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Ring Taxi BMW M3 chases an Aventador SV and Cayman GT4

On paper, a BMW M3 that's loaded with three passengers probably shouldn't have a chance at keeping up around a track with a Porsche Cayman GT4 and a Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce. In the real world, driver skill and track knowledge can make all the difference, though. And when the M3 is a Nurburgring Taxi with a driver that knows the course incredibly well, we end up getting a fantastic lap like this one. The 'Ring Taxi driver starts by teasing his passengers that they'll see whether the Lambo is fast. Before the two of them get on track, the GT4 cuts in to join the party. What follows is a fascinating lap of the Nordschleife. It's impressive how the BMW driver's skill allows him to keep up with the two other cars and blow past tons of other traffic. During faster sections, the Porsche and Aventador start to pull away, but as soon as the course gets curvy again, the M3 is right back in the action. As the group pulls back into the parking lot, even the Ring Taxi driver sounds impressed with his performance. See the impressive show in the video above. Related Video:

Porsche Panamera's alluring hind quarters teased

It looks like we'll be seeing the new Porsche Panamera sooner rather than later, after the German company released its first teaser video for its redesigned sedan. Sadly, that image you see above is the only clear view of the new car being offered – the video doesn't offer much. In short, the clip below is all about how Porsche has successfully done its own thing over the years. You know, building cars with the engine in the wrong end and such. It's a nice little recap of Porsche history, showing Porsche's first offerings through to the 918 Spyder. But let's talk about that teaser image. We get a good look at the taillights, the traditional Porsche lettering, and the rear window. Based on these few details, it looks like the new Panamera's tail will borrow some inspiration from the updated 911. The lights are a similar shape, and while the sedan will tie the two units together with a lighting element – kind of like a 911 Targa – it looks like there's a similar character line just above the Porsche lettering. But the really weird detail here is the vertical cutline at the Panamera's center, right above the letter "S" in "Porsche." There's absolutely no reason for it to be there, unless Porsche is going to offer something really weird like a split tailgate, which we doubt. We can't see anything like it in our spy photos, but it'd be a relatively easy thing to hide with camo. But why is it there? We can't wait to find out. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

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.