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Vauxhall Insignia wins European Car of the Year 2009

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 17 November 2008 11:32 Vauxhall/Opel has scooped the European Car of the Year gong – by a single point. The results, announced today, were another surprise in the 44-year history of CoTY, as the Insignia pipped the Ford Fiesta and pushed the VW Golf into third place. The full results for Car of the Year 2009 are: • 1st Vauxhall Insignia, 321 points• 2nd Ford Fiesta, 320 points• 3rd VW Golf, 223 points• 4th Citroen C5, 198 points• 5th Alfa Romeo Mito, 148 points• 6th Skoda Superb, 144 points• 7th Renault Megane, 121 points The win is a lift for GM, which is struggling with cashflow problems in Detroit.

Fisker Karma gets EPA certification

Fisker Automotive received its U.S. Environmental Protection Agency certification this week, which means sales of the 2012 Karma sedan can begin. The Karma is a series plug-in hybrid, powered by a lithium-ion battery and a 2.0-liter range-extending gasoline engine.

CAR interviews Le Mans-winner Allan McNish

The 2010 Le Mans Series reaches its climactic finale at Silverstone on September 10-12 when the gruelling 1000km of Silverstone race takes place. And CAR has some fabulous money-cannot-buy tickets to give away – including full VIP hospitality and pit walks – that will get you into the new Silverstone circuit and up close with the cars and the drivers. Click here to see the competition prizes Not only is the race set to be a nail-biting end to a thrilling season, but it will also act as the curtain-raiser for the new Intercontinental Le Mans Cup that will see the teams visit Road Atlanta in America for the Petit Le Mans, and a six-hour race at Zhuhai in China. The Silverstone round is going to be an epic race, which is why we caught up with Le Mans winner Allan McNish for the lowdown on tackling the new layout at Silverstone and the thrill of driving the formidable Audi R15 TDI Plus. CAR: What it’s really like pedalling the Audi R15?