The Audi A8, new BMW 5 Series and electric Nissan Leaf will be the final three finalists in the 2011 World Car of the Year awards. The final verdict will be given on April 21st during the New York Auto Show, and will be the result of the evaluations of 66 judges. The vehicles involved have to have been on sale in at least two continents between January 1st and May 31 to be considered for the prize.

The Nissan Leaf gets two nominations because it’s also competing in the World Green Car of the Year category alongside the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Edition and the Chevrolet Volt. The World Performance Car of the Year finalists are the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Mercedes SLS AMG and the Porsche 911 Turbo. Frankly, it’s quite a predictable line-up and the only thing that will make it interesting is if the Leaf gets to win in the overall category as well, marking a moment when electric cars finally turn the corner and compete with their fuel-powered counterparts.

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