1998 Cadillac Seville A muscle car in an Armani suit. By Paul A. Eisenstein, New Car Test Drive .com

With the introduction of the 1998 Seville, Cadillac isn't just launching a new car, it's attempting to regain its once-lofty standing among the world's top performance luxury cars.

Promises, promises, you might say. Cadillac has been billing Seville as an import-fighter ever since the nameplate was introduced back in 1975. But until now, its traditionally domestic design has done little to crack the market segment dominated by European and Japanese brands like Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

While it may be difficult to see much new in the Seville, this car was completely redesigned and re-engineered for 1998. Cadillac engineers used Mercedes and BMW as their ride and handling role models and Chief Designer Dennis Little calls the result "a muscle car in an Armani suit."

Of course, some domest-o-phobes will dismiss the newest Seville without even looking at it. It's a front-wheel drive car competing against a field of superb rear-wheel-drive performance luxury sedans.

But there are plenty of things that play in Seville's favor. If any American luxury car has a chance at winning over jaded, import-oriented Baby Boomers, this is the one.