1998 Nissan Altima Updating a winner. By Tony Swan, New Car Test Drive .com

This is a lot tougher than it may seem on the surface. After all, when a designer creates a flop, the responses are pretty clear-cut. You either get to work on a crash program for a replacement, or start updating your resume. Or maybe both.

But with a car like the Nissan Altima, a strong seller ever since its introduction in 1993, the challenge is, arguably, more complex. Not only does it have to improve on the original, it has to "look" new--without giving up the traits that made the original appealing.