Lexus IS-C

It seems every car maker out there who wants to introduce a convertible feels the urge to make it a folding hardtop. Which is all well and good, given that it acts like a coupe when you want it to. Unfortunately that's a lot more junk to stuff in the trunk, and sometimes that can result in peculiar proportions (like the Sebring convertible's acres of trunk) or the strange muffintop look the Lexus IS-C has when it's roof is up. The roof ends up looking to small, sitting atop the lumpy trunk.

The car featured here is a bit bittersweet to me - the IS-C F-Sport package. I find the black paint, charcoal rims and blue brake calipers absolutely beautiful, but roof treatment kills it for me. Sadly, this combo is only available on the IS-C. If it were available on the sedan, it'd get two thumbs up.

Not what I would call Progrès

Apparently in Japan, they prefer to make about 15 version of the same basic car. Honda and Toyota especially seem to do this, or at least did in the 90's. Some of these cars are quite fugly, as if they ran out of ways to rehash the same basic car.

The car you see here is the Toyota Progrès, which debuted before the Toyota Altezza / Lexus IS, darling of the ricer set and the origins of many hideous aftermarket taillights. Those taillights, it seems, were inspired by the headlights on the Progrès' gaudy mug.