The Road to the World Car starts now, and will conclude at the New York International Auto Show.

The Road to the World Car continues with today’s announcement of the finalists in all five award categories.

This release kicks off the countdown for the 2016 World Car Awards (WCA) prize-giving ceremony to be hosted by the New York International Auto Show on Thursday, March 24, 2016. Winners of the 2016 World Car of the Year, World Luxury Car, World Performance Car, World Green Car and World Car Design of the Year will all be declared at this time.

2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the partnership between World Car and the New York show, and the third consecutive year that the World Car Awards have retained their ranking as the number one automotive awards program in the world in terms of media reach.

The Global Trends Report, presented annually by Prime Research and Autoneum, will also be announced during the New York show press conference and media breakfast hosted by Bridgestone Corporation. The report is the culmination of research and insights across the past six months.

A jury of 73 distinguished international automotive journalists selected the following finalists by secret ballot based on their evaluation with each candidate as part of their professional work. For more details about our jurors and their outlets, please visit our web site:  www.wcoty.com and click < Jurors.

The international accounting firm KPMG tabulated the jurors’ ballots; then announced the finalists today.   

The 2016 World Car of the Year will be selected from the following 10 finalists listed in alphabetical order. 

• Audi A4 Sedan / Audi A4 Avant
• BMW X1
• Hyundai Tucson
• Jaguar XE
• Land Rover Discovery Sport
• Mazda CX-3
• Mazda MX-5
• Mercedes-Benz GLC
• Skoda Superb
• Toyota Prius

The 2016 World Luxury Car will be chosen from one of these top five finalists:

• Audi Q7
• BMW 7 Series
• Jaguar XF
• Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe
• Volvo XC90

The 2016 World Performance Car top five finalists are:

• Audi R8 Coupe
• Chevrolet Camaro
• Honda Civic Type R I
• Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupé
• Range Rover Sport SVR

The 2016 World Green Car top five are:

• BMW 330e Plug-in-hybrid
• Chevrolet Volt
• Toyota Prius (Hybrid)
• Toyota Mirai (Hydrogen Fuel Cell)
• Volkswagen Passat GTE

Cars eligible for the 2016 World Car Design of the Year award are taken from the list of World Car candidates or may be included as a stand-alone entry provided the vehicle is available in quantities of at least 10 in one major market during the period beginning January 1, 2015 and ending May 31, 2016.  Candidates may be pre-production or all-new production.

A design panel consisting of six 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 are in alpha order:  Masatsugu Arimoto (Japan – Freelance design journalist), Anne Asensio (Vice-President, Design - Dassault Systemes), Gernot Bracht (Germany – Pforzheim Design School), Patrick le Quément (Designer and President of the Strategy Committee - The Sustainable 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)

The five finalists chosen for the jurors are:

• Cadillac CT6
• Mazda CX-3
• Mazda MX-5
• Jaguar XE
• Land Rover Discovery

The Road to the World Car began in Frankfurt on September 15, was followed by a four and a half day stop in Los Angeles for test-drives of the North American, Japanese and Swedish contenders in November, and continues with today’s finalists’ announcement. 

The next stop is at the Geneva International Auto Show on Tuesday, March 1 when the top three finalists in all categories will be announced.   The journey ends at the New York International Auto Show on Thursday, March 24, 2016 when all winners are declared.

As the global nature of the industry continues to strengthen, and the pace of innovation continues to accelerate, World Car is proud to be a part of this amazing journey along with the New York International Auto Show, Prime Research, Bridgestone and Autoneum.

GENEVA - World Car Of The Year nominees whittled down to the top three in each segment.

The Road to the World Car journey continues with today’s announcement of the Top Three in the World finalists in five award categories at the Geneva International Motor Show.

This announcement continues the countdown for the 2015 World Car Awards (the WCAs) winners’ press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), Bridgestone Corporation and Autoneum on Thursday, April 2, 2015.   Winners of the 2015 World Car of the Year, World Luxury Car, World Performance Car, World Green Car and World Car Design of the Year will all be declared at this time.

