There are now so many Car of the Year awards given out that the whole idea of one vehicle being honored above all others has lost its impact. But when the giver of said award is Playboy Magazine, well, the honor means a little more. Why? Because Playboy doesn't pick a winner based on such tangible criteria as horsepower, miles per gallon or MSRP. They don't care so much about the fastest, greenest or most significant car in its segment. They care about cool. Which car is going to get you to that VIP event and make all eyes turn towards you on arrival? For 2010, Playboy says that car is the Porsche Panamera.
We can absolutely understand where Playboy is coming from here. You just have to imagine yourself as Hugh Hefner: Porsches are both cool and fast, but a Porsche that can accommodate me, my smoking jacket and three bunnies is worthy of a place in the Playboy Mansion garage and perhaps an X-rated car wash in the driveway.
Playboy gave out eight other awards in such categories as Best Horsepower Value (Nissan 370Z), Best Mean and Green (Ford Fusion Hybrid) and Best Reborn Beauty (Ford Taurus SHO) among others. You can check them all out in the press release after the jump, and while we're not sure how many automakers will place their new Playboy awards front and center in the corporate trophy case, we're sure behind close doors they're... well, let's not talk about what they're doing behind closed doors.
We can absolutely understand where Playboy is coming from here. You just have to imagine yourself as Hugh Hefner: Porsches are both cool and fast, but a Porsche that can accommodate me, my smoking jacket and three bunnies is worthy of a place in the Playboy Mansion garage and perhaps an X-rated car wash in the driveway.
Playboy gave out eight other awards in such categories as Best Horsepower Value (Nissan 370Z), Best Mean and Green (Ford Fusion Hybrid) and Best Reborn Beauty (Ford Taurus SHO) among others. You can check them all out in the press release after the jump, and while we're not sure how many automakers will place their new Playboy awards front and center in the corporate trophy case, we're sure behind close doors they're... well, let's not talk about what they're doing behind closed doors.
[Source: Playboy | Image Source: Jim Ross/Getty]
PLAYBOY ANNOUNCES ITS HOTTEST CARS FOR 2010
NEW PORSCHE PANAMERA TAKES TOP SPOT
Despite the industry gloom and doom, extraordinary things are happening in the car business and Playboy's January/February double issue (on newsstands and online now at www.playboydigital.com) is honoring the new years' most innovative and stylistic automotive achievements. According to the magazine's "Cars of the Year 2010" feature, a hybrid reflects the current green engineering renaissance, an iconic convertible returns to the spotlight, and a new model from a European heavyweight redefines cool.
The honored cars were selected by a team of automotive experts and writers who traveled the globe in search of the best vehicles on the road. From the famous Autobahn to the highways of California, Playboy's top picks were tested on tough terrain and endured grueling performance challenges to come out on top. The featured cars include:
PLAYBOY'S 2010 CAR OF THE YEAR: Porsche Panamera Turbo
Germany's top sports car maker delivers its first sedan packed with innovation and sophistication
BEST CONVERTIBLE: Ferrari California
This new iteration of the sleek Italian classic sports several Ferrari firsts, such as a retractable hardtop, a front-engine V8 with direct injection, and a launch-control system that zooms you from zero to 60 in under four seconds
BEST HORSEPOWER VALUE: Nissan Nismo 370Z
A performance bargain, this is the best Z yet with a beautiful shape, punchy throttle and low price
BEST BANG FOR YOU BUCK: Mazdaspeed3
With plenty of power and a price tag below $26K (fully loaded), this car rips up turns and delivers on the acceleration front
BEST DIESEL CAR: Audi A3 TDI
The poster child for clean diesel, this surprisingly roomy hatchback exhibits eye-pleasing packaging and phenomenal MPG
BEST REBORN BEAUTY: Ford Taurus SHO
Brawny good looks, all wheel drive and a torrid 365 bhp V6 with EcoBoost put a great new face on a proven winner
BEST CROSSOVER: BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo
With roomy backseats and a clever two-piece tailgate that can function as either a hatchback or a trunk, this GT is a fast, go-anywhere, all-purpose utility vehicle
BEST MEAN AND GREEN: Ford Fusion Hybrid
Playboy's Green Car of the Year is the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan available
BEST SPORTS SEDAN: Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG
With a Race Start launch-setting button, V8 engine and optional Night View Assist Plus, this car is meant for the
fast lane
NEW PORSCHE PANAMERA TAKES TOP SPOT
Despite the industry gloom and doom, extraordinary things are happening in the car business and Playboy's January/February double issue (on newsstands and online now at www.playboydigital.com) is honoring the new years' most innovative and stylistic automotive achievements. According to the magazine's "Cars of the Year 2010" feature, a hybrid reflects the current green engineering renaissance, an iconic convertible returns to the spotlight, and a new model from a European heavyweight redefines cool.
The honored cars were selected by a team of automotive experts and writers who traveled the globe in search of the best vehicles on the road. From the famous Autobahn to the highways of California, Playboy's top picks were tested on tough terrain and endured grueling performance challenges to come out on top. The featured cars include:
PLAYBOY'S 2010 CAR OF THE YEAR: Porsche Panamera Turbo
Germany's top sports car maker delivers its first sedan packed with innovation and sophistication
BEST CONVERTIBLE: Ferrari California
This new iteration of the sleek Italian classic sports several Ferrari firsts, such as a retractable hardtop, a front-engine V8 with direct injection, and a launch-control system that zooms you from zero to 60 in under four seconds
BEST HORSEPOWER VALUE: Nissan Nismo 370Z
A performance bargain, this is the best Z yet with a beautiful shape, punchy throttle and low price
BEST BANG FOR YOU BUCK: Mazdaspeed3
With plenty of power and a price tag below $26K (fully loaded), this car rips up turns and delivers on the acceleration front
BEST DIESEL CAR: Audi A3 TDI
The poster child for clean diesel, this surprisingly roomy hatchback exhibits eye-pleasing packaging and phenomenal MPG
BEST REBORN BEAUTY: Ford Taurus SHO
Brawny good looks, all wheel drive and a torrid 365 bhp V6 with EcoBoost put a great new face on a proven winner
BEST CROSSOVER: BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo
With roomy backseats and a clever two-piece tailgate that can function as either a hatchback or a trunk, this GT is a fast, go-anywhere, all-purpose utility vehicle
BEST MEAN AND GREEN: Ford Fusion Hybrid
Playboy's Green Car of the Year is the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan available
BEST SPORTS SEDAN: Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG
With a Race Start launch-setting button, V8 engine and optional Night View Assist Plus, this car is meant for the
fast lane
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