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Now Olds knows how the Bulls felt after they won their first title.

Before the championship rings were even sized, the public was demandingmore. Re-peat, then three-peat, then . . . well, you get the picture.

After years of mediocrity, once the Bulls arrived at the top, it wasdemanded they stay there.

Now, even after five titles, fans are uneasy, wondering if the team canpull off six before hardening of the arteries sets in among the agedathletes–though you’d be surprised how young 30 is when you aren’t.

Olds had been languishing when it unveiled the all-new 1995 Aurora sedan, adramatically styled, roomy, comfortable hunk of sheet metal that representedboth a design and a performance departure from the GM geriatric division’straditionally ho-hum offerings.

Olds put itself in a position in which, once Aurora was acknowledged as awinner, the GM division was forced to produce others. One car does not arecovery make because no sooner had Aurora proved its mettle, when the publicstarted asking what Olds would do for an encore.

Olds dropped the weathered 98 and Ciera sedans and brought out a new 1997Cutlass this year, but the big news is the unveiling of the 1998 OldsIntrigue, the successor/replacement for the Olds Cutlass Supreme that’s justnow arriving in showrooms.

Intrigue was designed and developed to show that Aurora wasn’t aonce-in-a-lifetime fluke, that Olds finally has gotten its act together and isgoing to offer a lineup in which every member of the stable looks and acts alittle like the Aurora–only in a variety of different sizes. Intrigue islight years more technologically advanced than the W-body Supreme itreplaces.

Room? To be sure. Ample quarters for five within the cabin, and room in thetrunk for luggage or golf clubs.

Comfort? Yes, thanks to a suspension system that cushions cabin dwellersfrom imperfections in the roadway so you aren’t jostled when passing overexpander joints.

Performance? Of course, with a 3.8-liter, 195-h.p. V-6 that quickly scootsfrom the stoplight and has ample muscle to move out into the passing lane. Andit performs quietly, just like you’d expect in a mid-size luxury car. Yet thespirited V-6 delivers 19 m.p.g. city/30 m.p.g. highway, only 1 m.p.g. short ofa remarkable 20/30 rating for a mid-size sedan.

Like Aurora, Intrigue features dual air bags, four-wheel ABS and tractioncontrol as standard, so that you not only feel cozy and comfortable, you feelsecure–though if you don’t belt up or are so stupid you still allow your kidsto travel in the front seat, make that a false sense of security.

While GM designers have let their minds go blank in the past, they deservea tip of the hat for what they’ve done with the Intrigue, Pontiac Grand Prixand Buick Century. Look close. Three different-looking–anddifferent-acting–vehicles that all came off the same platform.

For decades, GM design chiefs sat on pedes tals demanding accolades forcoming up with eye-popping concept cars that were then homogenized intoproduction models for public consumption. Reigning design guru Wayne Cherryput product ahead of his ego and in doing so came up with artistic twists,bends and creases that are pleasant to look at–and don’t look alike.

Bottom line is that Intrigue starts at $20,700 for the base model; $22,100for the top-of-the-line GL we tested. You can drive off the lot with a fullyloaded car for about $4,000 less than a smaller, less powerful LexusES300–the rage among those shopping so-called entry-level luxury cars. WithIntrigue, you enjoy more car for less money.

Standard equipment in the GL, in addition to that noted, includes AM/FMstereo with cassette-player and six speakers, fold-away power and heatedoutside mirrors, 16-inch aluminum wheels, driver’s-side power seat, cruisecontrol, keyless remote entry, leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone airconditioning, foglamps, tr nk cargo net and split folding rear seats. Aboutthe only option you need is the power Astroroof at $695.

Intrigue left us with only one disappointment. Nothing about the carslapped us along the side of the head or smacked us between the eyes or madeus want to give it a big hug.

Styling is clean but more tuned to the older buyer. Our test car was apewter that had a tendency to change from deep gray to green based on sunlightor lack of it.

The Chevy Corvette and Porsche Boxster are known for raw power, the GrandPrix for superior handling, the Plymouth Prowler for inspired design that moststylists are only allowed to fantasize about and the Mercedes ML320 for itsability to climb straight up a wall like Spiderman.

But pinpointing one stand-out or unique Intrigue trait is difficult.

“The intent wasn’t an in-your-face, one extreme-something element withIntrigue as it was a car with balance and harmony and a lot of attributes thattogether make it one great car,” said Kenneth Stewart, Intrigue brandmanager.

Intrigue–a gangbusters name and one of the few GM badges that doesn’tsound like William Buckley Jr. picked it out–does a lot of things very wellrather than just one or two things exceptionally.

So accept Intrigue for what it is–the second but not the final chapter inOlds’ opus to rewrite its history as the company enters its second 100 years.

Intrigue is the next product in what will be a total revamp of the Oldslineup by 2000. A redesigned Bravada sport-ute comes this fall, then Alero,the replacement for the compact Achieva, in the spring of ’98 as a 1999 model.The replacement for the Olds 88, dubbed Antares, is due out in the fall of1999 as a 2000 model.

Like the Bulls, Olds can’t rest on its laurels. Aurora got people back intoOlds showrooms who haven’t been there since the president’s nickname was Ike.Intrigue shows that Olds isn’t simply using smoke and mirrors to redo itsproduct lineup.After Intrigue, the question remains, what does Olds do for anencore?

>>1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue GL Wheelbase: 109 inches Length: 195.6 inches Engine: 3.8-liter, 195-h.p. V-6 Transmission: 4-speed automatic. EPA mileage: 19 m.p.g. city/30 m.p.g. highway Base price: $22,100 for GL; $20,700 for base model. Price as tested: $24,590. Includes $695 for power sunroof; $600 forchrome-plated, 16-inch aluminum wheels; $200 for AM/FM stereo with cassetteand compact-disc player; and $995 for leather seats. Add $550 for freight. Pluses: Dual air bags, four-wheel ABS and traction control standard. V-6very lively yet very fuel efficient. Lots of room and comfort for longdistance travel. Design hints at Aurora heritage. Worthy rival to entry-levelJapanese luxury cars from Infiniti and Lexus, with much more room, comfort,pep and safety devices than t he hot Lexus ES300. Minuses: Will styling attract younger buyers? Needs a knock-your-socksoff feature.>>