Best car in the world? It's the new BMW 3 Series, which was recently given the title of 2006 World Car of the Year at the New York International Auto Show.

A jury of 46 international automotive journalists narrowed title hopefuls down to three the BMW 3 Series, Mazda MX-5 and Porsche Cayman S, before naming the Beemer the best of the lot.

Graham Johnson, co-chairman of the World Car of the Year steering committee, said: "The new 3 Series delivers a balance of traits that only a few cars on the market offer. BMW's compact executive doubles up as a family car during the week and a sports car at the weekends. This unique double-act, twinned with the 3 Series' exceptional levels of refinement, meant the BMW was a clear winner."

The honours given to BMW by the World Car of the Year jurors come hot on the heels of a host of other awards from What Car?, Fleet News and Fleet Management.