A jury of 75 distinguished international automotive journalists selected the following “Top Three in the World” finalists by secret ballot based on their experience with each candidate as part of their professional work. The international accounting firm KPMG tabulated the jurors’ ballots.      

The Top Three in the World finalists in the 5 award categories are as follows:

2015 World Car of the Year:

Ford Mustang

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Volkswagen Passat 

2015 World Luxury Car:

BMW i8

Mercedes-Benz S Coupe

Range Rover Autobiography Black LWB

2015 World Performance Car:

BMW M4 Coupe/M3 Sedan

Jaguar F-TYPE R Coupe

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

2015 World Green Car:

BMW i8

Mercedes-Benz S 500 Plug-In Hybrid

Volkswagen Golf GTE

2015 World Car Design of the Year:

Citroën C4 Cactus

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Volvo XC90

The Road to the World Car began in Paris on October 2, followed by a stop in Los Angeles for a test-drive of the North American contenders in November, and continues with the finalists’ announcement today at the Geneva International Auto Show.   The journey ends at the New York International Auto Show on Thursday, April 2^nd, 2015 when all winners are declared.

The Global Trends Report, co-presented by Prime Research and Autoneum, will be revealed just before the winners’ press conference on the same day in New York. Autoneum CEO Martin Hirzel said, “Smart efficiency is the most important trend in the automobile industry. With Autoneum’s lightweight and multifunctional products for acoustic and heat management in vehicles, our smart innovations are making an important contribution to the future of the automobile.”

Dainese continues to support British racers in 2014

Dainese is pleased to announce its continuing support of UK riders in British Superbike, World Superbike and road racing.

In the British Superbike Championship Tommy Bridewell will be flying the Dainese flag in his quest to lift the 2014 BSB trophy. Bridewell will also wear and help with the development of the new D-air Racing Thorax.

D-air Racing Thorax is a development of the original system, which extends to protect the trunk. The entire system has been redesigned to increase the area protected without sacrificing the ergonomics, a crucial aspect for professional riders. The size and geometry of the airbags has changed to extend to ‘hug’ the riders trunk, while a larger capacity gas generator has been introduced to maintain high inflation pressure.

Dainese will also continue in its role as the Official Safety Partner of the British Superbike Championship.

MCE BSB Series Director Stuart Higgs explained:

I am delighted to see that Dainese and Tommy Bridewell have continued their partnership into the 2014 season, which has the foundations for being his biggest opportunity to challenge for the title to date.

In terms of the Championship it is fantastic to see the D-air Thorax system utilised by one of our leading riders as we have been working very closely with our safety partner Dainese on the recent evolution to the D-air system. We have already seen from riders in the MotoGP World Championship classes that the D-air has proved extremely effective and this announcement shows Dainese’s latest commitment to rider safety within the MCE BSB Championship.

Tommy Bridewell, also commented:

It’s very special for me to be associated with Dainese. It was the first suit I wore when I first started racing and I really believe they offer the best protection in the world. The new suits with the D-air system are so technically advanced and I'm very proud to be involved with the development of the new versions with the Thorax and upper body protection. To be part of the same R&D team as Valentino Rossi feels amazing and I’m stoked to be part of this very unique family called Dainese.

In SBK Dainese will again back Tom Sykes, who will be defending his 2013 World Superbike Championship title, and Leon Haslam, who will compete aboard the Pata Honda SBK machine. Both riders will wear Dainese’s D-air Racing suit during the season. 

The Italian brand will also continue its support for road racing stars Guy Martin, Conor Cummins and James Hillier as they tackle the famous 37.5-mile mountain course at the Isle of Man TT, as well as the North West 200, Southern 100 and other road racing events. Dainese will also continue as the TT’s Official Safety Partner.

Aside form the UK contingent; Dainese will still support Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden, Stefan Bradl, Pol Espargaro and Andrea Iannone in their MotoGP assaults. Supported Moto2 riders include Franco Morbidelli, Luis Salom and Sandro Cortese, and in Moto3 Romano Fenati, Francesco Bagnaia and Niccolo Antonelli will all wear Dainese. 

