| Amid
a flurry of exciting entertainment and flashing lights, ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine
celebrated its Class of 2003 Top 10 auto awards; the best of the best new cars
and trucks on American roads, as well as the talented and passionate people behind
them. RTMs Most Likely to Succeed Award winners were announced at a black-tie
gala that coincided with the opening of the media days for the world's largest
and most significant annual auto event, the North American International Auto
Show in Detroit, Michigan. The ceremony itself was no less than the grandest,
glitziest, most well attended of any event in the publication’s 14-year history,
and it is one that won’t soon be forgotten by all who were lucky enough to
attend. The
2003 Awards show, often referred to as the Academy Awards of Detroit, featured
appearances from some of the biggest names in the auto industry, as well as state
and national political figures and other prominent A-List personalities from within
as well as without the automotive business. This
year's VIP list included U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, U.S. Congressman John Dingell,
Tom Purves, Chairman & CEO, BMW North America; Larry Yost, Chairman &
CEO of ArvinMeritor Inc.; Dave Power, Chairman & CEO of J.D. Power and Associates,
and Lynn Myers, General Manager of Pontiac-GMC. RTM
knew it had to pull out all the stops for the 2003 ceremony, which was held in
a luxurious Renaissance Ballroom at the Detroit
Marriott Hotel. Beyond
the cocktails, hors d’œuvres and smattering of VIPs, the event was flavored
by the penetrating, get-down-and-boogie beat of a Motown band that performed musical
adaptations of iconic pop hits as they applied to each of the 10 awards. The award
categories themselves celebrate excellence in 10 distinctly different auto categories,
including Most Likely to Change the World (eco-friendly), Most Likely to Survive
Anything (SUV), Most Vivacious (entry-level), Most Athletic (pick-up trucks),
Most Likely to Inspire Leadership (luxury vehicles) and everyone’s favorite,
Most Sex Appeal (sports cars).
| VOTING
CRITERIA | | Winners
were selected by RTM editors as best in class by meeting at least 7 out of 12
criteria listed below. Entries
must be brand new models, or if existing models, have significant changes in design
or technology.
-
Appealing to All
- Head Turning Ability
- Ergo-
Friendly
- Style
- Performance
- Practical
- Affordable
- Safe & Dependable
- Proud To Be Seen
In
- Fun Factor
- Very Cool | RTM’s
top honor is, fittingly, the Most Likely to Succeed, awarded to a vehicle that
excels in all 12 of RTM’s award criteria points (see sidebar). Award
winners are decided by a panel of judges that includes RTM’s distinguished
auto editors as well as several other auto experts. The judges were charged
with the task of evaluating and ranking the vast pool of vehicles that are all-new
or significantly enhanced for the 2003 model year. In all, eight winners took
home trophies in the 10 categories (with one overachiever nabbing no fewer than
three of the (jade crystal trophies). Results were tallied and verified by J.D.
Power and Associates. This
7th annual awards show just keeps on getting bigger in thanks to sponsor
support from Yahoo! Autos, Detroit Marriott
RenCen Hotel, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Subaru of America, ArvinMeritor
Inc., Pontiac-GMC, GMAC, AutoNation, American Honda, BMW of NA, Mercedes-Benz
USA, Nissan NA, Kia Motors, and Bridgestone/Firestone Tires. So
without further ado, read on to find out just which new cars and trucks have been
designated the most promising automotive entries in the Class of 2003. And if
you missed the party, sorry…there’s always next year. A
fork in the road....either navigate through our Class of 2003 winners by clicking
on 'Start' or by selecting one of the 10 categories listed below! 
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