By DALE JEWETT


Two General Motors cars, Ford's sales leader and a high-powered diesel concept from Audi were the winners of the 2008 AutoWeek Editors' Choice awards at the North American International Auto Show.

The selections were made after vigorous debate among AutoWeek's editors following the press preview days for the Detroit auto show.

"Sometimes the discussion lasted only a few minutes, and then there were times when we went back and forth and had appeals," said Dutch Mandel, AutoWeek editor and associate publisher. "But these vehicles are the best from this show."

The four honored vehicles are:

--Most Fun: Audi R8 V12 TDI concept. "The R8 is already one of the sexiest supercars on the road," said Mandel. "But Audi upped the game considerably with a turbocharged V12 diesel."

--Best Concept: Cadillac CTS Coupe. "We can't wait to see this on the road," said Mandel. "You can even see fins in the taillights."

--Most Significant: 2009 Ford F-150. "This is the bread-and-butter vehicle for Ford. If Ford is going to bounce back, it will do so on the back of this new F-150."

--Best of Show: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. "This is an iconic car and an iconic Corvette. A carbon-fiber body and 620 hp under the hood--we love it."

The awards were handed out on Wednesday during the AutoWeek Design Forum in Detroit.

http://info.detnews.com/redesign/blo...cfm?blogID=282

http://autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...8939/1530/FREE

http://media.ford.com/products/press...EBC549D49C1B69

 

I guess it is better than nothing.

I would have preferred Best of Show, however.

 

It's better than all of these that lost to the F-150...

WORLDWIDE PRODUCTION
Audi TTS
BMW X6
BMW 1-Series Convertible
BMW X5 xDrive35d
BMW 3335d
Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
Cadillac CTS-V
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Chevrolet Impala
Dodge Ram
Ford F-150
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Genesis
Kia Borrego
Mazda RX-8
Saturn Vue Green Line 2-Mode
Toyota Venza
Subaru Forester

WORLDWIDE CONCEPT
Chrysler ecoVoyager
Dodge ZEO
Jeep Renegade
Fisker
Ford Explorer America
Ford Verve
Hummer HX
Lamborghini
Lincoln
Mazda Furai
Mercedes-Benz Vision GLK BLUETEC
Mitsubishi Concept-RA
Nissan Forum
Saab 9-4X BioPower
Saturn Flextreme
Toyota A-BAT

NORTH AMERICAN PRODUCTION
Maserati

NORTH AMERICAN CONCEPT
Buick Riviera
Citroen C-SportLounge
Dodge Hornet
Honda CR-Z
Mazda Taiki concept Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid
Nissan Effis
Suzuki X-HEAD
Suzuki SXForce
Suzuki X4 WRCg)

 

Congratulations Ford! The more I see and hear of this truck the more I like it.

 

Awesome news. I think the "most significant" title is very fitting given the very significant changes made available in the areas of safety, utility, and class (interior).

Ford didn't only up the anti with this truck, they leap frogged ahead. Once the new engine lineup works its way into this truck in a year the competition won't have a leg to stand on.

 

Hail Autoweek!

But to hell with Popular Mechanics. Yup lets discredit them because they didn't think very highly of the F150.

Hilarious....

 

Well, Autoweek is a car publication and Popular Mechanics is...well, what the hell is PM? They think they know everything. Look at the cars that PM picked. Stupid concept cars that have no value to the car-buying public. Cars that are so expensive (Audi R8) that none of us will ever be able to afford them. Cars that are so ugly (that Toyota Bat-C thing) that nobody would want to own it. I'll stick with autoweek's pick of Most Significant. It makes sense to me...more people will buy the 2009 F150 as all of the PM picks combined. That, in my mind, makes it significant.

 

Exactly my point.

Go play in traffic SMIGGS...you won't be missed. :santa:

 

I think I just might have found myself another nutswinger.....

I can't get over how some of you get so babyish.

 

Yup, some editors like it at Autoweek and give it an award and it's grail.

Some editors at Popular Mechanics don't like and "they think they know everything"

Awaiting your opinion on Motor Trend for giving the truck of the year to the Tundra.....and then or if the 09 F150 wins the same award.

 

Stop getting your panties into a bunch. You can't win them all. Feel free to visit one of the other forums if the 2009 F-150 isn't for you.

 

I don't really care for anything that Motor Trend has to say. The 2004 F150 was the 2004 Motor Trend truck of the Year, so I guess they got it right once. Of course the 2006 TOTY was the Honda Ridgeline...and that's not even a truck, so that says a lot. My personal opinion of Motor Trend is that they tend to award the TOTY to the company that pays for the most advertising in their magazine. If I had a copy of Motor trend in the bathroom, I might wipe my a$$ with it if I was out of toilet paper.