility, but also safety,
environmental responsibility, significance, and the intangible but highly important
“wow” factor known as emotional appeal.
2008 World Performance Car
While the winner of the overall World Car of the Year Award must excel in a broad
range of attributes, the World Performance Car award must demonstrate a specific
and overt sports/performance orientation while satisfying the same availability criteria as for the overall World Car of the Year award.
Entrants may be chosen from that list of eligible vehicles, or they may be newly
introduced variants that satisfy the same criteria, but are derived from existing
rather than brand-new models. In all cases, they must have a minimum annual
production rate of five-hundred (500) vehicles.
2008 World Green Car
Candidates for the 2008 World Green Car award had to available in at least one
major market during 2007. The vehicle or the green technology could be in
production or an experimental prototype with potential near-future application,
provided that it was released for individual or press fleet evaluations in quantities
of ten or more during 2007. 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.
2008 World Car Design of the Year
Contenders for this award are taken from the list of World Car candidates.
A design panel consisting of four highly respected world design experts was
asked to first review each candidate, and then establish a short-list of recommendations for the jurors. The design experts were:
• Silvia Baruffaldi: Managing Editor, Auto & Design magazine
• Robert Cumberford: design critic, Automobile and Auto & Design magazines
• Akira Fujimoto: Editor-in-Chief, Car Styling magazine.
• Tom Matano: Executive Director, School of Industrial Design, Academy of Art
University, San Francisco, USA
Jurors then voted on the experts’ recommendations.
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................ 3
Eligibility ............................................... 4
The Vote.................................................5
The Jurors ........................................... 6 - 7
Finalists - World Car..................................... 8
The Top Three - World Car................................ 9
New York International Auto Show-2007 Pictorial......... 12
Awards Venue ......................................... 13
Finalists - Performance Car.............................. 14
The Top Three - Performance Car......................... 15
Finalists - Green Car .................................... 16
The Top Three - Green Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Finalists - World Car Design ............................. 18
The Top Three - World Car Design........................ 19
product of a fair and thorough assessment process that considered the needs and wants of
consumers the world over – not just the winner of a subjective popularity contest.
The process began with individual voters evaluating and rating the candidates, as they
drove them during the year. To help standardize that rating process, they were provided
with WCOTY Rating Forms, delineating 20 separate parameters to be considered –
everything from styling and quality to performance and safety.
Each parameter was rated from 1-10, in 1/2-point increments, using a standardized
Subjective Rating Scale, to promote consistency. Adoption of this scale was not intended
to remove individual subjectivity from the ratings. To the contrary, different journalists
may have different opinions, for example, of what constitutes “good” performance for a
particular parameter.
RATING
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
PERFORMANCE
PERFECT
EXCELLENT
VERY GOOD
GOOD
FAIR
FAIR TO POOR
POOR
VERY POOR
BAD
TERRIBLE
NOT APPLICABLE
DISTURBANCE
NONE
TRACE
LIGHT
MODERATE
SEVERE
NOT APPLICABLE
THE VOTE
SUBJECTIVE RATING SCALE
From the outset, our objective was to ensure that the World Car of the Year would be the
Based on those personal assessments, each juror was asked to submit a short-list of the
ten eligible vehicles he or she rated most highly. Those individual short-lists were then compiled to establish the Top-Ten list of
finalists from which the overall winners would ultimately be selected.
It was then back to work again, as the jurors were asked to give the top-ten a final assessment and to vote on each for one last time,
rating them from six different perspectives, using the same rating scale. Each of those ratings would count for a portion of the final
score, as follows:
Merit – a measure of how good the car is in all its consumer-relevant characteristics, such as performance,
ride, handling, comfort, styling, quality, NVH, etc – most of the factors on the initial rating sheets. Price
should not be a factor here, just absolute merit. (40% of the total score.)
Value – a measure of the car’s value, both short and long term; in essence, how much do you get for what you
pay? (20% of the total score.)
Safety – a measure of the car’s safety features and performance, including active and passive safety features
and crash test results, and innovative technologies applied to address those issues. (10% of the total score.)
Environment – a measure of the car’s environmental responsibility; consider fuel economy/CO2 output,
emissions, recyclability, and innovative technologies applied to address those issues. (10% of the total score.)
Significance – a measure of the car’s significance, or importance, to the market, the industry, or its
manufacturer. (10% of the total score.)