Like Sykes and Halsam, all MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 riders will wear D-air Racing, with the exception of Espargaro, Salom and Fenati who, along with Bridewell, will continue to develop the new D-air Thorax system.

Dainese riders will continue their development role with D-air Racing, while also being protected by the system. Launched on the market three years ago, D-air Racing is a revolutionary airbag system fitted into a leather suit. The airbag works on internal equipment reading the track conditions and recognises when the bike starts to slide. The system is deployed within 45 millieseconds and takes just 10 seconds to deflate. 

To date all Dainese riders who have crashed wearing the D-air Racing system have escaped without neck, shoulder or collar bone injuries.

Beaulieu welcomes third BlueBird into the museums collection.

Sir Malcolm Campbell set a land speed record of 276.82mph in the Blue Bird V at Daytona Beach, Florida, USA, in February 1935 and then went on to become the first person to exceed 300mph when he achieved a record 301.129mph in it at Bonneville salt flats, Utah, in September of the same year.

This is only the second time in the vehicle’s history that Blue Bird V has crossed the Atlantic from its home at the Daytona International Speedway to the UK, giving visitors to Beaulieu an incredibly rare opportunity to see this magnificent motoring icon on display alongside other members of the Blue Bird family in the museum.

It joins the Bluebird CN7, driven by Sir Malcom Campbell’s son, Donald, to a land speed record of 403.10mph at Lake Eyre, Australia in 1964, and another of Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Land Speed Record Breakers, the Sunbeam 350hp – which he renamed Blue Bird and drove to two record speeds at Pendine Sands; 146.16mph in 1924, and 150.766mph in 1925.

Beaulieu Commercial Director, Stephen Munn, said: “Beaulieu has been home to Donald Campbell’s Bluebird CN7 since the 1960s, so it is wonderful to finally see his father’s most famous Land Speed Record Breaker, the Blue Bird V, displayed alongside it in the museum. To see these legendary vehicles together is an unforgettable experience, and we hope that by having them on display, they will inspire a whole new young generation and reignite the interest in land speed record breaking.”

Visitors to Beaulieu can also see Major Henry Segrave’s Sunbeam 1000hp which he drove to a record-breaking speed of 203.793mph at Daytona Beach in 1927.

This incredible Blue Bird display will only be on show for a few months, as the Blue Bird V will be making its return journey across the Atlantic at the end of November, so do not miss this amazing opportunity to view these three Blue Birds together.

The Blue Birds can be seen as part of a visit to the whole Beaulieu attraction, which includes the National Motor Museum, BOND IN MOTION, World of Top Gear, Beaulieu Abbey, Palace House and gardens.

Citroën reveals its WTCC 2014 challenger – the Citroën C-Elysée WTCC

• Citroën reveals its WTCC 2014 challenger – the Citroën C-Elysée WTCC
• The Citroën C-Elysée WTCC will be the first vehicle to be designed in accordance with new regulations
• With a truly global audience, the WTCC provides an ideal platform to showcase the  Citroën C-Elysée to key markets
• Citroën C-Elysée WTCC to make its public debut at Frankfurt International Motor Show in September

One month after confirming that it would be entering the World Touring Car Championship in 2014, Citroën can now reveal the model that will be driven on the circuits by Sébastien Loeb. The Citroën C-Elysée WTCC will be the very first vehicle to be designed in accordance with the new regulations, currently being prepared by the FIA for the category next year.

On 26 September of last year, at the opening of the 2012 Paris Motor Show, Frédéric Banzet, Yves Matton and Sébastien Loeb announced that Citroën was considering taking part in the World Touring Car Championship. A few minutes earlier, the C-Elysée had just been unveiled for the first time to the world’s media. Ten months on, these two events come together again with the release of the first pictures of Citroën C-Elysée WTCC!

Benefitting from the best of the Brand’s expertise in terms of style, development and quality, Citroën C-Elysée is a C-segment saloon aimed principally at high-growth, international markets such as those in Latin America, the Mediterranean region, China and Russia. Widely acclaimed by customers, Citroën C-Elysée is already 30% ahead of its initial sales target, with 30,000 orders placed.

