Unfortunately, according to John Canton, Ducati's public relations manager for North America, the rumor is nothing but that -- just a bit of wishful thinking. When I asked him point-blank if there was any basis whatsoever for the chatter, Canton said, "The short version is, no."

The whole speculation started when Mercedes used Ducati events to showcase some of its own fare: a "naked" version of the SLK, as well as the Italian debut of the SLS AMG GT3. However, Canton says, the Benz reveals on Ducati grounds were just a happenstance of right place, right time -- Ducati was hosting a high-profile event and the "naked" SLK fit into the theme of things, as Ducati's Monster line is a pioneer of the "naked" style of bike design.

"We did have an event partnership deal with AMG, but not Mercedes-Benz corporate," Canton said, before noting that in the four years the company has been privately held, these types of rumors pop up "every six months or so" and involve names as disparate as Harley-Davidson and Volkswagen.

When asked whether any partnership deals were in the works, Canton pointed to existing licensing deals -- such as the one with Puma, for apparel -- but said that on the manufacturing side, no dice.

On the one hand, that's sort of a shame just for novelty's sake. On the other hand, look at Ducati's current lineup. Are we really so greedy as to want more than that?