Emotional Appeal – the Wow Factor! Apart from all its practical considerations, how does the car make
you feel? (10% of the total score.)
2008 World Car Ballot
Merit
Value
Safety
Environment
Significance
Emotion
Audi A5 Coupé / Audi S5 Coupé
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 Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
5
2008 Steering Committee
THE Jurors
GERRY MALLOY
Co-Chair
PETER LYON
Co-Chair
DAN CARNEY
Director
MATT DAVIS
Director
JOHN MCCORMICK
Director
Contributor: Toronto Star
MSN Autos (Canada),
EDITOR: Canadian Auto Dealer
Japan-based contributor to
Edmunds Insideline, Auto
Bild, Auto Express, Herald Sun,
Quattroruote, Motor magazine,
Evo, Holiday Auto, Best Car,
Automotive Testing
MSNBC.com, The Wall Street
Journal.com, Edmunds Inside
Line, Automotive Engineering
International, Sports Car
International, Truck Trend,
Winding Road, European Car (U.S.);
Auto Express, UK International
Press (U.K.); Genroq (Japan);
Expressen (Sweden);
Gente Motori (Italy); et al.
Contributor: Detroit News,
Consumers Digest, Bloomberg
Markets magazine, Top Gear,
Die Welt, Automobil Produktion
UNITED STATES
ITALY
CANADA
JAPAN
ARGENTINA
BELGIUM
CARLOS ALBERTO
ANGIÓ
Director: Mega Autos Magazine,
MegaNews
XAVIER DAFFE
Editor-in-Chief, Le Moniteur
Automobile
FERNANDO
MIRANDA
Editor-in-chief: Autoplus,
Transporte Mundial, La Moto,
and Maxituning magazines
AUSTRALIA
BILL MCKINNON
Sydney Morning Herald, Australian
Car Buyer, 4WD Buyer
SAMANTHA
STEVENS
Contributor: Sunday Telegraph,
Wheels magazine
DR. HORST BAUER
Motoring Editor, Kurier
6
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
MIKE RUTHERFORD
Columnist - The Daily Telegraph
and Auto Express
BRAZIL
FRANCE
JASON VOGEL
Editor, O Globo Newspaper
LUC BAZIZIN
Reporter - France 2 TV
CHINA
GERMANY
XIA DONG
Chief Editor of Auto, Motor and
Sport
THOMAS GEIGER
Contributor, Welt am Sonntag,
Frankfurter Allgmeine Zeitung,
Deutsche Presse Agentur, Der
Spiegel (on-line)
SEAN X.H.QIU
Editor-in-chief of "Autoworld"
ENGLAND
NAT BARNES
Motoring Editor, Daily and Sunday
Express
AUSTRIA
UNITED STATES
PETER BURGESS
Editor-in-chief: World Car
Guide; Editor: Auto Express Car;
Contributor: MSN
GREG KABLE
AutoCar UK, AutoWeek USA,
Motor - Australia, Sydney Morning
Herald Australia, Melbourne
Age Australia, Car Top Japan,
Motoring Singapore, Car Taiwan
JUERGEN ZOELLTER
Contributor: Autobild,
Autozeitung, Focus, Welt am
Sonntag plus 30 international
outlets
GREECE
MICHAEL
STAVROPOULOS
Chief Editor: 4Wheels (4TROXOI)
magazine
KOREA
UNITED STATES
HORMAZD SORABJEE
Editor: Autocar India magazine
JOOSIK CHOI
Editor in Chief: Carlife
MIKE ALLEN
Associate automotive editor:
Popular Mechanics magazine
IRELAND
MEXICO
PADRAIC DEANE
Publisher/ Managing Editor,
Automotive Publications
JAVIER BARRANCO
Editor: Automovil Panamericano
magazine and Automovil TV
ITALY
MARCO MARELLI
Gente Motori and Auto &
Fuoristrada
JAPAN
MASATSUGU
ARIMOTO
Contrbutor: Axis, Rosso, J's Tipo, Car
& Driver Japan, Car Styling
YASUHIKO
KAWAMURA
Contributor: Car and Driver
(Japan), Autobytel-japan.com,
Motor Magazine, Motor Fan,
Rosso, Web Car Graphic
HIDESHI
MATSUDA
Contributor: Best Car, Holiday
Auto, Motor Magazine, Navi, J's
Tipo, Car Sensor, Xacar, Genroq,
Response
PETER NUNN
Contributor: Automobile
Magazine, Car Graphic,
Wheels, Auto Motor Und Sport,
Globalautonet.com, Automobile
Year, Auto, News from JAMA, La
Repubblica plus contributions to
CAR, Evo and Top Gear.
