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It used to be so easy: Manuals were for real drivers, automatics were for lame-os. Now we've got dual-clutch gearboxes that drive like automatics (scads), wet-clutch automatics that can tach up from a standing start like a manual (Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG), and manuals where a computer heel-and-toes for you (Nissan 370Z). The debate is less about performance - the Porsche 911 Turbo does 0 to 60 mph quicker with an auto than it does with a manual - and more about control. Sure, automatics execute rev-matched downshifts, and dual-clutch boxes may be faster around a track than manuals, but neither allows the driver complete control. And that's all the manual has left, really.

In 1933, German chancellor Adolf Hitler promised Mercedes-Benz the 500,000-reichsmark (approximately $3 million today) incentive offered to any German racing team willing to campaign a car in the new grand prix era beginning the following year. To the Führer's chagrin, Ferdinand Porsche stepped forward to request equal treatment. Porsche presented drawings of a supercharged V-16 engine ideal for propagandizing Germany's technical eminence and nominated the Auto Union combine as Mercedes-Benz's sparring partner. Hitler's resolution - an equal split of the sponsorship largesse - triggered the Age of Titans, one of the fiercest rivalries in motorsports history.

The rivalry between BMW and Mercedes-Benz dates back to 1959. On December 9, Daimler-Benz tried, via the Deutsche Bank, to take over BMW, which was on the brink of bankruptcy. But the minor shareholders, the dealers, and the unionized workforce prevented the takeover at the eleventh hour. Over the next few years, the Quandt family bought a majority stake in BMW, but even with fresh cash, it took the company until the early 1970s to establish a truly competitive model range. From that point to the present day, Mercedes-Benz and BMW have been fighting each other in the marketplace. Instead of aiming at gaps in the enemy's product portfolio, each would invariably challenge the other head-on. The current lineup still reflects this eternal duel: 1-series vs. A/B-class, 3-series vs. C-class, 5-series vs. E-class, 6-series vs. SL, 7-series vs. S-class, X3 vs. GLK, X5 vs. ML, Z4 vs. SLK, Mini vs. Smart, M division vs. AMG, Rolls-Royce vs. Maybach, BMW Sauber vs. McLaren-Mercedes. Both makes ventured downmarket by teaming up with a volume brand, and both failed: while the Bavarians almost went under together with Rover, the Swabians can still feel the aftermath of the Chrysler debacle. BMW hasn't followed its rival into trucks and buses, and Mercedes has steered clear of motorcycles.

The SLK has been a solid success since its launch in 1996. In early 2011, we'll see the third generation of the roadster, which wants to be more aggressive in appearance and character. Despite a slightly longer front end (to comply with European pedestrian-protection rules), a mildly extended trunk (which holds 11.2 cubic feet instead of 9.8), and a longer wheelbase (for improved stability), the target weight is reduced by more than 200 pounds. The cabin adopts certain E-class elements, but the design theme is much sportier and less ornamental. Options include a two-speed neck-and-back warmer, heated and ventilated seats with massage, night vision, lane-departure warning, and active cruise control. The chassis will be tuned for more grip and quicker responses; new items include adjustable dampers, eighteen-inch wheels, bigger brakes, and variable-ratio steering. A direct-injection 3.5-liter V-6 will be available at launch; later, a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 (in two versions, producing about 300 hp and 350 hp, respectively) steps in. The AMG model starts out with the 6.2-liter V-8 that's familiar to most of the AMG lineup but is significantly hotter than the current SLK55 AMG's aged powerplant. The 6.2-liter will eventually give way to a 4.6-liter twin-turbo V-8, which matches its power and torque while substantially bettering its mileage and lowering emissions. Mercedes-Benz's Blue Efficiency effort could add hybrid elements after 2010 and even a plug-in hybrid in 2013.

2011 Ford Fiesta (on sale 2010)
Base price: $15,000 (est.)
Fuel economy: 31/39 mpg (est.)

I have a long history with the Quattroporte. When I first drove the Quattroporte, during its introductory media event in Florence, Italy, in March 2004, I was amazed by the styling, the energetic V-8 engine borrowed from Ferrari, the oh-so-Italian interior, and the handling, which led me and others to call the Quattroporte "the four-door Ferrari." I was not so impressed by the paddle-shifted semi-automatic manual transmission, which was extremely jerky in urban driving, with unacceptably long, rough upshifts. It was clear then that Maserati knew that the transmission would be unacceptable for many American buyers, as the QP's engineering team was interrogating the U.S. press corps for its reactions to the gearbox. The DuoSelect was great when you were driving the car at its limits on hilly Tuscan roads, I told them, but it wasn't going to fly with the country club set who would buy the car in America.inline_mediumwraptextright24732806/reviews/editors_notebook/0908_2009_maserati_quattroporte_s0908_24_z+2009_maserati_quattroporte_s+front_three_quarters.jpgTrue