FERRARI 458 ITALIA DECLARED 2011 WORLD PERFORMANCE CAR

21.04.2011 / New York - Dubai - Cairo /

Ferrari fans and owners in the Middle East have one more reason to be proud of the Italian brand Ferrari.
At a press conference hosted by Bridgestone Corporation and the New York International Auto Show, the Ferrari 458 Italia was declared the 2011 World Performance Car.

The Ferrari 458 Italia was chosen from an initial entry list of fourteen (14) new cars from all over the world, then a short list of ten, then three finalists: the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, and the Porsche 911 Turbo.

“Our goal in engineering the 458 Italia was to match the technology and extreme performance developed for our racing activities with the demands of our drivers, who wish to enjoy their cars on the road and experience the unique emotions that only a Ferrari can provide" said Marco Mattiacci, President and CEO, Ferrari North America. “Today's award as 2011 World Performance Car makes us very proud and confident that we achieved our goals� concluded Mattiacci.

The World Car Awards jurors observed that, “The replacement for the F430 Fiorano has been voted by nearly every possible ranking this past year as the best performer hands down. The WCA's would love to break ranks with the crowd, but we also put the 458 Italia squarely among our top three world performance cars. Whether on the track or on a loosely policed winding two-lane mountain road, the technology on board the 458 sets it and its 570 metric horsepower far ahead of most every other V8-powered street car. This is a classic modern Ferrari in every sense, but its sophisticated handling abilities at the limit take it to a whole new level for Italian super GTs. And what a beautiful sound.�

Candidates for the World Performance Car award must demonstrate a specific and overt sports/performance orientation while satisfying the same availability criteria as for the overall World Car of the Year award. Candidates may be chosen from the World Car of the Year list of eligible vehicles, or they may be 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.

Previous World Performance Car winners were the Audi R8 V10 in 2010, the Nissan GT-R in 2009, the Audi R8 in 2008, the Audi RS4 in 2007 and the Porsche Cayman S in 2006.

Vehicles are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of sixty-six (66) top-level automotive journalists from twenty-four (24) countries around the world, including Auto Arabia's editor Mohamed Sheta from Egypt.

Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. Each juror typically drives and evaluates new vehicles on a regular basis as part of their professional work. Through their respective outlets they collectively reach an audience of many millions world-wide.

Prime Research International, a global leader in strategic communication research and consultancy is once again the World Car Awards’ research partner. The company will provide strategic reports in 2011 that analyze our awards global automotive media coverage.

Now in their seventh year, the annual World Car awards have become one of the world’s most prestigious, credible and significant programs of its kind.

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. Peter Lyon (Japan) and Matt Davis (Italy) are the co-chairs; John McCormick (USA), Jens Meiners (Germany) and Gerry Malloy (Canada) are the directors. There is no affiliation with, nor are the awards in any way influenced by any publication, auto show, automaker, or other commercial enterprise.

Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world's largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.

PRIME Research International, a global leader in strategic communication research and consultancy, has joined forces with the World Car Awards to provide strategic studies in the fields of automotive assessment criteria and automotive awards. PRIME Research is a well-trusted research partner for the automotive industry with a broad range of automotive clients. Its full picture approach, which provides strategic benchmark information and SWOT analyses on over 100 brands and over 10,000 different automobile models, sets the standard in automotive media research.

Showcasing the latest automotive trends, the 2011 New York International Auto Show will unveil an extensive collection of the most technologically advanced vehicles on display anywhere in the world. More than four floors of displays, including the new Javits Center North exhibition hall, will house nearly 1,000 stunning new 2011/2012 vehicles as well as sensational futuristic concept cars. NYIAS is owned and produced by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association.

TS