An international panel of automotive journalists has voted the Porsche 911 the 2012 World Performance Car in New York.

The World Performance Car Award is presented by the World Car of the Year organization in recognition of a new car with ‘a specific and overt sports/performance orientation’.

The Porsche 911 was chosen from an entry list of 19 cars from all over the world and beat fellow finalists the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 and the McLaren MP4-12C.

Jurors praised Porsche for “leaps in innovation and risk-taking design choices while at the same time maintaining and improving upon the driving thrills we look for in any Porsche two-door.”

Porsche has reached the finalists’ list in all but one of the seven previous World Performance Car awards and has now taken the award four times.

Also announced was the World Car Design of the Year, which was handed to the Range Rover Evoque by a panel of design experts, above 45 other hopefuls for its innovation and style.

The prizes were presented at the final press day of the New York International Auto Show, which opens to the public April 6 and runs through April 15.