Here's the follow-up to our look at Europe's future product as predicted by Automotive News. Yesterday we hit Alfa Romeo through Maybach, so today we'll start with Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes-Benz: Lots of activity for 2008, most of which we've already seen (SLR Roadster, S65, all-new C-Class, etc.). Next year we get the C63 (457hp), a CLK convertible, an E-Class update, an SLK restyle and an SL freshen. In 2009 we get a CLS freshen, an AMG E-Class, an S-Class convertible and -- believe it or not -- a small crossover called the GLK.

Mini: The Clubman just debuted in Frankfurt, and we'll see how the small-car brands fares with a larger model. The new John Cooper Works model looks cool (and makes 207 horsepower while weighing 66 pounds less) and the convertible gets a full redesign, to catch up with the coupe, for 2009.

Porsche: Both the Boxster and the Cayman get freshened next year, while the titanic 911 GT2 debuts with 530 turbo-charged horsepower. A full redesign of the Cayenne happens in 2009, while Porsche's first sedan, the Panamera, hits town in 2010 (and yes, the company will still have a "soul" -- along with a stronger bottom line).

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I have a scary proclamation to make, but that's never stopped me before:

Cars are losing their "fun-to-drive" factor.

There -- I said it, and I feel better. Actually I feel better in having finally faced an undeniable fact, but worse that this is a fact of today's automotive reality. Yet after recent stints in the latest Dodge Viper and BMW 5 Series (to name just two) I can't deny the trend.

Sure, the Viper is still quick, loud, brash and bold -- but it ISN'T more fun to drive than before. In fact it's less. The steering response is too slow, the shift action is too clunky (yes, even for a "raw, manly car" like the Viper), and the driving position is not only uncomfortable but uncooperative when driving fast, which is supposedly the whole point of the car. And while the 5 Series is still luxurious, refined and stable around corners, it's also less entertaining on a twisty road than it used to be (I blame active steering primarily).

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Since my first encounter behind the wheel of a Ford GT pre-production car in the Fall of 2004 there have only been two cars that have made me think, "Okay, if someone stole my GT in the middle of the night and left one of these in its place I wouldn't cry too much." The first was the Ferrari F430, the second (much more recently) was the 911 GT3. The GT3 is just so pure and so immediate that, although quite a different experience from the Ford GT or the Ferrari F430, that 911 is simply too much fun to ignore.

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We're not sure who PO'd Porsche's new 911 GT3, but it's an undeniably angry little car. However, in this case anger is a good thing because the GT3 has effectively channeled its aggressions into a stunning driving experience. And when you think about it, just being able to call a 911 model "angry" and "little" is a revelation. For nearly a decade Porsche's iconic sports car has lacked the visceral thrill that made it an icon in the first place. Drive the new Cayman and you're like, "Oh, yeah, this is why I originally fell in love with the 911." I'm not saying the current 911 isn't still a fabulous car, because it is. But few would argue that the car's inherent nature has remained true to the original model's philsophy. As a fun and functional daily driver it scores. As an inspiring sports car...well...I think you could replace "angry" and "little" with "domesticated" and "rotund."

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   Among the many industry folks I saw at the Detroit Auto Show was one Wolfgang Durheimer, the Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Porsche. He actually took the time to have lunch with Scott Oldham and I (yes, we were pleasantly surprised too). Probably the biggest element I took away from this lunch was a clearer understanding of exactly why Porsches are such fabulous vehicles. Mr. Durheimer's knowledge and understanding of what makes a Porsche special was suprassed only by his passion for the product. In discussing future vehicles like the Panamera, or recently-released toys like the GT3, it was easy to see how Porsche has maintained its status as an independent sports car company.

These guys are serious about integrating their racing, development and product testing efforts for maximum effect. Mr. Durheimer told us that, for example, one person oversees the development of the engine program for both street and racing efforts, with regular meetings occurring between these departments to ensure information sharing. And of the 11,000 total employees at Porsche, about 2,300 are involved in R&D to keep the company at the forefront of vehicle technology. It must be working. Porsche has seen an increase in U.S. sales every year since 1993 (except in 2001). And if you ever worry about the future of Porsche's independence, don't. The company has seen worldwide profits increase for the past 11 years. Expect the Panamera to only strengthen the company's economic position when it arrives next year. You can read more details about our lunch here.

I'm a huge fan of turbocharging, and between my 1989 Dodge Shadow Shelby CSX and my 1991 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo I've experienced my fair share of turbo rush. But during the 1990s a good chunk of turbocharged models went away, most never to return. We lost the Supra, RX-7, Eclipse/Talon (the turbo versions), 300ZX, Stealth/3000 GT and Daytona. Some manufacturers never gave up their turbo ways (like Saab, Subaru and Volvo), and others like Volkswagen/Audi have fully embraced this technology over the past decade. As with the diesel engine's transformation in the past 10 years (in case you haven't noticed, diesels aren't noisy, smelly or sooty anymore), computer technology has kept turbos eco-friendly while gradually improving their driveability. Now for 2007 you have two automakers (BMW and Honda/Acura) offering their first turbo models -- ever -- in the U.S. (3 Series Coupe and Acura RDX).