“Choosing C-Elysée as the basis for our WTCC car reflects very clearly our determination to use racing as an active means of supporting our commercial development,”emphasised Frédéric Banzet, CEO of the Citroën Brand. “With rounds in Latin America, Morocco, China and Russia, the WTCC race calendar is genuinely global, and it will be a real advantage to run a C-Elysée, a key driver of our growth, in front of large crowds of enthusiastic motorsport fans.”

“From a strictly technical perspective, the choice of a three-box saloon body was ideal in terms of aerodynamics. C-Elysée was therefore the perfect choice,” added Xavier Mestelan-Pinon, Citroën Racing’s Technical Director. “Apart from this aspect, we were able to install the various components fairly easily. Insofar as this is our first track racing car, we constantly had to ask ourselves questions about the relevance of our choices, but that's what makes this a particularly exciting challenge.”

Firmly anchored to the tarmac on its 18-inch wheels, C-Elysée WTCC is, quite simply, formidable. Featuring an integrated aerodynamic splitter, the front bumper accentuates the radiator grille with its prominent double chevron. The widened front and rear wings lend the car's bodywork a decidedly racing feel. At the rear, the stylish rear wing will ensure that the car hugs the track.

Under the bonnet, Citroën C-Elysée WTCC is powered by the same 1.6-litre direct injection turbocharged engine as the DS3 WRC. With a wider booster flange, power output is now close to 380bhp. The car comes with a front-wheel drive transmission, controlled by a six-speed sequential gearbox.

After making its first track outing a few days ago, Citroën C-Elysée WTCC has now begun a programme of development tests. The car will make its first public appearance at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (12-22 September).

Webber dumps F1 for World Endurance Championship and Porsche.

• Australian Formula 1 driver joins Porsche factory team for World Endurance Championship and Le Mans 24 Hours campaign, starting 2014
• UK-based Webber has scored nine Grand Prix wins since his F1 debut in 2002
• He also has extensive sports car racing experience, including Le Mans, and was runner-up in the 1998 FIA GT Championship
• Webber joins ex-Formula 1 test driver Neel Jani and long-standing Porsche factory drivers Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas in the new LMP1 sports prototype from Weissach

The Australian Formula 1 driver Mark Webber has signed a contract with Porsche that extends over several years it has been announced today. From the 2014 season, he will compete in the new Porsche LMP1 sports prototype at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the sports car World Endurance Championship WEC.

The 36-year-old Australian has already raced at Le Mans twice. In 1998 he finished runner-up in the FIA GT Championship at the wheel of a sports prototype. Over the course of his Formula 1 career from 2002 until today, Webber has achieved 36 podium places, nine race victories and has started from pole position eleven times.

“It’s an honour for me to join Porsche on its return to the top category at Le Mans and in the sports car World Endurance Championship and to be part of the team. Porsche has written racing history as a manufacturer and stands for outstanding technology and performance at the highest level,” said Mark.

“I’m very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula 1. Porsche will undoubtedly set itself very high goals. I can hardly wait to drive one of the fastest sports cars in the world.”

“I’m very pleased to have secured Mark Webber for our LMP1 project as one of the best and most successful Formula 1 drivers of our time,” said Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG. “Mark is without doubt one of the world’s best race drivers, he has experience at the Le Mans 24 hours race, and on top of that he’s been a Porsche enthusiast for many years.”

“I learned to appreciate Mark’s qualities when we were both involved in Formula 1,” says Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1. “He is one of the best drivers I could imagine for our team. I’m absolutely delighted that we have such an experienced and fast regular driver on-board from 2014.”

Competing in the new LMP1 car – which has been designed and built by the Porsche Motorsport factory team in Weissach, Germany – alongside Webber are the two long-standing Porsche factory drivers Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France), and ex-Formula 1 test driver Neel Jani (Switzerland).

Bernhard and Dumas already joined forces in 2010 to achieve overall victory in the Le Mans 24 hours. In 2007 and 2008, they secured the American Le Mans Series title at the wheel of the Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 sports prototype. Neel Jani has contested the LMP1 class since 2010.

