The car industry is an ever-changing place. With cars themselves having so many factors ingrained into them, such as mass-market consumer tastes, a plethora of similarly shifting government regulations on engineering and design, and many many more things to take into account. As a brand evolves within a certain paradigm, they refine their cars within these limitations and solidify their image accordingly.

But times change, and many brands essentially have to start from scratch during such dramatic shifts in the market. This can go either way, with some brands reinventing themselves in a light that garners respect and attention, and others failing to keep up with the times, falling from grace in the process. So, read on to see 5 examples of formerly awesome carmakers that were withered down to a boring brand, as well as 5 that defied the odds and did the opposite.

10 Once Awesome, Now Boring: Lancia

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For fans of vintage rallying, no name invokes as much awe and respect as Lancia. Even prior to their WRC domination, nameplates like the Aurelia stood out for their gorgeous looks, luxury, and performance, sealing the brand's reputation as one of pure passion.

Via Motor1

Today though, any notion of passion and performance has been erased from the brand. While their icons like the Delta did originate with average commuter cars, the way they were taken to the extreme in forms like the S4 was one of Lancia's beloved hallmarks. Take a look at Lancia's current lineup and you'll find... next to nothing. Staying afloat with just the compact Ypsilon (pictured above), Lancia themselves market the vehicle as a "Fashion Car," a sad fate for such a legendary brand.

9 Once Boring, Now Awesome: Hyundai

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One of the most impressive brand overhauls in recent history, Hyundai's cars up until a decade ago were cheap and not all that cheerful, earning very little respect or excitement within the market. Today though, Hyundai's cars are competitive not just for their price, but also in their quality, design, and a surprising amount of driving fun.

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Remember how cars like the Hyundai Pony were common for a few years, then disappeared off the streets altogether? If not, then how about cheap beaters like the 3rd Generation Elantra (pictured at top of entry)? Regardless, Hyundai used to be a brand you'd look at almost entirely for their low price. Today though, cars like the Veloster N (pictured above), and even formerly unremarkable nameplates like the Elantra pack in the latest tech, surprising quality, and good performance all while retaining an affordable price. If looking for a refined luxury experience too, Hyundai's Genesis brand is similarly  a genuine player in the market

8 Once Awesome, Now Boring: Mitsubishi

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Evo, Eclipse, 3000GT, Pajero, Galant VR4 - Mitsubishi's history is dotted with legendary cars that have strong followings to this day. Yet, even with a past full of beloved and badass models,  Mitsubishi's current lineup is as generic and boring as it gets.

Via Motor1

From the rally-bred Evo and its rivalry with Subaru to the ultra-high-tech 3000GT VR4, Mitsubishi was one of the top performance brands during the '90s and kept a lot of that spirit up until the 2010s. Discontinuing the Lancer Evo in 2014, and the standard Lancer in 2017, their lineup lost their last real taste of performance, with the Eclipse having lost most of its sportiness, and faced a similar fate. Now their lineup consists of an SUV, a crossover SUV, a dirt-cheap hatchback, and nothing else worth noting. Actually, what's worth noting is that to bring back the beloved Eclipse nameplate, they turned it into said crossover SUV.

7 Once Boring, Now Awesome: Kia

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A successful brand overhaul much like Hyundai's, Kia as well used to be a brand filled with forgettable, un-inspired models, being competitive only for their low price.

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Also similar to Hyundai, Kia cars that sold well in decades past have nearly vanished from the roads, thanks to their less than mediocre quality, and lack of any real passion in their design, and from owners. Today though, Kia has managed to inject their models with genuinely competitive technology and quality. In terms of fun and unique models, the Stinger helped usher in Kia's new image, offering a refined and comfortable interior, AWD, and a 365 hp twin-turbocharged V6 that lets you have an unimaginable amount of fun when considering their lineup just a decade ago. While without a luxury sub-brand like Hyundai's Genesis, the Kia K900 is steadily building the brand up in that segment too.

RELATED: Kia Hypes Up 2021 Sorento’s Off-Road Capabilities With Yosemite And Zion Concepts

6 Once Awesome, Now Boring: Nissan

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Yes, the awesome GT-R is still in Nissan's stables, but for the past decade, Nissan's cars have stagnated, with both of their fun models seeing few updates for far too long, and their standard commuter car lineup becoming one of the least inspiring out there.