The next version of the Mini Cooper will also offer turbo power, and of course the latest Porsche 911 Turbo utilizes its most advanced turbo yet (though the basic philosophy of a variable nozzle turbo was offered way back in my 1989 Shelby CSX). I'm all for the return of hair dryers (that's street speak for a turbo) as long as we can avoid those garish "Turbo" graphics of the 1980s. And if the manufacturers do it right this new breed of turbos should provide hefty bumps in performance with minimal fuel mileage penalties (assuming the driver doesn't keep the engine in constant boost).

Any other fond turbo memories out there? Anyone intrigued by (or skeptical of) a turbocharged BMW? Turbos are not traditionally seen as a premium engine component (shhh, don't tell Bentley), so will putting a turbo in a 3 Series hurt that car's image?

We have an automatic version of the Porsche Cayman S in the test-car garage right now, and I drove it home yesterday. If you read our recent Porsche Boxster full test you know we weren't thrilled with that car's automatic. Much of the same can be said of the Cayman's slushbox, which like the Boxster's isn't horrible but feels somehow wrong in this otherwise briliant sports car. I tend to be more forgiving of automatics than most "enthusiasts" for two reasons: 1. The wife won't drive a manual, so a well-executed automatic in a performance car greatly ups my chances of ownership and 2. They do make any car far more tolerable if you live in a city (especially a perpetually traffic-snarled city like Los Angeles). That said, I don't think I could buy an automatic Cayman, even if it meant not buying one at all. I was running it hard along Mulholland on the way home and the sublime steering and suspension couldn't overcome the drivetrain's limitations with the automatic. Second gear felt too low for most of the corners and had the tachometer screaming past the redline, but third felt too high and didn't access the engine's thrilling high rpm powerband (or exhaust note). Theoretically a six-speed manual could suffer the same problem, but as we all know a manual transmission is more effective at delivering power. So even if the ratios were identical between the auto and manual it's likely third gear would provide more grunt through a clutch than a torque converter. Still love the Cayman, but don't want an auto version (sorry honey...).

In case some of you don't already know, we have a 2006 BMW 330i in our long-term fleet. We've had it since December and it's at just over 10,000 miles now. We've also just switched our long-term vehicle reporting over to blog format, meaning you can now read almost daily updates on the 15-plus cars currently in our fleet. Anyway, our 330i is truly a fabulous vehicle on every level. Driving dynamics are astoundingly good, as many of you probably already figured. But seat comfort and overall ergonomics are excellent, too (we didn't get our 3 Series with iDrive, though it is an option now...). As a 12-year L.A. resident -- that still tries to have an individual identity -- it would be easy for me to cross the 3 Series off my "potentials" list simply because you see them EVERYWHERE west of the 405. But I've realized two things after years of driving the BMW 3 Series (this is our third long-term 3). First, plenty of people (particularly in L.A.) buy this car solely for the Blue-and-White rondel on the hood. Second, in-spite of this common reason for buying a 3 Series, they remain exceptional vehicles for those people who don't buy them for the "statement" they make. In other, words, great cars are great cars (and bad cars are bad cars) no matter how they are viewed by the general public. As much as I would never buy a bad car just because of some theoretical image it supposedly conveys, I would never not buy a good car for the same reason. I know many people who won't buy a Porsche because they couldn't stand the idea of being known as a "Porsche" person. My response is always something like, "Really? I guess other people's opinions just don't matter that much to me. I know Porsches are great cars and I can't imagine letting other people keep me from having one if the opportunity ever presents itself." I guess I've learned that being an individual means being strong enough to actually follow the crowd -- at least on those rare occasions when the crowd gets it right.

I just drove the "Saab" 9-7X. So the obvious question is: Why would Saab slap their badge on a Chevy Trailblazer and try to pass it off as one of their own? The supposed answer is: Without taking such action there would be no Saab.

The argument has some merit -- just look at Jaguar. They've never come out with any sort of SUV (heck, they didn't even want to bring their X-Type wagon to the U.S. -- not that it saved them when they finally did) and I think the leaping cat's current financial predicament is clearly related to the lack of "SUVinating" Jaguar. But there is a theoretical upside, that being a lack of any Jaguar-badged SUVs. Confused yet?

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It's 2006! (at least on the East Coast...)

What 2006 model, that I've already driven, am I most excited about/impressed by? The Porsche Cayman. Yes, I still think the Solstice is the most significant vehicle for 2006 on an industry-wide basis, but on a personal note I love what the the Cayman represents -- basically a purebred sports car from Porsche, something the 911 hasn't really been for decades.

What 2007 model -- that I've haven't driven yet -- am I most excited about for the coming year? The Mustang GT500. I think it will provide thrilling performance (both straightline and handling), and it will do this while offering exceptional styling and interior quality -- all at a great price.

What say you? What 2006 and 2007 models are you looking forward to in the coming year?