Published July 13, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
Yesterday BMW won the 2012 Concept Car of the Year Award with its i8 Concept Spyder.
This award marks BMW’s fourth nomination as a category finalist and the brand’s second visit to the awards podium at the eleventh annual North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards.
The Concept Car category recognizes those vehicles where passenger carrying is the primary intent and those vehicles most likely to shape the future of the automobile industry.
This year, more than two dozen jurors participated in a selection process that involved a total of 34 vehicles, each introduced to North America during this season’s auto shows in Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, and New York.
Categories for which awards are given are for the best Production Preview Vehicle, Concept Car, Concept Truck, and Most Significant Concept Vehicle of each auto show season. To be eligible for the awards, a concept vehicle must make its North American debut during the current model year’s auto show season.
With the exception of those vehicles in the Production Preview category, qualified nominees must represent an advanced design and /or engineering concept, rather than being a show version of a current production model.
These awards are unique in that they are judged by a diverse panel of automotive journalists from all over North America, and considered in the specific context of the North American market.
“With lines that remind me of icy water in a mountain stream, the BMW i8 takes open top driving into a new realm of environmental responsibility, with the mission of the ultimate driving machine firmly embedded,” said juror Bill Schaffer.
Juror Chris Poole stated, “The i8 concept wraps innovative construction and powertrain technologies in a functional, eye-catching new design language that will be exclusive to the upcoming eco sub-brand it previews. It's an impressive blend of supercar style and speed with future-oriented mpg and emissions performance.”
