MotorMouths

The 2010 Audi Q7 TDI delivers on its promise of performance and fuel economy. It’s also the most worthwhile of the Q7 engine options.

Opitimists will see the ActiveHybrid’s horsepower specifications and its saving gas compared with the 50i as wondrous. Pessimists will see an X6 no faster than the 50i (to 100 km/h) and see fuel savings unworthy of the extra $20,000 it will cost.

There are any number of cars that can thrill in perfect circumstances. Far fewer are those that can be driven any time, anywhere. That is the true beauty of the Porsche 911 Turbo. One minute, it’s challenging a Ferrari on a race track, and the next it’s following a Suburban up a snowy road.

The California is just so drivable. The steering is amazingly light. On the other hand, it is a Ferrari. So, when you start paddle-shifting that Getrag sourced gearbox, the shifts are very quick, just the thing to keep up with an engine that seems to rev to eight grand at the blink of an eye.

What can you expect from something that, at $245,000, is probably the least expensive Roller ever sold? The Ghost continues Rolls-Royce’s lineage with all the panache, presence and performance of its storied predecessors.

The new 2011 Sonata retains Hyundai’s core principles — build quality, value — with a couple of new ones thrown in — superior handling and sophisticated styling.

The Audi R8 Spyder offers most of the performance of the Lamborghini Gallardo and Ferrari 458, the livability of the Porsche 911 Turbo and panache equal to all three. And it’s far less expensive than either Italian alternative.

Infiniti is taking a bigger swing at its German competitors. The original M had most of the performance but none of the panache required to woo the faithful out of their Teutonic sedans. The M, especially in its 37X guise, is a far more concerted effort.

The Camaro could also use a little more trunk room and rear visibility. But that’s the cost of its gorgeous styling, the best thing out of GM in a while. Considering the Camaro SS costs just $37,065 in base form, it’s also something of a bargain.

I’ll stand behind my choice of the 135i over an M3. The 135i is all the sporting car this probably-sillier-than-most scofflaw needs. It costs half as much, is easier to live with and is, as far as I am concerned, the best car BMW makes.

Thankfully for Porsche, the Panamera V6 never feels even remotely unsophisticated. Indeed, the new 3.6L is something of a marvel, feeling both powerful and surprisingly smooth.

Having improved performance slightly and fuel economy dramatically, AMG engineers can congratulate themselves on a job well done.