KOJI OZAWA
Contributor: Best Car, Engine,
Lapita, webCarGraphic, Smart,
Begin, Takarajima, Form, nikkeibp.jp
KENICHI SAKURAI
Rosso Magazine
ALEJANDRO
GUILBERT
PASTRANA
Founder and Editor-in-Chief,
4Ruedas Magazine
NEW ZEALAND
BRIAN COWAN
Editor-at-large: Autocar
EZRA DYER
Contributor: Automobile,
Esquire, New York Times
JAMIE KITMAN
Top Gear (UK) - US Editor;
Automobile Magazine - New
York Bureau Chief
THE Jurors
INDIA
JORGE KOECHLIN
Contributor: AutoMundo
POLAND
MACIEJ PERTYNSKI
Contributor: Auto-Moto, Motor
ROBERT PRZYBYLSKI
Contributor: Rzeczpospolita
JOHN RETTIE
Contributor: New Car Test
Drive (US), Motor Trend (US),
European Car (US), The Car
Connection (US), Auto Express
(UK).
JIM SCOUTTEN
Contributor: Car and Driver Radio
RUSSIA
LEONID GOLOVANOV
Deputy Editor: Autoreview
PERRY STERN
Editor, MSN Autos
SOUTH AFRICA
HANNES
OOSTHUIZEN
Deputy Editor, CAR
SWEDEN
ROBERT COLLIN
Staff writer: Aftonblade
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
7
finalists - World Car
8
Audi A5 Coupé / Audi S5 Coupé
Mazda2 / Mazda Demio
Audi R8
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Cadillac CTS
Nissan Qashqai/Dualis
Ford Mondeo
Nissan Skyline Coupe/Infiniti G37 Coupe
Ford S-Max
Volvo C30
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
After 2007’s semi-new Focus and the eagerly expected new
Fiesta world car (called Verve as a concept), the primarily
Euro family-hauling Mondeo is a big player for Ford on the
global stage. This was first shown as the Iosis concept at the
Frankfurt Motor Show in 2005 and it has been the first startto-finish project for Ford Europe’s design boss Martin Smith.
The all-new Ford global look is called “Kinetic Design” and
it brings a lot of premium feel to this quasi-premium car. In
fact, due to the early start on hype over this new Mondeo,
it hasn’t exactly caused a big uproar of enthusiasm. Be that
as it may, the third-generation Mondeo – as sedan, station
wagon, or hatchback – is sure to be deemed a sleeper hit
over the next few years, offering a truly quality drive and
packaging that has been luring buyers away from far costlier
cars such as the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz
C-class, and Lexus IS.
Mazda2 / Mazda Demio
This fresh Mazda sub-compact makes the first-generation
one-box-ish Mazda2/Demio fade into the mists of time. The
new version is completely new particularly on the outside.
This is Mazda’s true people’s car now that it has the more
useful two-box design of a four-door hatchback. The twodoor sportier look was recently unveiled at the Geneva Motor
Show and reviews around the world have been primarily
one big thumbs up. From the start, the Mazda2/Demio has
been meant for economical driving, hence the mechanical
strategy onboard is literally geared to just this. At the same
time, many wealthier customers are drawn to the new Mazda
compact because of the very appealing looks and high levels
of standard equipment for the price.
top three - World Car
Ford Mondeo
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
For some reason, some car people have commented that
Mercedes’ strategy with the new C-class of offering two
separate faces – Luxury or Sport – is a bit off. We vigorously
disagree with this since the two looks offer buyers a new sort
of choice that has really helped sales take off from the start.
More important, however, is the overall wise investment
Mercedes made to create what looks and feels like a totally
new car. Driving the fourth-generation C-class is a more precise and upmarket experience now due to the re-engineered
front axle and standard Agility Control suspension. Rather
than a traditional “baby Benz” of yore, this “W204” C-class
drives and looks like a mature car for mature people. While
the S-class profile of the sedan body is good work, the star for
many judges has been the station wagon. Soon these two will
be joined by the CLC two-door coupe as well.
