Playboy Crowns the Hottest Cars of 2008

Top Honors Go to Audi R8

CHICAGO, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Which cars will be turning heads
on the street this year? According to Playboy's "2008 Cars of the Year," a
high-performance hybrid surges past competitors, a European import squeezes to
the top, and a luxury carmaker provides one of the most fuel efficient and
affordable vehicles on the road.
The selected cars were chosen by an expert team of automotive writers who
traveled the world and test drove every new model hitting the showroom floor
this year. The vehicles were taken on the sharpest turns, most challenging
curves, and the steepest hills to properly separate the superlative from the
mediocre. The vehicles featured in Playboy's January issue (on newsstands and
at www.playboydigital.comFriday, December 7) include:
PLAYBOY'S 2008 CAR OF THE YEAR: Audi R8
This mid engine sexpot boasts a 420 bhp, 4.2-liter V8, and hits zero to 60
in a sexy 4.4 seconds
BEST LUXURY SPORTS COUPE: Maserati GranTurismo
Features a 405 bhp, 4.2-liter double overhead cam V8 packs 339 foot-pounds
of torque
SMARTEST PURCHASE: Smart Fortwo
Sits eight feet by eight inches long and weighs a whopping 1,807 pounds

BEST SPORTS SEDAN: Cadillac CTS
With a base engine of a 3.6-liter V6 that develops 263bhp, it is just as
quick as the CTS-V
BEST SUV: Land Rover LR2
Equipped with a Terrain Response feature that adjusts the AWD and
suspension for driving conditions
BEST CROSSOVER: Buick Enclave CXL
Proudly sits on 19-inch wheels and is available with a luxury package
including articulated headlights
BEST CONVERTIBLE: BMW 335i
Not only does it whip from zero to 60 in 5.5 seconds, its light-weight
steel top retracts in 22 seconds
BEST EARTH-DAY CAR: Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec
Outfitted with three catalysts and a filter in the exhaust that erases
every trace of smoke and N2O
BEST PINT-SIZE PERFORMANCE: Volvo C30
Dances on the sporty side with its full-width glass hatch and clipped Manx
bobtail
Go to www.playboy.com/caroftheyear for criteria used to select
these cars, an extended photo gallery, and a chance to vote for your favorite
machine of 2008.
SOURCE Playboy

Tina Manzo of Playboy, +1-312-373-2436, cmanzo@playboy.com