2011 CotY nominees

The seven finalists in Europe’s 2011 Car of the Year contest have been announced:

• Alfa Romeo Giulietta


• Citroën C3 / DS3


• Dacia Duster


• Ford C-Max / Grand C-Max


• Nissan Leaf


• Vauxhall / Opel Meriva


• Volvo S60 / V60

Notable is the Leaf, which is the first purely electric car to reach this stage of the competition.



All new models were eligible for the award, provided that they were already on sale (or soon would be) in five or more European markets, and are expected to achieve annual retails of 5,000 or more. This year, there were 41 that met the criteria.



A first stage of voting, which involved motoring journalists from across the continent, whittled those candidates down to the final nominees. The list of cars that failed to make it onto the shortlist makes interesting reading, too, and it includes some surprises:

• Audi A1


• BMW 5 Series


• Honda CR-Z


• Mini Countryman


• Mitsubishi i-MiEV / Citroën C-Zero / Peugeot i-On


• Nissan Juke


• Renault Fluence

The jurors will now have a second vote to determine the 2011 Car of the Year, and the winner will be announced on 29 November 2010.

Honda CBR600F returns

After an absence of four years, the CBR600F middleweight is returning to the Honda line-up.

Judging by the images, it appears to essentially be a faired version of the updated-for-2011 Hornet, although it’s thought the CBR600F may boast slightly more power than the 100 bhp (75 kW / 101PS) that the un-faired bike currently has.

2011 CBR600F and...

...2011 CB600F Hornet

The new all-rounder is aimed at riders who want more practicality and versatility than the more hardcore CBR600RR offers, but without losing sports bike performance. That said, it doesn’t look like pillion passengers are particularly well catered for.

Pricing for the 2011 Honda CBR600F, which goes on sale sometime in the first half of next year, is yet to be finalised.



Launch colours will be Pearl Cool White / Hyper Red, Pearl Cool White / Moody Blue Metallic and Pearl Nightstar Black / Matt Cynos Grey Metallic.

Stealth Police Interceptor

Ford will be unveiling a stealthy concept version of its new Police Interceptor sedan at this month’s Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show, which takes place in Las Vegas.







Designer Melvin Betancourt set out to give the Taurus-based car a sinister look, while at the same time masking its law enforcement purpose. Drawing inspiration from the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird strategic reconnaissance aircraft, the car is - naturally - finished in solid black. Smoked taillights and tinted glass complete the look.

The body has been lowered by an inch, and the concept Interceptor rides on 22” alloys with glossy black centres and chrome rims. Other modifications include a thicker mesh grille and a boot lid spoiler that both conceal LED emergency lights.

On the inside the theme continues, and the headlining and B-pillar covers are finished in black. The centre console has also been redesigned so that police equipment, such as the radio and computer terminal, is hidden away until it’s needed. Weapons can be unobtrusively stored in the glove box.

Deliveries of the production Police Interceptor sedan and the Explorer-based utility version are due to start late next year, which is when assembly of the Crown Victoria stops.



Related posts:

Ford Police Interceptor

Ford Police Interceptor #2