Forty-six automotive journalists from 22 different countries got together for the second time in two years to pick the best cars in the world, and while this new “of the year” award ceremony is ripe for ridicule by those who didn’t think of it first, you’ve gotta admit that it makes sense. After all, the automotive marketplace is going global, baby, and isn’t it good to know that such an esteemed sampling of the motoring press is so serious about making sure you know that the car you just bought is the right choice whether you live in Topeka or Tunisia?
For the second annual World Car of the Year (WCOTY) Awards ceremony held at the 2006 New York Auto Show, the judging panel’s steering committee added three new categories to bring the award count to four. This year, there was a World Green Car award, a World Design of the Year award, and a World Performance Car award. And rather than let a bunch of opinionated wanks from every time zone submit recommendations for the Green Car and Design categories, the WCOTY group invited experts in the field to narrow the choice to three. Here now, without further delay, the finalists in each category:
