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And the Chevy Volt EGOTs! The new plug-in hybrid from GM this week polished off the automotive equivalent of an EGOT, the acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award winners made famous by TV's "30 Rock" sitcom, this week.

The Chevy Volt continues its winning streak.

That's because the Volt landed a place on Car and Driver's annual, influential "10 Best" list, which singles out the magazine's 10 favorite cars for automotive enthusiasts for less than $80,000. Money quote:

A tight back seat, limited cargo capacity, and a general lack of horsepower -- though plenty of low-end grunt to merge onto the highway like you have somewhere to be -- would normally eliminate a 3800-pound porker from contention. However, one would need to be driving straight through the Library of Congress to detect the switchover from EV mode to gas-electric hybrid operation.

And maximizing the electric range by curtailing full-throttle or full-brake episodes brings its own kind of driver engagement. Best of all, its efficiency is unmatched, as long as interstate travel is omitted. One editor drove the Volt 101 miles in 18 hours (including a 10.5-hour charge) and only used one gallon of gas. That's some seriously eye-opening arithmetic.

The 10 Best nod from Car and Driver joins Car of the Year honors from both Motor Trend and Road and Track last week in the Volt's trophy case. Not too shabby, GM. I'm going to have to drive one of these just to see if it lives up to the hype (that is, if I can find one at the dealership).

Another noteworthy addition to the list was the Hyundai Sonata. This is a first for Hyundai and you have to bet there are some Hyundai automotive engineers partying somewhere this weekend.

As a side note, I've always liked Car and Driver's 10 Best list, because it seems to always do a good job of incorporating cars from all across the automotive spectrum, including family sedans, sports cars and economy cars. After all, not everyone who enjoys spirited driving can afford to keep a sports car on retainer for the weekends.

Here's the complete list, with a plea to check out Car and Driver's excellent website. The magazine's car reviews are second to none:

• BMW 3-Series/M3.
• Cadillac CTS-V.
• Chevrolet Volt.
• Ford Mustang GT.
• Honda Accord.
• Honda Fit.
• Mazda MX-5.
• Porsche Boxster/Cayman.
• Volkswagen Golf/GTI.