The countdown has now begun to name the 2008 World Car of the Year. The WCOTY committee has now whittled a big list down to 10 finalists and, yes, Detroit is in there.

The Cadillac CTS has made it through to the WCOTY finals. So have the Audi A5/S5 Coupes, the Audi R8, and Ford Mondeo.

(Click through to find out what other cars are on the short list.)

The Ford S-Max, Mazda 2/Demio, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class are also nominated, along with the Nissan Qashqai/Dualis, Infiniti G37 Coupe/Nissan Skyline, and Volvo C30.

The 2008 WCOTY will be named at the New York Auto Show on March 20. Last year’s winner was the Lexus LS460.

Then there’s 2008 World Performance Car and the top 10 runners and riders this time include the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster, BMW M3, and Honda’s Civic Type R.

Audi is in there again with the R8 and S5 Coupe. Mercedes has three; the AMG CL 63, S63, and the CLK63 AMG Black Series. Rounding out the Top 10 is the Renault Clio F1 team R27. Read all about at: www.wcoty.com.

Meanwhile, who do you think should win the awards?