This is the company that cannot buy respect. Despite fantastic satisfaction ratings and great dealer reviews, coming into the market late seemed to be a blow they never could recover from.

The first Q45 had some strange styling, inside and out, but handled better than any large car from Japan, and fully the equal of European sports models. They offered the only fully active suspension yet applied to a production car, but with declining sales, were forced to cut back their aspirations and downsize the car.

The 1997 redesign gave the Q45 an elegant look that is distinctive. Losing the third window meant gaining rear windows that go all the way down, a rarity in today's designs. There's also a strong character line that separates top from bottom.

The engine is called "new" but in reality is a refinement of the 4.5-liter, dual overhead cam, 32-valve V8 previously used. Displacement is down to 4.1 liters but horsepower has gone to 266 from 278. Because of weight saved, the power-to-weight ratio is unchanged from last year.

The smaller displacement and internal refinements in reducing weight and frictional power losses have meant an increase in efficiency. Fuel consumption has gone up from 17/22 city/highway to 18/23, which takes the Q45 out of gas guzzler territory.