Volkswagen gains GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for Passat fuel consumption

Volkswagen of America announced today that it has set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® achievement for the “lowest fuel consumption—48 U.S. states for a non-hybrid car” category with a stellar 77.99 mpg — more than 10 mpg better than the previous mark of 67.9 mpg. The achievement also beats the hybrid vehicle record of 64.6 mpg by more than 13 mpg.

The Passat TDI Clean Diesel departed from Volkswagen of America’s headquarters in Herndon, Virginia, on Friday, June 7th, at 12:00 pm and arrived back on June 24th, having covered 8122 miles and visited all 48 states. The car, along with drivers Wayne Gerdes and Bob Winger, were greeted in Herndon by Volkswagen employees as well as Virginia State Delegates Tom Rust and Jim LeMunyon.

Delegate Tom Rust said: "Breaking a world record is a huge accomplishment, and I'm especially pleased that Volkswagen of America—a Herndon, Virginia-based company—is doing its part to make its products more environmentally compatible and less dependent on foreign oil by using cutting-edge diesel technology.  Congratulations!"

Jonathan Browning, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., said:“To cover 8122 miles on just 104.94 gallons of fuel is nothing short of astonishing and shows just how economical our TDI Clean Diesel vehicles can be. Even for everyday drivers, the mileage benefits of our TDI engines are significant: Volkswagen has no fewer than six TDI Clean Diesel models that achieve an EPA estimated fuel economy rating of 40 mpg or better on the highway.”

Wayne Gerdes, founder of cleanmpg.com was the primary driver. Automotive journalist Gerdes has made a career out of hypermiling and has set mileage records in more than 100 vehicles, as well as achieving the record for lowest fuel consumption in the lower 48 U.S. states with a hybrid vehicle at 64.6 mpg. His co-driver was Bob Winger, an electronics engineer long involved in energy and conservation projects.

“We felt we had a good chance of beating the existing record with the Passat TDI,” Gerdes said, “but to smash it by averaging 77.99 mpg is really impressive and a testament to the potential of Volkswagen’s TDI Clean Diesel vehicles. Obviously, we employ some specialized techniques to achieve such figures, but there’s no reason why owners of TDI vehicles shouldn’t be able to achieve great mileage with a few simple pointers.” Gerdes suggests:

Plan in advance: look for impediments or topography 15 to 45 seconds ahead, rather than reacting to where you’re currently driving. Use downhill momentum to help crest an uphill section.

Allow the rabbits to win the race to the stoplights. Heavy braking and acceleration consume fuel at a far greater rate than coasting between intersections.

Obey speed limits: The difference in fuel economy between 55 mph and 75 mph can be as much as 30 percent or even higher in some cars.

The 2013 Passat TDI uses Volkswagen’s advanced turbocharged and direct-injection Clean Diesel engine to achieve EPA estimated highway fuel economy of 43 miles per gallon when equipped with the six-speed manual transmission. This enables the Passat TDI to go up to 795 highway miles before needing to refuel.

Clean Diesel engines are just one part of Volkswagen’s approach to sustainable mobility, encapsulated by the Think Blue.® philosophy. Volkswagen employs a wide range of powertrains—diesel, electric, hybrid, and intelligently downsized turbocharged gasoline engines—in its quest to be among the most eco-conscious automakers in the world. That approach extends to the factories in which the cars are built and the processes by which they are made.

For the attempt, the Passat TDI used Shell ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, available at nearly 8,000 Shell stations nationwide,and Continental PureContact® with EcoPlus® Technology tires, which have Tg-F polymers to help reduce rolling resistance and improve fuel efficiency. The record-setting Passat TDI was equipped with a Linear Logic ScanGauge II to precisely measure fuel economy and a Droid® RAZR MAXX™ HD by Motorola® smartphone to provide Guinness World Records tracking requirements and long-lasting connectivity.

2013 Passat TDI Clean Diesel (manual transmission) EPA estimates: 31 city/43 highway mpg. Range based on 43 mpg highway EPA estimate and an 18.5-gallon fuel tank. Actual mileage will vary and depends on several factors including driving habits and vehicle condition.