Playboy Crowns the Hottest Cars of 2008

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.

And the winners are:

PLAYBOY’S 2008 CAR OF THE YEAR: Audi R8
BEST LUXURY SPORTS COUPE: Maserati GranTurismo
SMARTEST PURCHASE: Smart Fortwo
BEST SUV: Land Rover LR2
BEST CROSSOVER: Buick Enclave CXL
BEST CONVERTIBLE: BMW 335i
BEST EARTH-DAY CAR: Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec
BEST PINT-SIZE PERFORMANCE: Volvo C30