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
9
OFFICIAL SPONSOR:
2008 WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
WINNERS’ PRESS CONFERENCE
NEW YORK, NY
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2008
Midway_WorldCar_2007 1
3/15/07 9:54:49 AM
New York International Auto Show – 2007
12
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
Announcing the annual World Car of the Year awards at the
New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) is a fitting
finale to the auto show season that begins each fall with
either the Paris or Frankfurt motor shows. Next, it’s on to
Tokyo in alternating years. The Detroit show takes centre
stage in January while Geneva claims the spotlight in March. Finally, in early spring, the season reaches its exciting climax
at New York.
When selecting a suitable venue for the World Car of
the Year (WCOTY) awards presentation, the Steering
Committee members were unanimous in
their choice of the New York
International Auto Show as
the most appropriate site.
2008
Firstly, the NYIAS’ status
as a major international auto
show continues to grow year
by year. An increasing number of manufacturers, both
domestic and foreign, target
New York as a venue to reveal new
product and concepts. This makes the high level of media
exposure an alluring prospect for our WCOTY awards.
With several, significant new vehicle launches, the New
York International Auto Show also gives jurors an early
chance to review models that will potentially become next
year’s WCOTY champ.
Commonly known as the most culturally active melting pot
of nationalities in the world, New York City (NYC) generates a no-nonsense, can-do atmosphere of international cooperation and five-star organizational capabilities that enable
it to expertly host countless world-class events and shows.
This very feature fits right in with the WCOTY philosophy.
We see New York as holding a dual role: in addition to
it being the global barometer of design, fashion, music
and entertainment trends, it
is also the global launch-pad
for such trends. The bottom
line? The world sits up and
pays attention to what happens in NYC.
As WCOTY is a relatively new
awards program on the international
scene – launched in 2004 and first presented
in 2005 – we are convinced that New York is not only
the right place to disperse word of our award presentations to
the world, but in an indirect way, to add status and prestige
to the program as well. Put simply, the world is addicted to
what happens in New York and that makes it the prime location for the WCOTY awards.
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
Awards venue
NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW
13
Finalists - perFormance car
AMG Mercedes-Benz S 63
Honda Civic R (Japanese & European spec)
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster
Maserati GranTurismo
Audi R8
Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series
Audi S5 Coupé
Renault Clio F1 Team R27
BMW M3
14
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
“A warmed-over Lamborghini Gallardo,” groused skeptics,
when Audi proposed building its own mid-engine supercar.
As if that were a bad thing.
But the hardworking team in Ingolstadt did more than
rebadge the Lambo; they advanced its capabilities and
produced a car with surprising agility and poise reminiscent
of the Acura/Honda NSX. Like that car, the R8 has solid
credentials on paper thanks to its mid-mounted 420-horsepower, 4.2-liter V8 engine and aluminum construction. But
where it excels is in the exceptional balance, refinement and
control that grant the driver the confidence to push to the
limit without fear of unintended consequences. That limit
is high, with 0-100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration of 4.4 seconds
and a top speed of 187 mph.
The R8’s raptor-like visage and dramatic visible carbon
fiber side panels make a traffic-stopping visual statement, one
that it backs up on the test track with astonishing precision for
a car of its size category. That Audi is able to offer such capability for a price that undercuts the Porsche 911 is incredible.
Audi S5
While the R8 is a surprisingly good value for its class, its
six-figure price and limited production mean that it will only
reach the fortunate few. Audi’s solution is to offer the S5, a
more practical and affordable sport coupe which combines
racy styling with the practicality of a useable back seat.
For the S5, Audi made significant changes under the skin to
its familiar front-drive-based quattro architecture. The 4.2-liter
V8, which has been detuned from R8 specs to 354 horsepower,
was moved rearward instead of cantilevered out ahead of the
front axle, giving the car balance similar to that of a rear-drive car.
Despite its seeming horsepower handicap, the S5 accelerates to
100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds and reaches an electronically
limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
The all-wheel-drive system has also been tuned to more
closely resemble the performance of a rear-drive car, granting
enthusiastic drivers the response and feel they crave from
a rear-driver while providing the security of all-wheel-drive
grip. It is not an R8, but no driver should feel shortchanged
in an S5, especially if they are enjoying it with three friends,
two of whom wouldn’t fit in an R8.
BMW M3
While the BMW and its iconic M3 sport sedan have built their
reputations on the strength of the company’s signature inline
six-cylinder engines, the Munich mechanics decided that the
new M3 would need V8 power to remain competitive in the
industry’s spiraling horsepower war. A bulging power dome
on the M3’s hood provides clearance for the big new engine,
trumpeting its presence to onlookers.
