Playboy Picks Hottest Cars of 2007

Top Honors Go to BMW Z4M Coupe

NEW YORK, Dec. 8 -- What's hot on the road this year? According the Playboy's "2007 Cars of the Year," street-legal speedsters, a hyper-quick hybrid, and a blast from the past that drives circles around the competition.

The cars selected by Playboy were carefully chosen by an expert team of automotive writers who traveled the globe to test drive every new model they could get their hands on. They covered thousands of miles of the windiest, steepest, most challenging roads to sort the best from the rest. The vehicles featured in Playboy's January issue (on newsstands and at http://www.playboydigital.com/ Friday, December 8) include:

  BEST TWO-WAY PLAYER: Volkswagen Eos(Click4Specs)
  Folding metal top opens and closes at the touch of a button

  BEST SPORTS COUPE: Porsche 911 Turbo(Click4Specs)
  The Turbo sprints from zero to 60 in 3.7 seconds

  BEST SUV: Cadillac Escalade(Click4Specs)
  Features a muscular 6.2-liter, 403 hp V8 and smooth six-speed automatic

  BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK: Ford Shelby GT500(Click4Specs)
  Wide-mouth upper and lower grilles, and old-style front air dam, and a
  rear spoiler

  BEST PICKUP: Toyota Tundra(Click4Specs)
  Five inches wider and 10 inches longer than its predecessor

  BEST ROADSTER: Saturn Sky Red Line(Click4Specs)
  Traction control, a limited slip differential and antiskid technology all
  come standard.

  BEST CROSS-DRESSER: Mazda CX-7(Click4Specs)
  Wedge-shaped hatchback with knife-edge grille, 18-inch wheels and chopped
  roofline

  THE AL GORE SPECIAL: Lexus GS 450h(Click4Specs)
  Sports sedan hybrid combines a 3.5-liter V6 with a high-output electric-
  drive motor

  PLAYBOY'S 2007 CAR OF THE YEAR: BMW Z4M Coupe(Click4Specs)
  Boasts a 3.2 liter, 330-hp high-performance in-line six cylinder with a
  six-speed shifter