Tannis 2011, the early chance

Car of the Year award has changed much its timing, with the announcement of 2012 winner on early March. But Tannistest in Northern Jutland sticks to its usual schedule on late September. The reason why is obvious when you visit this idyllic part of Danemark and enjoy the scenery and good weather in the end of the tourist season. Doing it only a few weeks later, to get closer to voting time for jurors, would likely mean bad weather and fewer daylight hours.

 Therefore, gathering most of the candidates for Car of the Year award had this year the advantage of a very early occasion to drive and compare in equal conditions many cars, some of them still far from being available in the market. This traditional event, open to any member of the Jury, was again patroned  by the Scandinavian jurors of CotY: Danemark’s S.Rasmussen, Finland’s V.Honkanen, Norway’s R.Korsvoll and the three from Sweden, L.Holmström, H.Matson and M.Sterner, with the organizing help of Finish M.Merilinna and T.Jalovaara.

A total of 65 cars were available for test, some of them pre-series vehicles or prototypes anticipating derivatives and versions even farther from commercialization: a true driving ‘orgy’ along seven exciting days.  An array of technicians and engineers representing the manufacturers were at hand to help and explain details on the cars. Host or guests, there were 24 members or former members of CotY Jury. The figure doubles if attendants, other journalists and photographers are included.

In top of ‘conventional’ driving and photo making, there was the usual session in Sindal airstrip for submitting the models to the ‘elk test’ of collision avoidance with three quick successive steering manoeuvers that put the handling/stability of the cars to the limit. No car gave reasons to doubt about its dynamic safety capabilities, but the brightest bunch in safe and fast passing of the trap included BMW 1-series, Honda Civic, Citroën DS5, Mercedes-Benz SLK, Hyundai Veloster…