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Europe's Car of the Year 2011 shortlist announced

The 41 contenders for Europe's 2011 Car of the Year trophy have been whittled down to the final seven as the European CoTY shortlist is announced today. The winner will be voted for by 59 of Europe's most influential motoring journalists, including two CAR writers: editor Phil McNamara and European editor Georg Kacher. The 2010 winner - by just 10 points ahead of the Toyota iQ - was the Volkswagen Polo. Like the Eurovision Song Contest, Car of the Year has proved controversial in the past with accusations of block-voting and blind patriotism, yet the award remains one of the most prestigious in the motor industry.

Economic downturn might hit plans for Porsche small roadster

Porsche's decision on whether to build an entry-level roadster will depend on the global economy, CEO Matthias Mueller said. Mueller said that if the automaker decides to go ahead with the car, sales would begin at the earliest in the third quarter of 2014, but probably later. A decision on production will depend on how the global economic situation pans out, particularly in relation to the auto industry, Mueller said.

Dacia parades machine gun-equipped Duster

THE ROMANIAN military has apparently displayed an armoured and machine gun-equipped version of the humble Dacia Duster 4x4. The army-grade Duster has been given a degree of bulletproof plating, as well as under-body armour for the most vulnerable areas like the engine and fuel tank. However, it’s the remote-controlled machine gun mounted on the roof that’s sure to raise the most eyebrows.