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Whether you like the Nissan GT-R’s particular brand of computer-controlled, emotionless speed, you simply cannot fault its performance, where it racks up head-scratching numbers more quickly than Oprah’s accountants on April 14th.

The last Sebring convertible and its sedan sibling were prime examples of Chrysler having completely lost its way. Cars like the Sebring led the former Chrysler Corporation to near ruin. Although well-intentioned, the Sebring droptop wasn't sporty or sufficiently luxurious or the least bit rewarding to drive. To top it all off, it was ugly, the ultimate proof that the leaders in Auburn Hills were distracted or simply didn't care anymore, since Chrysler had in the previous decade produced so many good designs.

One of the happy consequences of Chrysler landing in the arms of the Fiat group -- aside from the American company's continued existence -- is that the Fiat 500 is coming to the United States. Since its debut as a concept at the 2004 Geneva auto show, the wee Fiat has been a sensation in Europe. The design, by Fiat & Abarth style director Roberto Giolito, obviously is inspired by the classic Cinquecento that was first introduced in 1957. It packs more style into a smaller package than perhaps any other car on the market and thus lives at the polar opposite of Chrysler's current domestic small cars.

It was December 2008, mere weeks after former chairman Robert Nardelli pleaded with the U.S. Congress for bailout funding for Chrysler Corporation. The company was up against the ropes, sales were tanking along with the economy, and the product lineup was heavy on misses, light on hits. An increasingly desperate Chrysler invited the usual scrum of automotive journalists, pundits, and analysts to the company's design dome in Auburn Hills for a sneak peek of the next-generation Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger sedans, among other future models, in an attempt to prove that this was a car company and a roster of products that were worth saving. There on the dome floor sat two draped vehicles; there was no time or inclination for such niceties as elevated turntables. The drapes were unceremoniously peeled away, revealing two crisply executed sedans that were distinctly American and clearly related to the existing cars, yet substantially different. It was immediately evident that these were not just pinpoints of light in Chrysler's gathering darkness, they were kliegs, and they were vivid proof of the talent that resided in the vast Chrysler headquarters complex even through the years of Daimler mismanagement. To quote Madonna, they had style, they had grace. In those grim days, though, we weren't sure if they had a chance in hell of ever seeing the showroom floor.