WITH LESS THAN a month until the World Car of the Year and World Performance Car of the Year winners are announced, the top three finalists for each category have been revealed at Geneva this week.

Last month, WCOTY judges whittled the original list of 31 World Car and 15 World Performance Car candidates down to 10 for each category. Now, only three remain in each, as listed below.

2010 World Car of the Year top three finalists

• Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  
• Toyota Prius
  
• Volkswagen Polo
  

2010 Performance Car of the Year top three finalists

• Audi R8 V10
  
• Ferrari California
  
• Porsche 911 GT3
  

The WCOTY programme has been running since 2005 and has since become one of the most prized awards in the global automotive industry.

The criteria for eligibility is long and varied. Crucial among them is that the cars must be available in at least five countries on at least two continents, before January 1 of the year of the award.

The final winners of the 2010 World Car of the Year Awards will be announced at the New York Motor Show on April 1.

TMR readers took a punt last month on which car will take the crown in each category. How did you do?

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• reply ” like !

  

  5 valve per cylinder says,
  3 years ago

  Volkswagen Polo - world car
  
  Audi R8 V10 - performance car
• reply ” like !

  

  johnrock says,
  3 years ago

  Thanks for the some information i get form here,about the top performance of cars.
  Mercedes-Benz E-Class is my favorite car i am planning to buy it.
  But i am confuse as Audi R8 V10 is the best performer.
  ...................
  johnrock
  Cheap New Cars For Sale
• reply ” like !

  

  jifwer says,
  3 years ago

  I agree with 5 vales per cylinder.
  
  Toyota Prius, nothing to talk about but RUBBISH.
  As for Merc E Class, Mercedes has gone all technology (which isn't really a necessity to be honest), they aren't as comfortable as they used to be, slightly cramped, both 250 have rough engines mated to merc's crappy 5speed auto, and the 350s with the decent dual clutch get the old useless engines. 500 is out of my budget and so is the AMG, meaning the E Class is a bit of a loser right now. so Polo it is... (although there would be others I'd have gone for)
  
  As for performance...
  1. THese are out of my budget and I have no aspiration to own or drive them in the near future
  2. These are 3 bloody awesome cars. What a comparison. But I'd go R8, because my neighbour has one and gives a brilliant image to our cruddy street and its roar made my Made-In-China Alarm clock redundant =)