2020 Nissan Versa
Via: autoguide.com

Back in the golden age of JDM performance, Nissan was one of the top players, with the Skyline GT-R being a leading-edge technological marvel, and the Silvia being a pinnacle of well-behaved, agile sports cars. Not just resting on their laurels, Nissan continuously evolved beloved cars like the Fairlady Z (known as the Datsun 240Z in America), keeping it competitive with updates like the twin-turbo 300ZX. Even their boring models had a certain sense of fun to them and were with the times, but today, Nissan is far from the excitement-filled, up-to-date brand they once were. Filled with mediocre CVT-driven Crossovers and sedans, even the legendary GT-R is getting stale, with the current R35 generation having been around since 2007, and the 370Z being mostly unchanged since 2009 - although a replacement Z car is on the horizon. Long story short, Nissan is in dire need of a brand refresh, and fortunately, a new Nissan Z is already underway.

5 Once Boring, Now Awesome: Lincoln

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At one point a pinnacle of American luxury, at another a yawn-inducing brand that was stereotyped as an "old person's car." Today though, Lincoln is making a very respectable comeback, finally moving away from the complacency that made them so boring in past decades.

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Lincoln had a long history of luxury cars spanning back to the '30s with the first Continental, the Zephyr. Evolving into the car of US Presidents, the Continental became the pinnacle of an American luxury car through the '50s and '60s. While holding on through the '70s, the '80s and '90s saw the brand lose most of its spark, now having to compete with imported luxury cars from Europe and Japan.

By the 2000s, Lincoln's most iconic model was the Crown Victoria-based Town Car, by no means an exciting or competitive car. Today though, Lincoln has finally regained some sense of competitive luxury, with the new Continental still having some areas to improve, but overall being with the times rather than so sorely behind them.

RELATED: Check Out Why The Lincoln MKZ Is The Most Underrated Luxury Sedan In America

4 Once Awesome, Now Boring: MG

MG B GT V8 parked outside a home
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From their beloved little roadsters to their Group B monster Metro, MG may not have been the most prestigious of British brands, but produced plenty of fun, character-filled cars in the past. Today though, their lineup is as generic as it gets.

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One of the most historic British marques, MG was founded as Morris Garages in 1924, and came out the gate swinging with the sporty 14/28. Establishing an international legacy in the '60s with their small sports cars like the Midget and MGB, MG had also built a motorsports presence with race versions of these cars. Taking their Metro hatchback into the rally worlds as well, the Metro 6R4 is a legend to this day thanks to its absolute ferocity and Group B presence. Today though, MG's lineup is filled with un-inspired SUVs and mid-size sedans, without a sports car in sight.

3 Once Boring, Now Awesome: Volvo

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The very definition of a boring car, hipsters may try to convince you otherwise, but Volvos of decades past are some of the least exciting cars out there... save for a couple of rare performance models. Today though, Volvo offers a shocking amount of luxury and performance in cars that, while not jaw-dropping, are indeed a massive improvement in the excitement department.

The front of the V60 PE
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Breaking away from the iconic but bland brick shape they were known for, Volvo gradually went from the safe but boring choice, to a genuinely exciting competitor in the mid-range luxury market. Especially with their Polestar performance division, cars like the S60 sedan can be turned into an exhilarating experience, with cars like the S60 T8 Polestar Engineered laying down 415 hp, while being packed with exciting and competitively modern technology, and that's not even mentioning the awesome standalone Polestar sub-brand models.

RELATED: 2020 Volvo XC60 Polestar Engineered Review: Plug-In Hybrid Performance Designed For Fun

2 Once Awesome, Now Boring: Mazda

Mazda RX-7 (FD3S) shooting flames
Garage Dreams

Not including the long-lived legend that is the MX-5 Miata, Mazda today is by no means a bad brand, but just doesn't capture the fun spirit like they used to.

Via Motor1

Not a bad lineup, Mazda's current fleet is mostly SUVs and sedans but does benefit fun-wise from the Miata and Mazda3 Sport hatchback being in it. However, the legendary rotary engine has been gone since the late 2000s - sadly going out with a whimper instead of a bang in the RX-8, and the underrated but beloved MazdaSpeed models have similarly been missing from their lineup. By no means the worst offender here, Mazda still does keep things fresh but would benefit greatly with some more performance-oriented models.

1 Once Boring, Now Awesome: Lexus

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Toyota's luxury sub-brand, Lexus was incepted to compete with European luxury cars and made its mark by offering great value on subtle, refined luxury. While their past models have been great for that role, they weren't exactly what you'd call exciting cars.

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Building the brand up since its creation at the end of the '80s, Lexus models used to be comprised of nice but boring sedans and SUVs, a good way to bring business. Starting in the 2010s though, Lexus began injecting some actual fun into their models, first with the F Sport variants that continue today, and then with the jaw-dropping LFA supercar. Now mostly having moved away from their solid but boring image, cars like the LC500 (pictured above) make Lexus's lineup rather awesome.

NEXT: Watch: Lexus LFA Vs Lexus LC500 In Drag, Rolling Race, & Brake Test Action