With its 8,400 rpm redline, the 420-horsepower V8 produces the racing-inspired sound and performance needed to
win over the six-cylinder traditionalists while perhaps attracting new V8 fans to the BMW marque. Stirring the traditional
six-speed manual transmission should keep enthusiast drivers
of all backgrounds engaged and happy.
As expected from an M3, the newest version is responsive,
with accurate steering and effective brakes that make the car
feel at home both on the road and track. The muscular new
M car accelerates to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.8 seconds en
route to an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155
mph). This most-powerful M3 yet seems certain to attract
more buyers than ever.
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
Top Three - performance car
Audi R8
15
finalists - Green Car
16
BMW 118d with Efficient Dynamics
Nissan Altima Hybrid
Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle
Saturn Aura Green Line
Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon Hybrids
Saturn Vue Green Line
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
SmartForTwo cdi
Lexus LS 600h L
Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI BlueMotion
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
BMW’s EfficientDynamics technology, as applied to the
118d, comprises a range of features and improvements with
the specific purpose of reducing fuel consumption and lowering emissions. Its 143-hp, 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, with
third-generation common-rail fuel injection, piezo-injectors,
and up to 2,000 bar injection pressure is said to reduce fuel
consumption by up to eight percent.
Other contributions to fuel savings come from Brake
Energy Regeneration (up to 3 %), Auto Start Stop Function,
which shuts the car off at stops and automatically restarts it
(up to 3 %), and Electric Steering (up to 3 %). In addition, air
flaps at the front of the car are opened only when the engine
actually requires cooling air, and ancillary units such as the
coolant pump and a/c compressor are switched off when not
really needed.
The cumulative effect is a 21-percent reduction in fuel
consumption, to 4.5 L/100 km (combined) and a CO2 output
of just 119 g/L.
Smart For Two cdi
Powered by what is said to be the world's smallest directinjection diesel engine, the Smart For Two cdi claims the
distinction of being its most economical combustion-driven
production car. The 45-hp two-seater consumes just 3.3
L/100 km and can travel approximately 1000 km without
refuelling. Emitting just 88 g/km of CO2, it is the champion
for low CO2 emissions in a production car.
Engine improvements, including a boost in fuel-injection
pressure from 1350 to 1600 bar, make the 800-cc, threecylinder, common-rail diesel even more efficient than its
predecessor. Power and torque are both up 10 percent, while
fuel consumption is reduced by 13 percent. Depending on
the driving situation and engine load, up to 60 percent of
its exhaust gases are returned to the combustion chambers.
And thanks to a compact but highly efficient turbocharger
housed in the exhaust manifold, more than three-quarters of
the engine’s maximum torque output is available from just
1500 rpm.
Top Three - Green Car
BMW 118d with Efficient Dynamics
Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI BlueMotion
The Passat BlueMotion represents the first application of
Volkswagen’s BlueMotion diesel technology to a mid-size
car. Powered by a 1.9-litre TDI diesel engine rated at 105
hp, it achieves a combined fuel consumption rating of just
5.1L/100 km – an improvement of 0.6 L/100 km from its
conventional counterpart – giving it a range of 1350 km on
a tank of fuel.
Correspondingly, CO2 emissions are reduced by 15 g/
km to just 136 g/km and 137 g/km. Equipped with a diesel
particulate filter, the Passat BlueMotion satisfies Euro 4
emissions standards.
Those low fuel consumption and emission values were
achieved by a combination of drivetrain, chassis and body
optimization, which included aerodynamic fine tuning that
involved lowering the body and adding underskirting. The
resultant coefficient of drag is reduced by 12.2 percent. As a
side benefit of the car’s aero improvements and longer gearing, its top speed has increased by five km/h.
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
17
Finalists - World Car design
18
Audi R8
Volvo C30
Mazda2 / Mazda Demio
Cadillac CTS
Design Experts
A panel of four design experts established a short-list from the initial list of thirty-nine World Car of the Year candidates.
The jurors then voted on the short-list.
Akira Fujimoto
Car Styling magazine
Robert Cumberford
Automobile and Auto
& Design magazines
Tom Matano
Executive Director,
School of Industrial
Design, Academy of Art
University, San Francisco
Since 1979, Akira Fujimoto has
been the Editor-in-chief of the bimonthly design magazine Car Styling.
