World Car Awards Top Three Finalists Announced in All Categories

GENEVA, March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- At a press conference hosted by Bridgestone Corporation and the New York International Auto Show at the Geneva International Motor Show, the top three finalists for the World Car of the Year, World Luxury Car, World Performance Car, World Green Car and World Car Design of the Year awards were announced today. The overall winners in all categories will be declared at the New York International Auto Show on Thursday, April 17, 2014.  

And now there are three ...

World Car of the Year
From an initial entry list of twenty-four new vehicles from all over the world, then a short list of finalists, the top three contenders for the overall 2014 World Car of the Year title have been revealed. They are, in alphabetical order by manufacturer: 

• Audi A3
• BMW 4 Series
• Mazda3

To be eligible for the overall World Car award, the candidates must become available for sale on at least two continents during the period beginning January 1, 2013 and ending May 31, 2014.  Vehicles are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of sixty-nine top-level automotive journalists from twenty-two countries around the world.  Each juror was appointed by the World Car Awards' 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.   All hold significant stature within their own regions and countries. 

World Luxury Car
This is the first year for the World Luxury Car award.  This new category is created to acknowledge higher-priced premium models selling in more limited numbers worldwide.  The top three finalists are:

• Bentley Flying Spur
• Mercedes-Benz S-Class
• Range Rover Sport

World Performance Car
This year, we were faced with a vast array of legitimate performers from every price bracket imaginable.  The top three finalists are:

• Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
• Ferrari 458 Speciale
• Porsche 911 GT3

World Green Car
The World Green Car award is presented by Bridgestone Corporation for the past seven years. Five experts in "green" technology are appointed annually by the World Car Awards Steering Committee to extensively review all documentation and specs associated with each candidate on the list of nominees.  The experts then create a short-list of finalists for review by the sixty-nine jurors in their second round of voting. The jurors chose these top three finalists for 2014:

• Audi A3 Sportback g-tron (+ Audi e-gas)    
• BMW i3
• Volkswagen XL1

The five experts on the advisory panel are in alphabetical order:  Phil Berg (USA - PopularMechanics.com);  Richard Bremner (U.K. Autocar magazine), Claus-Peter Koeth (Germany - automobil-industrie.de);  Yumi Kawabata (Japan-environmental journalist) and John Voelcker (USA - GreenCarReports.com)

World Car Design of the Year
Again, a design panel consisting of five highly respected world design experts was asked to first review each candidate, and then establish a short-list of recommendations for the jurors.   The jurors chose the following top three finalists:

• BMW i3
• Mazda3
• Mercedes-Benz C-Class

The design experts for 2014 are Masatsugu Arimoto (Japan – freelance design journalist); Silvia Baruffaldi (Italy – Auto & Design magazine); Gernot Bracht (Germany – Pforzheim Design School); Sam Livingstone (U.K.  - Car Design Research and Royal College of Art) and Tom Matano (USA - School of Industrial Design at Academy of Art University in San Francisco)

About the World Car Awards
Now in their tenth year, the annual World Car Awards are now the number one awards program in the world based on Prime Research's 2013 report.  The awards were inaugurated in 2003, and officially launched in January 2004, to reflect the reality of the global marketplace, as well as to recognize and reward automotive excellence on an international scale.   The awards are intended to complement, not compete, with existing national and regional Car of the Year programs.

The awards are administered by a non-profit association, under the guidance of a Steering Committee of pre-eminent automotive journalists from Asia, Europe, and North America. Peter Lyon (Japan) and Matt Davis (Italy) are the co-chairs; John McCormick (USA), Jens Meiners (Germany), Mike Rutherford (U.K.), Eddie Alterman (USA), and Gerry Malloy (Canada) are the directors.  There is no affiliation with, nor are the awards in any way influenced by any publication, auto show, automaker, or other commercial enterprise.

For additional information either visit our web site (www.wcoty.com) or please contact Beth Rhind, Executive Manager, E: [email protected], T: 1.705.924.3444. 

About PRIME RESEARCH
PRIME Research International, a global leader in strategic communication research and consultancy, has joined forces with the World Car Awards to provide strategic studies in the fields of automotive assessment criteria and automotive awards. PRIME Research is a well-trusted research partner for the automotive industry with a broad range of automotive clients.  PRIME Research sets the standard in automotive media research by providing strategic benchmark information and SWOT analyses on over 100 brands and over 10,000 different automobile models.

About BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world's largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.

About the 2014 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS)
Showcasing the latest automotive trends, the 114-year old New York International Auto Show will unveil an extensive collection of the most technologically advanced vehicles on display anywhere in the world. The OICA-sanctioned event is owned and produced by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association. 

Important Show Information: Press Days: April 16 & 17, Public Show Dates: April 18 – 27
www.autoshowNY.com; Twitter: #NYIAS @NYautoshow; Facebook: Like us, we like you!
Mobile: Download our iPhone app; on iTunes for Show info on the go

For a list of past World Car Awards winners, please visit our web site:  www.wcoty.com

SOURCE New York International Auto Show