TOP 25 MEMORABLE CAR DEBUTS: SPECIES PERFECTING

'97 CHEVROLET CORVETTE: Some people loved to point to the Mazda RX-7 as design inspiration forthe C5 'Vette. Who cares, really, since the '92 RX-7 was hot. In terms of affordable sports cars, the C5 Corvette wrote the book. With a mixture of old tech and new, Chevrolet engineers offered us a thumping V8, a modern chassis, and style that made the C4 Corvette appear as old as the hills. 345 horsepower might seem weak in a new C6 Corvette, but nobody was left wanting in 1997.

'05 FORD MUSTANG: We weren't all crying out for retro design. Plenty of us wished for an independent rear suspension and a V6 with umph. What we received was a retro design, a live rear axle, and umph only with the V8. Yet the '05 Ford pony car brought the Mustang back into the mainstream conversation arena. All of a sudden, everybody was talking about the Mustang - car lover or not. Admittedly, the fourth-generation Mustang wasn't much of a predecessor. However, it wouldn't have mattered if that car possessed modern good looks. The newest Mustang shocked people straight into the showroom.

'03 INFINITI G35: Though Infiniti hasn't been able to topple BMW in the small luxury sport sedan segment yet, the introduction of the Infiniti G surely made BMW work harder on the current E90 3-Series. Infiniti held the view that power must be more than plentiful. The price point had to be lower than any competitor. The car must be a blast to throw around corners. Looking not at all like an Audi, BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes would be helpful as well. Most tellingly, the G35 was the car that turned The Good Car Girl into an automotive aficionado; something I couldn't do by myself. Even without all the other reasons, that's enough to make the G35 a Memorable Debut. Fortunately, Infiniti's G has enough wrapped-in goodness that I can use genuine justification.

'05 LAND ROVER LR3: Known as the Discovery 3 elsewhere, the LR3 helped kick-start The Good Car Guy's foray into the mainstream automotive press by way of its local debut. A grand event inside a shoebox-sized Land Rover dealer was full of gifts and wealthy Range Rover drivers and dealership executives with power. That's not to say the LR3 doesn't have enough visual presence on its own to impress. Not long after, time alone with the LR3 revealed a do-everything vehicle (when healthy) that satisfies both driver and passenger 24/7. This Driven post on the LR3 clearly manifests the desire I feel when an LR3 drives by but also cast doubts on the SUVs ability to... last. Nonetheless, the LR3 is one of few true SUVs still available and must be recognized for what it can do.

'01 MINI COOPER: Who won't remember Mini's foray back into the North American marketplace without fondness? Oh, so it was bigger than the first real Mini. Get over it, already. The '01 Mini was a revelation in terms of small car dynamics. The revelation BMW received related to the amount of money people would spend on a tiny hatchback.... and the amount they'd spend on options. Mini has been hugely profitable for the Germans. Ironically, BMW was behind the beginning of LR3 design, too. But when the Germans decided to give up on the British brands they bought in the 90s, they wanted to keep Mini. Ford then finished up the LR3 and Tata is now collecting the profits from small LR3 sales. Meanwhile, BMW is getting rich off the Mini. Why? The Cooper, Cooper S, convertible, JCW versions, and the Clubman are scene as status symbols as well as drivers' cars. Yes, some people want the Mini because they should. Others want it because the Mini remains hip.