Skip advert
Advertisement

New Mazda MX-5 wins World Car of the Year 2016

Mazda's MX-5 roadster wins overall WCOTY title, with Audi R8 the best performance car and BMW 7 Series the best luxury car

Mazda MX-5 Recaro - front tracking

The fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 has been crowned World Car of the Year 2016. At the ceremony during this year's New York Motor Show, the two-seat roadster was gifted the overall gong by a panel of expert judges. 

The MX-5 beat the new Mercedes GLC SUV and Audi A4 into runner-up positions. It also took the award for Best Car Design, beating the Jaguar XE and Mazda's own CX-3.

Audi R8 - sideways

The new Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car was awarded Best Green Car, while the BMW 7 Series took the gong for Best Luxury Car. The Performance Car of the Year is the new Audi R8, which beat out the Mercedes-AMG C 63 and Honda Civic Type R

Advertisement - Article continues below

Nominations for each category are given by a committee of automotive journalists from around the world. Previous winners include the Mercedes C-Class (2015), and the Audi A3 (2014). 

Do you think the Mazda MX-5 deserved to win? Let us know below...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best cars with pop-up headlights
Best cars with pop-up headlights - header image

Best cars with pop-up headlights

Safety laws and modern tech have largely extinguished the pop-up headlight so let’s take a look back at the all time greatest cars to feature them.
Best cars & vans
3 Sep 2026
New Mazda MX-5 gains power and kit for 2027, but loses 2.0 engine
2027 Mazda MX-5 - front cornering

New Mazda MX-5 gains power and kit for 2027, but loses 2.0 engine

Mazda has confirmed that the 2.0-litre MX-5 has gone off sale, but new variants of the 1.5 hope to plug the gap
News
26 Aug 2026
Best JDM cars: Japan’s greatest performance car legends
Best JDM cars

Best JDM cars: Japan’s greatest performance car legends

Japanese domestic market cars that have changed the car world for the better
Best cars & vans
25 Jul 2026
Best performance cars to buy 2026
Best performance cars - header image

Best performance cars to buy 2026

Performance cars have reached new heights of speed and interaction - here’s a list of our ten favourites from the current crop
Best cars & vans
15 Jul 2026

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: A fully-loaded Range Rover Evoque is now just £455 a month
Range Rover Evoque P300e Autobiography - full width front

Car Deal of the Day: A fully-loaded Range Rover Evoque is now just £455 a month

Not often do we feature a Range Rover, but today is an exception. The top-spec Evoque is our Deal of the Day for 18 September.
News
18 Sep 2026
Volkswagen ID. Buzz sets a massive EV distance record
Record-breaking VW ID.Buzz in Thailand

Volkswagen ID. Buzz sets a massive EV distance record

Setting the record for ‘most countries visited in a continuous journey in an EV’, the Buzz covered almost 62,000 miles in 445 days.
News
18 Sep 2026
Range Rover Electric and Dacia Spring are EV extremes but I've found the sweet spot
Opinion - EV sweet spot

Range Rover Electric and Dacia Spring are EV extremes but I've found the sweet spot

Mike Rutherford believes he's figured out the trick to getting the best EV bargain
Opinion
20 Sep 2026

Find a car with the experts