20-MAR-2008: 2008 World Performance Car: Audi R8

AND NOW THERE IS ONE….

AUDI R8 DECLARED

2008 WORLD PERFORMANCE CAR

March 20, 2008 – New York, NY - For Immediate Release

The 2008 World Performance Car award, presented by Mobil 1, went to the Audi R8 as announced today during the awards press conference hosted by founding sponsor the MIDWAY GROUP, Mobil 1, and the New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javitz Centre in Manhattan, New York, USA.

The Audi R8 was chosen from an initial entry list of twelve (12) contenders nominated by forty-seven (47) World Car jurors from twenty-four (24) countries throughout the world.

While the winner of the overall World Car of the Year award must excel in a broad range of attributes, there is a segment of the car-buying public for whom performance – in its broadest sense – overrides all other priorities. Vehicles appealing to that clientele may be too narrowly focused to appeal to the masses, but it is an important element in the overall automotive mix. It is for that reason that the World Performance Car award was created in 2005.

Candidates for the World Performance Car award must demonstrate a specific and overt Sports/Performance orientation. They must also satisfy the same availability criteria as for the overall World Car award and may be chosen from that list of eligible vehicles.

Additional entrants may include newly introduced variants that satisfy the same criteria, but are derived from existing rather than brand-new models. In all cases, they must have a minimum annual production rate of five-hundred (500) vehicles.

The jurors voted in January 2008 in order to establish a top ten shortlist.   The 2008 World Performance Car was chosen from those finalists as tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG.  

WCOTY's jurors observed that the Audi R8 has solid credentials on paper thanks to its mid-mounted 420-horsepower, 4.2-liter V8 engine and aluminum construction.  But where it excels is in the exceptional balance, refinement and control that grant the driver the confidence to push to the limit without fear of unintended consequences.  That limit is high, with 0-100 KPH (62 MPH) acceleration of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 187 MPH.   The R8’s dramatic visible carbon fiber side panels make a traffic-stopping visual statement, one that it backs up on the test track with astonishing precision for a car of its size category. The R8 is a surprisingly good value for its class.

The top three contenders for the third annual World Performance Car in addition to the Audi R8 were the BMW M3 and the Audi S5 Coupé.

“Last year, the Audi RS 4 won the World Performance Car award and we are thrilled to have retained the title with the Audi R8,” said Johan De Nysschen, Executive Vice President of Audi of America.  “This award is recognition for the superb work done by the engineers and designers who worked on the R8.  It has immediately taken up a leadership position in the super sports car segment.  We are also delighted that the World Car of the Year jurors voted the Audi S5 into the top three."

Mobil 1 announced its sponsorship of the World Performance Car award in November 2007.   “Mobil 1 has long been recognized as the world’s leading fully synthetic motor oil by authorities, such as vehicle engineers, manufacturers and car enthusiasts. We understand the value and honor of being singled out and acknowledged as a global leader noted for outstanding and superior performance in lubrication," said Nancy Carlson, strategic global alliances - sales director, ExxonMobil Lubricants & Petroleum Specialties. "The Mobil 1 team was pleased to sponsor the 2008 Performance Car of the Year award and congratulates the Audi R8 on the achievement of being named the 2008 world’s top performance car by the global panel of renowned automotive journalists serving on the Car of the Year jury."

Previous World Performance Car winners were the Audi RS4 in 2007 and the Porsche Cayman S in 2006.

Now in their fifth year, the annual World Car awards have become one of the most prestigious and credible programs of their type in the world.

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.  There is no affiliation with, nor are the awards in any way influenced by any publication, auto show, automaker, or other commercial enterprise.

For more information, please visit our web site at www.wcoty.com or send us an email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   If you prefer to talk to us, please call our Executive Manager, Beth Rhind, at 1.705.924.3444.