THE panel for The Straits Times Car Of The Year has never arrived at a unanimous vote, but this year's winner came close to stealing everyone's heart.

Even though it is not without minor imperfections (pertaining mainly to fit and finish), the $497,000 Audi R8 won by a landslide because of its striking design, powerful performance and astounding driveability.

In fact, it is a supercar for everyday use. Not bad for a first attempt by Audi.

Sportscar critic Andre Lam says: "Hitting a home run the very first time you come up to bat does not happen often.

"The R8 serves as a warning to competitors that Audi is a force to be reckoned with.''

Torque editor Lee Nian Tjoe adds: "It's far from being the most ballistic car on the road, but the balance of comfort and handling puts this new kid firmly in the league of exoticas. It's a breathtaking car."

The fact that the R8 is the first niche model to clinch the ST Car Of The Year title speaks volumes. We are waiting with bated breath for the V10 version,
which should arrive in 2009.

Other nominees for this year's ST Car Of The Year were more mainstream.

The Mazda2 subcompact stood out for being lightweight, curvaceous and spacious. The Ford S-Max seven-seater drove more like a luxury performance car than an MPV.

And the Mercedes-Benz S350 equipped with Distronic Plus gave us a glimpse of the future with its twin-radar self-braking wizardry, which made the already deliciously luxurious S-class that much more pampering.

Each of these nominees is a winner in its own way, but the R8's wow factor was just too overwhelming.

Past winners of the ST Car Of The Year include the Volvo XC90, Volkswagen Golf GTI, Honda Odyssey and Honda Civic.