I knew it was going to be a tough Car of the Year contest when the BMW 645i didn't make the final cut Make no mistake, BMW's rakish coupe is a good thing: fast and fine-handling, eyecatching, and packed with high-tech goodies. It's the thinking man's alternative to the thousands of SL Benzes that now litter America's wealthier suburbs like empty Cristal bottles at an MTV after-party. But it just didn't have that magical mixture of superiority, significance, and value to earn it a tilt at the coveted COTY title. It's been widely imitated and shamelessly copied, but COTY is a Motor Trend invention. The idea was coined in our third-ever issue, way back in November 1949, to celebrate the then-new Cadillac with its advanced, short-stroke overhead-valve V-8. Over the years, it's evolved into the award automakers around the world most want to win, because it recognizes excellence and achievement in the biggest, most competitive car market on earth.
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