Mr. Fujimoto has a long and distinguished career as a judge: Japan's
Car Design Award; International Car
Design Competition; Car of the Century;
Concept Car of the Year by Automotive
News International; and the World
Automotive Design Competition sponsored by Alias (now Autodesk) and
hosted by the Canadian International
Auto Show. Mr. Fujimoto also acted as
a consultant in the 2004 set-up of the
World Car of the Year Awards.
Both a car designer and a writer
specializing in design, the first car
made to his sketches - a one-off special
body for a Jaguar chassis - was built
when he was 15 years old. At 19 he was
a designer for General Motors, working
chiefly on Chevrolet Corvettes. From
1958 onward he has worked for major
car manufacturers in Europe and the
US. He taught transportation design at
the Art Center College of Design, is the
editorialist for Auto & Design magazine
and has written a popular column on
car design for Automobile Magazine
for 21 years.
Matano has thirty years of experience in the automotive design industry.
He began his design career at General
Motors Design in the USA, then GM's
Holden in Australia, followed by BMW
in Germany. In 1983, he became a Chief
Designer at Mazda North America.
He eventually moved up to Executive
Designer in the Global Advance Studio
and the General Manager of Mazda
Design when he worked for Mazda in
Japan from 1999 to 2002. His accomplishments at Mazda include the MPV,
MX 5, RX 7, Miata "M-Coupe" concept
car, Miata "M-Speedster" concept car
along with many other projects.
Silvia Baruffaldi
Auto & Design
magazine
Since 1988, Ms. Baruffaldi has been
working for the bimonthly magazine
Auto & Design, where she is currently
Managing Editor. Thanks to Auto &
Design, she has contacts with design
centres of car makers and consultant
studios from all over the world. Based
in Turin (Italian car design’s capital),
Auto & Design is published in a bilingual edition, English and Italian, and
it is sold in over 50 different countries
worldwide. Ms. Baruffaldi also contributes design articles to Il Sole 24 Ore, an
Italian financial daily newspaper, and to
Autokampioen in The Netherlands.
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
At a stroke, Audi has transformed the sports car landscape
with the arrival last year of the R8. Its design is striking,
original and full of interesting details, from the nose strakes
to the much discussed vertical ‘blade’ behind the B pillar.
One of our design experts, Tom Matano, puts it this way:
“It is a great visual representation of the technology within.”
One could add that the R8 looks just as good as it performs,
which is saying something. In design consultant Robert
Cumberford’s opinion, the Audi is a “real tour de force in
style, performance and practicality.”
Designers around the world dream of creating a sports
car, but given all the government and safety constrictions
imposed on today’s auto industry, the job is much harder than
it may seem. Consequently Audi’s achievement in breaking
the mold of exotic car design is all the more remarkable.
Volvo C30
Not that long ago, it was widely assumed, only half in jest,
that Volvo didn’t actually have a design department, so boxy
and featureless were its cars. Then along came a dramatic
shift in direction with curves and distinctive styling cues
replacing the cereal box on wheels school of design. The C30
builds on this nouvelle Volvo theme, with a small car that
looks unlike anything else in its class. Robert Cumberford
describes the C30 “as a return to the kind of the car that
made Volvo’s reputation outside Sweden back in the late
‘50s. It is one of the best looking Volvo production cars ever.”
For Tom Matano the clever thing about the C30 is that it
creates its own proportion – not an easy task in this category.
The C30, says Matano truly captures the ‘urban chic’ look.”
Mazda2/Demio
A combination of soft surfaces, sharp contours and an aggressive wedge profile gives the Mazda2 a distinctive new look
in a very crowded sub-compact market. The achievement
is especially noteworthy given the challenge of creating an
interesting design within such tight overall dimensions. The
Mazda2 (known in Japan as the Demio) was designed to
appeal to a diverse audience. For instance, its mellow, friendly appearance is favored by female Japanese buyers, but the
car’s edgy, sporty visual character – underscored by the RX8like front wheel arches - also appeals to European consumers.
Slightly shorter in length and lower than its predecessor, the
visual dynamism of this junior Mazda is a welcome breath
of fresh air in today’s field of automotive design. Cleverly,
the 2 manages to make itself recognizable as a member of
the Mazda family, a brand that is carving out a reputation for
unique design among the Asian automakers.
2008 World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com
Top Three - World Car design
Audi R8
19