This text was not translated, because it is originally in English
Jurors around the world have now completed their final voting for the four categories in the World Car Awards. The three finalists in each category will be revealed next week at the Geneva Auto Show.

As one of the jurors I thought readers might like to know how I voted. It is always tough to choose the winners as there are so many good cars. Often one has a favorite but when it comes down to actual voting you have to be objective and look at the cars merits from an overall point of view and its position in the marketplace.

Heres how I voted in the four categories:

Overall Car of the Year: The voting for this major award is done by assigning points in six different aspects that are weighted in importance. When I filled in the form online it was not immediately apparent as to which car I had made the winner. Once I ran the numbers in a spreadsheet I found the Nissan Leaf had narrowly beaten the Jaguar XJ with the Jeep Grand Cherokee coming in third. I am happy with this as the Leaf is obviously a significant vehicle, perhaps more so overseas than in the US. The Jaguar XJ brings the iconic British sedan into the 21st century with looks that stand out from the crowd, just as Jags have always done. I was surprised that I rated the Jeep Grand Cherokee so highly but once I analyzed my voting I realized it is significant as it is such an improvement compared to the Jeeps that have been introduced in the recent past. The only two vehicles among the top ten finalists I did not get to drive were the Audi A1 and BMW X3.

World Performance Car: Voting is done by simple ranking. This was an easy choice – I voted for the Ferrari 458 Italia. I only drove the car briefly but was pleasantly, and somewhat surprised, at how easy the car is to drive compared to Ferraris of old. And what can one say about its looks, other than its truly stunning. My second choice was the Aston Martin Rapide and third went to the Porsche 911 Turbo.

World Car Design: I gave my vote to the Aston Martin Rapide in this category. I think Aston Martin did a superb job of creating a beautiful four-door sports car. The Ferrari 458 Italia was my second choice, while I voted the Audi A7 in third.

World Green Car – my vote in this category went to the Chevrolet Volt as I think it is a great solution to the range problem for electric cars. Incidentally the car was not eligible for the Overall Car of the Year award as it is not yet on sale worldwide. It will probably be included next year. I voted for the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell in second and the Nissan Leaf in third place.

My votes have not matched the final winners very closely the past few years so it will be interesting to see how other jurors voted. The final winners will be announced at the 2011 New York Auto Show in April.