Official candidates
BMW 3 SERIES SEDAN
The BMW 3 Series Sedan is the original in the compact sports sedan segment and over the years has come to symbolise the aesthetic appeal, dynamics and sporting capability of BMW.
next...With its dynamic and elegant lines, the sixth model generation of the world's best-selling premium vehicle highlights the sporting character of the brand's mid-size model. Although the new BMW 3 Series has grown in all dimensions compared to its predecessor, it retains a perfect balance of sportiness and elegance. As in previous generations, the sedan's dynamic proportions are shaped by the sweeping bonnet, short front overhang, long wheelbase and set-back greenhouse typical of BMW.
The wedge shape of the new 3 Series' silhouette and its wider track (+ 37/47 mm at the front/rear) underline the sporting appearance of the new BMW. By clearly accentuating the width of the car, the multi-faceted surfaces of the expressive front end give the BMW 3 Series a sportier face than ever. A wide, squat interpretation of the upright, slightly forward-slanting BMW kidney grille emphasises the stance of the new BMW 3 Series. LED accent lights positioned like eyebrows above the striking twin headlights with corona rings (if xenon headlights are specified) lend an extra intensity to the classic BMW focused look. The headlights now extend up to the frame of the kidney grille, merging the headlights and grille of the new BMW 3 Series Sedan into a single stylistic unit and adding further emphasis to the car's broad-set stance. The BMW 3 Series replaces the central air intake of its predecessor with two larger intakes, which are positioned underneath the headlights to the outer edges of the front end and add extra depth to the car's sporty styling. On the far left and right of the main ducts are small vertical intakes which help create the "Air Curtain". This new technology improves air flow around the front wheels, enhancing aerodynamic efficiency and reducing fuel consumption at higher speeds.
The closely spaced, squat openings of the kidney grille, with their eye-catching surrounds, form the most prominent element of the new BMW 3 Series Sedan's front end design. This is also where the precise lines of the heavily contoured bonnet finish. The result is a front end that appears lower-slung, giving the BMW 3 Series a clear sporting edge when viewed head-on.
Powerfully taut surfaces with sweeping lines dominate the side view of the BMW 3 Series Sedan, stretching the car visually and lending extra verve to its dynamic stance. The flanks of the car are shaped by an eye-catching "double swage line" made up of two character lines running alongside each other. The higher swage line emerges out of the low-slung front end and flows over the front wheel with an understated sweep, in a nod to the sedan's fleetness of foot. The second swage line develops lower down behind the front wheel and follows a delicately arching path towards the rear. Together, they reinforce the dynamic wedge shape of the car's flanks and create vivid light and shade effects below the swage line, which draw further attention to the car's wide track.
The striking interpretation of the hallmark BMW Hofmeister kink at the base of the C-pillar injects the silhouette of the new 3 Series with even greater élan. Alongside it runs a fine contour line from the roof into the boot lid, giving the roof an even lower appearance from the side. The resultant sense of sporty yet elegant lightness spreads all the way down the sedan's sides, with the slightly rising shade line low down on the heavily contoured side skirt adding further emphasis. The large light surfaces above the side skirt serve to enhance the lightness of the car's flank lines.
CHEVROLET CAMARO CABRIOLET
Camaro: the new Chevy head-spinner
The jaw-dropping design of the fifth generation Chevrolet Camaro is an irresistible invitation to get in and drive away.
next...The legendary car's return after a ten year absence brings with it a fusion of modernity, confidence and soul
It is hard to decide where to look first - the immediately recognizable V-shaped nose that has become a Camaro trademark, the unmistakable tail, or the sculpted rear shoulders. All details of the car have been carefully designed to re-capture the spirit of the legend that first rolled off production lines 45 years ago while creating an thoroughly modern, 21st century sports car.
"What we have created is a delicious blend of high-tech power, agility and efficiency wrapped in a stunning design. The Camaro has an iconic presence, unrivalled by competitors," says Wayne Brannon, President and Managing Director of Chevrolet Europe.
From the outside, there is no mistaking the four-passenger coupe and cabrio as a modern interpretation of its legendary 1969 predecessor - strong, wide shoulders, long dash-to-axle, low roof line and large wheels.
