1977 Porsche 911 Targa on 2040-cars

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Playboy reveals its 2013 Cars of the Year

Vaunted men's magazine Playboy knows that its readers are nearly as interested in cars as they are in the female anatomy... sorry, we thought we could write that with a straight face. Anyway, the buff-book does occasionally fill some of its spreads with sexy metal, to accent all the rest of the sexiness.
To wit, the magazine has unveiled its feature on the 2013 Cars of the Year. Without giving us much in the way of criteria for the awards, nor a clear framing of the categories ("Responsible Ride" is a particularly challenging concept, especially when you consider that the Mazdaspeed3 was the winner), Playboy has nevertheless highlighted what we assume to be it's favorite 12 or 13 (depending on how you count) cars from the 2013 model year.
Headlining the class is the Porsche 911, which Playboy writers single out for having "remarkable electronic voodoo." BMW M5 is named "Slickest Sports Sedan" though the Cadillac ATS then follows on because "we couldn't resist giving the new Caddy a shout-out." The rest of the picks are pretty conventional (save, perhaps, the Honda Fit EV as "Ace Electric"), even if the categories and methodology are fairly wonky. Cruise through or gallery for a taste or check out the full list, here. The site is safe for work, and you can legitimately (this time) say that you were reading it for the articles.

Watch Porsche's 918 Spyder break a sweat while hot weather testing

With five months left until the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder enters production, Porsche engineers are still putting the hybrid sports coupe through a battery of last-minute tests. To give us new reasons to ogle over the car - as if we needed any more - Porsche has released a short video showing the 918 Spyder undergoing shakedown tests in the hot Nevada desert. And you can't drive through Nevada without visiting Vegas, too, right?
Although there's really nothing new to see in this video, it's still fun to watch as Porsche approaches one million test miles logged on this exciting new high-performance model. One interesting part (at around the 0:37 mark) shows the car taking off under electric power and then transitioning to engine power, which results in a mix of whirs and growls as the 918 Spyder switches from a 127-horsepower electric vehicle to an 887-hp hybrid supercar. Scroll down to watch - and hear - Porsche's latest creation in motion.

2014 Porsche Cayenne Platinum Edition is the ace of base

If there's one automaker that certainly doesn't skimp on the special edition models, it's Porsche, and here at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, we're getting our first look at yet another unique take on one of the company's most popular models. It's called the Cayenne Platinum Edition, and while many special models build off of higher-trim vehicles, this one adds a bit of flair to the most basic version of the luxury SUV.
The Platinum Edition is available on Cayennes with the base 3.6-liter V6 or the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6. Platinum models are set apart from other models with the addition of silver exterior accents on the grilles, window trim and rear spoiler, as well as the two-tone, black-and-beige interior scheme. It also comes standard with the eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission, Power Steering Plus, Park Assist, the Convenience Package and Bose audio.
The cost of entry? $63,000 for the naturally aspirated Cayenne or $66,900 for the diesel. That's a full $13,000 more than the base model, but Porsche says it's actually a bargain as opposed to selecting all of those options individually. Have a look below for Porsche's official release.