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2014 World Car Awards shortlist announced

The shortlist of finalists for the 2014 World Car Awards (WCAs) has been announced, revealing the cars that will compete for the 2014 World Car of the Year, as well as the World Luxury Car, the World Performance Car, the World Green Car and the World Car Design 2014 awards. MSN Cars’ very own Peter Burgess is amongst the 69 global motoring journalists who have whittled down the contenders in each of the categories – there are supposed to be 10 of each, but some tied results at this stage mean some of the awards have slightly more finalists this year. The next stage reduces the field down to three cars vying for each award.

2011 Audi R8 GT, an AW first look

Three years after it burst onto the supercar scene, Audi has unveiled a hard-core version of its R8 called the GT. Based on the existing mid-engine R8 V10 and incorporating aerodynamic, weight-saving and mechanical developments used by the company's R8 LMS GT3 race car, Ingolstadt will build just 333 copies of the new 560-hp four-wheel-drive performance flagship. Pricing has not yet been revealed, but given the extent of the changes to the new two-seater, buyers should expect a hefty premium over the R8 V10's $147,000 price tag when the GT goes on sale in North America.

Tokyo Motor Show: Mini appears across the globe

FRESH from its world debut at the Cowley plant in which it will be built, the new third-generation Mini has made its Asian debut at the Tokyo Motor Show. Both the modern Mini, and before it the original Issigonis Mini, are extremely popular in Japan where its strong British identity and high degree of personalisation hold strong appeal. The third generation version will build on that with its enhanced looks and specification.