America's best-selling car for the past four years, the Toyota Camry was at risk of being toppled from its throne by a host of competent pursuers. Reliable as a Swiss railway train, spacious and comfortable, the Camry's biggest threat was nevertheless itself, for it has often been described as "plain vanilla."

"No more," says Toyota, and judging by the appearance and details, as outlined in a CarConnection report, the 2007 Camry is sportier and bolder, so much so that you may even be able to find it in an airport parking terminal. "A play-it-safe redesign for the Camry was out of the question," said Don Esmond, senior vice president of Toyota Motor Sales USA. "The market is just too competitive."

Not just content with handsome styling, Toyota also improved handling and refined the interior, adding features such as a climate-control system that cleans the air using ionizer technology. Performance gets a jump up, too, with the base 4-cylinder engine delivering 157 hp and the optional twin-cam V-6, same as in the Avalon, producing a class-leading 268 hp. A hybrid variant of the Camry will slot between the V-6 and the four-cylinder version, offering 197 horsepower.

The new Camry is roughly the same size as the old one but offers more interior and trunk space. As for all those folks who own an older Camry and still find it satisfying, a little consolation from Toyota: "Vanilla isn't so bad," Esmond said. "It's still the No. 1 selling flavor."