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Explore New Cars
Driven to Impress
By Marc Lachapelle of MSN Autos
Like it or not, life in the modern era requires you to make a big first impression if you want to be considered successful. And nothing says you're a winner like rolling up to your next date or important event in a crazy, sexy, cool automobile. People notice the brand, the model, the color, the shape, the sound and even the smell of another person's set of wheels, and driving a clunker just doesn't scream "rock star." The car you drive says a great deal about your values, tastes and achievements, about the things you believe in and the way you live your life. So when you have to put your best foot forward, here are 10 cars packing the biggest punch, and the events that call for each one.
Driven to Impress
Rolling Up to a New School
The car: Kia Soul
When you're part of the MP3 generation, horsepower and alloy wheels likely matter less than the type of music you download. So on your first day at a new school, you want style, of course, but also proper entertainment in the hippest, most affordable package. No car can deliver that better than the Kia Soul. Top models come with a bumpin' 315-watt audio system that has USB and auxiliary jacks for all of your digital audio files. It's a potential rave on wheels.
Alternative: Nissan cube. However, we're not sure that its soft, cuddly, city-chic interior and cartoonish body lines are such a hit with the Gen Y crowd.
Driven to Impress
First Date
The car: Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé
Nothing conveys ultimate class and achievement more than a Rolls-Royce. Fabulously sensual and cosseting inside, this Phantom has to be the quietest, smoothest-running car ever made. Its endless, rear-hinged, power-operated doors make for the easiest and most graceful ingress and egress. A lady in a long silk evening gown will truly appreciate it.
Alternative: On the opposite end of the spectrum, rolling up in smart fortwo will demonstrate that size anxiety and compensation are not issues for you, and that you have a solid sense of humor and are confident in your skin.
Driven to Impress
Meeting the Future In-laws
The car: Ford Fusion Hybrid
A Ford Fusion Hybrid sedan will ably demonstrate that you are smart, sensible and responsible. It might also suggest you are considering starting a family, but only in due time. America's best hybrid sedan has classic good looks but is not too flashy, showing that you have style but aren't vain. It's safe, spacious, practical, comfy and reliable, too — all virtues and attributes that are bound to reassure your future father- and mother-in-law that their daughter is in good hands.
Alternative: A new BMW Z4 roadster-coupe will confirm you already are serious and successful and have a taste for the good things in life.
Driven to Impress
When You’re in Vegas, Baby
The car: Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce
When you meet up with your posse, you want to show in no uncertain terms that you've made it. For this, a bright yellow Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce is just what the doctor ordered. The 6.5-liter 670-horsepower V12 engine and rear-biased all-wheel-drive system will let you spin the huge rear gumballs and get the car sideways, just a bit.
Alternative: Showing up in a $2 million-plus Bugatti Veyron might impress some, but it also shows you are trying much too hard.
Driven to Impress
Attending a Reunion
The car: Tesla Roadster Sport
A fully electric, $130,000 Tesla Roadster Sport shows that you are successful and concerned with environmental issues but still want to have some fun. When demonstrating its abilities, remember to keep the car's limited range in mind. Quick sprints will greatly reduce its quoted range of 236 miles in "real-world" driving. Fail to monitor the remaining battery charge and you risk seeing your bright orange roadster turn into a very still pumpkin on the outskirts of town.
Alternative: The new Mercedes-Benz SLS 63 AMG with its spectacular gull-wing doors and shapely sheet metal will invariably make you an attraction.
Driven to Impress
Dinner With the Big Client
The car: Hyundai Genesis
A Hyundai Genesis sedan shows that you know about luxury and quality, but are also keenly aware of true value and not mesmerized by prestige labels. You even get bonus points for sticking with the V6 version, which delivers excellent performance (zero to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds), better fuel mileage and even a touch more agility.
Alternative: If the client is very patriotic, an American-built Lincoln MKS says approximately the same thing. Its optional 355-horsepower Ecoboost engine will show that you appreciate the combined virtues of performance and thrift.
Driven to Impress
Looking Cool to the Kids (possible?)
The car: Ford Flex Ecoboost
Be it to soccer practice, hockey games, rock concerts or even graduation parties, your precious descendents must get there in style. No teenager wants to cruise around in mom's minivan. The answer is the Ford Flex Ecoboost. The three-row seating makes it exceptionally roomy and practical for up to seven people, including the driver. And the 355-horsepower turbocharged direct-injection Ecoboost V6 engine makes it remarkably quick and frugal.
Alternative: Can't miss with a Porsche Panamera Turbo, the current ultimate 4-seater. It's good for a zero to 60 mph sprint in 3.6 seconds (with launch control) and has plenty of room for equipment bags under its rear hatch.
Driven to Impress
The Ex’s Wedding
The car: McLaren F1
You will no doubt want to affirm that you have more than successfully moved on and are leading a truly happy, fulfilling life. To this end, we recommend pulling up in a McLaren F1. Not a radical open-wheel race car from the eponymous Formula One team, but rather the stunning exotic designed by the visionary automotive artisans Gordon Murray and Peter Stevens. It has a full carbon-fiber structure and body and a 6.0-liter 600-horsepower V12 engine by BMW, and it can go 240 mph.
Alternative: Making your entrance in a new Rolls-Royce Ghost will ably demonstrate that you are enjoying life nowadays much better, thank you.
Driven to Impress
Reconnecting With an Old Buddy
The car: 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396
It's all about reliving your youth, and proving that you've gained knowledge of power, style and things that appreciate over time. A 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 fits the bill to a T. This long, low coupe with its exquisitely rounded rear fenders looks better and gains value every day. It has abundant muscle, a deep, throaty rumble, a smooth ride and an ample back seat, in case you happen to pick up some new friends along the way.
Alternative: Driving up in a Volkswagen Golf TDI 5-door hatchback shows you still like to have fun behind the wheel, but also want to save some money.
Driven to Impress
Romantic Weekend Getaway
The car: 1950s-era Jaguar XK120
For a smooth drive to a seaside inn in New England or a secluded Napa Valley resort, show up in a mint Jaguar XK120 from the early '50s. Find a black one with tan leather interior. The deep, soft howl from the XK120's 3.4-liter double-overhead-cam inline 6-cylinder engine will sound like the best cool jazz of the period. In the tiny trunk goes a straw picnic basket with a red and white cloth neatly folded, sandwiches, cheese and nice red wine.
Alternative: If you have something more adventurous in mind, jump into a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. Ready to ford mountain streams and climb steep hills, the definitive Jeep will let you boldly go where no two people have gone before.
A professional auto journalist for more than 25 years and the founding editor of Sympatico / MSN Autos, Marc Lachapelle is a two-time winner of the Canadian Journalist of the Year award from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, an accomplished photographer and licensed racer.
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