1.MERCEDES-BENZ CLS This gorgeous coupe-inspired sedan, first shown in Frankfurt back in the fall, could be a Maybach for the rest of us, or some of the rest of us. Mercedes’ 5.0-liter V8 is the standard powertrain and the car goes on sale in January.

2.AUDI A3 SPORTBACK With its new small car, Audi insists it can succeed where rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz have failed. If the company doesn’t succeed, it will have more to do with assumption, perception and taste than with the hardware. Think of an SVT Focus with the best German design values and luxury-brand execution. The A3 could deliver the year’s best balance of automotive virtues: refinement, utility, polish, economy and a good time at a reasonable price.

3.VOLKSWAGEN GTI The founding father of the pocket-rocket nation is slicker and more upscale than ever. Better, we’ll see, but we promise you’ll love the GDI engine.

4.CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 Aluminum body bits subtly tweaked for a less generic, more cohesive look; big Brembo calipers visible through two-piece, ultra-lightweight wheels with more rubber than the city of Akron; 500 ponies from the best-breathing, most sophisticated cam-in-block engine ever hand-assembled by the folks at GM Powertrain. Oh, excuse us. We know none of this officially. Let’s just say this beast will soon be unleashed with more power, tenacity and poise than ever before.

5.BMW 3 SERIES Anticipation is exceeded only by potential for disappointment. The next 3 is incrementally bigger, but more powerful and (hopefully) no heavier. It appears someone in Munich has reined in the design staff’s more self-indulgent inclinations, and we are assured the 3 will be offered with a clutch pedal. By the end of 2005, it will be clear whether Every Enthusiast’s standard sedan is still the standard.

6.FERRARI F430 The F430 makes more horsepower than the F40 launched in 1987, with essentially the same terminal velocity. Think about that, man! The standard-grade Ferrari sports car can run with the end-all, track-tuned special two generations removed, for a fraction of the price in real dollars. And the F430 is a whole lot more civilized, with options like ceramic composite brakes in an aggressive spin on the 360 Modena whose design was overseen by American Frank Stephenson. We’re not suggesting any Ferrari is standard-grade (or affordable). We’re suggesting that, by any measure, the company is stronger than it has ever been.

7.HUMMER H3 Based on the Colorado/Canyon package (minus the optional V8), the H3 is Hummer’s play at the fat part of the truck market. Could demonstrate how deep the desire for “rugged off-road” really runs.

8.HONDA RIDGELINE SUT Honda does a more serious truck. Based on the concept shown at Detroit and most recently at SEMA, we can be sure they won’t do it the same way Toyota or Nissan did. Can NASCAR racing be far off?

9.MAZDASPEED 6 One of the enthusiast’s favorite front-drive sedans gets a 274-hp direct-injection turbo engine, all-wheel drive, limited-slip differential and a six-speed manual transmission. Add 18-inch wheels, truly handsome body modifications, improved seats and 200-watt Bose stereo. At Mazda’s $28,000 target price, it looks red-hot.

10.HONDA ACCORD HYBRID This is the “transparent” hybrid, loosely translated as the real-car hybrid. It is quicker than a standard Accord V6, with a range in excess of 600 miles and 23 percent better fuel economy, according to Honda. Granted, at today’s gas prices you’ll have to drive something like 250,000 miles before you save enough on fuel to recover the price premium over the standard V6, but here’s the point: This might be the most tangible indication yet that 20 or 30 years from now we’ll still be able to buy four-wheeled transport that’s fun, satisfying and fast. <AutoWeek>

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