GM unveiled the 2011 Buick Regal last week to at the Palladium theater in Los Angeles. The Regal will be the first Buick to launch after GM’s bankruptcy and will be the company’s competition for the Toyota Camry in the midsized car segment. Buick is hoping that the all-new 2011 Regal will return the company to its former glory.

GM knows that most people now see a Buick as an old person’s car, and not something you’d want to drive unless what you look for in a car is a boat-like ride and styling that fades into the background. The 2011 Buick Regal is designed to change that perception.

“The 2011 Buick Regal is the next step in transforming Buick,” GM Vice President Bob Lutz said, according to Autoblog.

Buick has fallen a long way since the 1960s, when it was the number three American car brand in the country. Back then, Buicks were a less flashy alternative to Cadillacs. Buick never really lost that distinction, but over the past several years, Cadillacs were left behind by the rest of the luxury car world. Cadillacs still sold to the gold chain set, but since Buicks always sold based on the quality of the cars rather than the badge on the back, the company’s buyers went Japanese.

Looking at the 2011 Buick Regal, it’s pretty obvious that GM is aiming to steal back some customers from Toyota and Honda. The Regal will be an even competitor with the Camry in the looks department. Both have just the right amount of sporty style to convince buyers that the car isn’t pure vanilla, without being too aggressive and scaring conservative buyers away.

Pictures via Autoblog.