Well, as my Grade 11 history teacher used to say when we collectively got the wrong answers to his pop quizzes, "Another failure of democracy.''
Likewise the results of the 2008 Automobile Journalists Association of Canada Car/Utility Vehicle of the Year awards.
The Audi R8 is Car of the Year - a fabulous car by any standard, but a $150,000 sports car of which they'll maybe a hundred in Canada? Car of the Year?
Can't blame Audi. They don't make the rules, and they aren't going to hand the trophy back.
The R8 was also chosen Best New Design and, a couple of months ago, "Most Coveted'' by the journos at AJAC's Test Fest last fall.
The other finalists were the Saturn Astra and Audi S5.
Actually, the real Car of the Year didn't even make the final three. At least the Chevrolet Malibu won the North American award.
General Motors did win the Utility Vehicle award, although it was the wrong General Motors vehicle. The Buick Enclave should have been a slam-dunk, but the collective minds of AJAC gave it to the Silverado pick-up. A worthy winner, but nowhere near the breakthrough represented by the Enclave.
Nissan Rogue, another fine vehicle, was the other Utility finalist.
Ford's SYNC system, enabling connectivity of multiple media devices into a car and making it even easier for drivers to be distracted, won Best New Technology. Is there no hope?
Wait 'til next year. We'll probably get it wrong again.
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