A slightly surprising result for the Mazda 2, winner of World Car of The Year 2008 awards, with the Audi R8 winning World Performance Car of the Year and World Design of the Year, followed last but not least by the BMW 118d winning World Green Car.
A panel of 47 judges from over 24 different countries throughout the world were involved picking the winners from a short-list of 39 entries. Their decision is based not so much on popularity but on the ability of the Car to meet the needs of people the world over, which is no small task.
"This fresh Mazda compact makes the first-generation one-box-ish Mazda2 fade into the mists of time even more so. The new version is exactly that - completely new; particularly on the outside. The two-door sportier look was recently unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show and reviews around the world have been primarily one big 'thumbs up'. Consumers will be drawn to the new Mazda compact because of its very appealing looks and high levels of standard equipment for the price".
The runners up were the Ford Mondeo and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class
For the full review of the Mazda 2 and a price list click here
For the full review of the Ford Mondeo and a price list click here
For the full review of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and a price list click here
The other 7 finalists were:
The World Design of the Year 2008 went to the Audi R8, the flagship of the Audi brand. The R8 is hand-built by 70 skilled workers, fitting over 5,000 unique parts producing only 25 cars a day. At a fraction under £80,000 it's not just the price tag that puts it out of reach but the year-long waiting list.
The runners up were the overall winner, the Mazda 2 and the Volvo C30.
For the full review of the Audi R8 click hereThe other 7 finalists were:
The clear winner of the World Performance Car of the Year 2008 was also the Audi R8, due in no small part to it's 4.0L V8 engine that outputs 420 PS (Metric equivalent of BHP) achieving 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 187mph. All of that power delivered in such a stunning package.
Runners up were the long-standing BMW M3 and the Audi S5 Coupe.
For the full review of the Audi R8 click hereThe other 7 finalists were:
For it's efficient dynamics, World Green Car 2008 went to the BMW 118d, which achieves an impressive 60mpg (EC Combined) and only outputs 123g/km C02. It's attractively priced as well, with both the sport and the SE models coming in under £20k, not bad for an award winning BMW.
Runner's up were the Smart ForTwo Cdi and the Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI BlueMotion
For the full review of the BMW 118d and a price list click hereThe other 7 finalists were:
Our green cars section is due to launch soon. Watch this space!
Author: Richard Garner