The look
High-intensity discharge headlamps with glowing xenon halo rings, mimicking deep-inset eyes, complement the V-shaped front grille and give the Camaro an aggressive ready-to-pounce stance. The sweeping long hood and short rear deck accentuate the Camaro's iconic look and feel.
The hood carries a 10 centimeter power bulge, leaving little doubt as to what lies beneath and highlighting its sports car heritage.
The one-piece body shows off the bold lines that have become a distinguishing feature of all Chevrolet cars. Only here, the style is better defined and the clean creased lines are set off by muscular wheel arches. Rear quarter gills are stamped into the sheet metal just fore of the rear wheel, with a nod to a design element of the original concept car.
The sculpted rear shoulders set the stage for a stunningly-designed rear end. The unique, European specific LED tail lights are also inset and complement the image portrayed by the front of the Camaro. The dual outlet stainless steel exhausts have polished tips and complete the ensemble, creating an appealing blend of technology, design and performance.
A lower body side spear is formed seamlessly into the front quarter, door and rear quarter sheet metal delivering a muscular wheel-oriented cue and refined forward moving appearance, clearly defining its rear-wheel capability.
The Camaro sits on standard 20-inch wheels, a final touch of design and also a needed feature to transfer the engine torque to stunning forward movement. The wheels are positioned outward and flush with the body, giving the car a planted appearance.
The only feature more spectacular than the body of the car is what is underneath the hood.
The outlook on the world suddenly changes when you sit in a Camaro.
HYUNDAI VELOSTER
Not two, not four, but three. It is with three doors, an unusual architecture in the car world, that Veloster is entering the trendy small car segment.
next...Far from being an exercise in style, the Veloster design is born from our analysis of contemporary society. Like most of us, Veloster wants everything. The life of the fun-loving single as well as that of the family tribe, the practical urban car and that for making journeys into the countryside. Hence this automobile with two faces, equipped with a single door on the driver's side. On the passenger side, however, Veloster possesses two doors adapted to family life. The functionality of a hatchback and the sleek looks of a coupe. Simultaneously both coupé and saloon. Veloster represents a confident design-based step function while affirming a bold and audacious character. An emotional renaissance illustrated by the new Hyundai brand identity < New Thinking. New Possibilities >.
The design
Presented in January 2011 at Detroit Motor Show (USA), Veloster is Hyundai's most recent offering in the compact segment. It heralds a new design for forthcoming Hyundai models : hexagonal radiator grill, almond-shaped distinctive headlamp design, lines with rounded angles which give the impression of a young feline straight out of an Asian animated feature film. The Veloster name itself is the result of the contraction of "velocity" and "roadster", which evokes the image of wild cat in full fight. This neologism also underlines the inventive nature of the vehicle and emphasizes its multi facetted personality by associating stitched leather - red, grey or black - for the seats and the steering wheel, with ingenious high-tech equipment such as on-board multimedia and an automated security system. As far as colour is concerned, the exterior simply exudes dynamism. The body colours are striking, vivid and distinctive. Orange, green, and yellow, are in stark contrast with the traditional black, grey, and white car colors and exude an refreshing optimism.
PEUGEOT 208
The 208 gives form to and refines the new aesthetic codes of the Marque. 'Floating' grille, light signature, 'boomerang' rear lamps - each detail designed in complete coherence with the general volume, structured by a "spine" the impression of which is even visible on the roof.
la suite...Sculpted, athletic, both pure and sophisticated, its style projects the Marque towards a renewed and attractive modernity, suggesting sensuousness and energy, smoothness and mischief. The two body types have been given and entirely different treatment, with a tree-door version the quarter panel movement of which calls to mind one of its illustrious older siblings.
"The strength of the 208 lies in its style : it is a real ball of energy. It has the potential to please everyone, without being a weak compromise, like a popular piece of music that touches the human soul regardless of culture" Gilles Vidal, Peugeot Style Director.
The title of "The Most Beautiful Car of the Year" is awarded to a four-door sedan, a mivan, an estate car, a two-door sedan, a convertible or a SUV. The model must be registered in the competition by its manufacturer and marketed in the year with a retail price not exceeding €50,000.
The International Automobile Festival was established in 1986 as part of the 24 hour ice Trials in Chamonix. The vote for "The Most Beautiful Car of the Year" was launched one year after the International Automobile Festival's establishment.
