World Car of the Year Finalists Announced

Now that each major continent decided which car is the best this year, it's time for the world to come together and vote on what vehicle is the best the planet will ever see in 2011. The organizers of the 2011 World Car Awards announced today the finalists of the competition.

The models that will enter the final, listed below, will be voted upon by a jury of international automotive journalists, with the winners to be announced during the New York International Auto Show on April 21, 2011. Both the winner of the 2011 World Car of the Year and the 2011 World Performance Car will be announced then, after the jurors rate the cars based on overall merit, value, safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal, and significance.

As you'll notice in the List below, only one electric vehicle made it to the list. The Nissan Leaf, the winner of the Car of the Year title in Europe, hence scores a new victory over rival Chevrolet Volt who, ironically, despite being named Car of the Year in North America, is not present on the list of finalists to be voted in New York.

The finalists for the 2011 World Car of the Year title are:

• 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 finalists for the 2011 World Performance Car of the Year are:

• 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