Auto Shows (Page 49)

Last year I spent considerable time at the Audi R8 coupe, but this R8 GT Spyder has the power to bring out the roadster loving DNA in any driver; not to mention the beautiful model who adorned its presence in the photo and video.

With a double bottom already in place at the $19 area, General Motors (NYSE: GM) stock is breaking above a key technical downtrend line. Question is, can GM stock ride the wave of NAIAS 2012 to higher ground?

This is the week where the phrase "And the winner is …" inevitably seems to end with a Hyundai model name such as the Veloster being named Urban Car of the Year at the 16th Annual Urban Wheel Awards. The esteemed automotive event was held this week at the Motor City Casino Hotel in Detroit, in conjunction with the opening of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

Despite the recent departure of two key developers which inspired recent stock selloff, Tesla Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq:TSLA) assured investors that it is on schedule to meet the deliveries for its new Model S; and the display at NAIAS 2012 shows details that are no longer concept, but pre-production level in time for delivery by mid-2012 .

If you are headed to Detroit this weekend (or already there), then you are likely overwhelmed at the huge size of the show and how impossible it can seem to see everything. Don't fret, here is a short list of concepts that anyone attending the show must check out.

More than pretty faces, Auto Show models play a crucial role in representing carmakers. Here is the story of one of these unsung Toyota specialists.

GM Korea first unveiled the Chevrolet Miray (pronounced Me-ray) concept at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show. It is now on display at the NAIAS 2012 in Detroit.

Acura has been teasing then denying a replacement for the Acura NSX which ended its 15 year reign in 2005. Now it’s back, finally. It is more than a concept, though, as production may arrive within 3 years. Question is, how much?

The refreshed design of the Fusion line at Ford will match performance with aesthetics, adding to the already huge success the car has proven to be.

I finally remembered where I first saw this car, the Falcon F7 Series 1 Supercar, in person; it was at the Battery Show 2011 in Novi, Michigan. The vehicle was dressed in a flat black, coated carbon fiber finish. Now the Falcon F7 is all dressed up, painted a metallic orange, shining brightly and making a supercar impression at the NAIAS 2012.

If the stock market is supposed to be a forward-looking entity, then judging from the display at the NAIAS 2012 in Detroit, one has to wonder what are the factors that are keeping Ford stock from moving significantly higher.

Congratulations to the 2012 EyesOn Design winners. Designers chose the 2013 Ford Fusion as the EOD Production Vehicle Award Winner; and the Lexus LF-LC as the EOD Concept Vehicle Award Winner.

The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2012 just completed two full days of exciting new-vehicle introductions and upbeat press conferences signaling an enthusiasm not seen in the auto industry for a few years.

Kubang, that is... The first Maserati SUV aptly named Kubang, Italian for SUV has been highly anticipated since rumors surfaced, in Ferrari’s and Alfa Romeo’s case, as far back as 5 years ago of an Italian SUV.

Lincoln has long been Ford's luxury brand, whose checkered past success and failure has been as colorful as the president it was named after. Lately, the brand has been lackluster, stealing design elements from Ford's other products. Today, Ford is emphasizing Lincoln at the North American International Auto Show with a new flagship: the MKZ Concept.

No wonder the parking was so bad around Cobo Center in Detroit. It seemed the entire world of journalists came to witness the largest set of unveilings at the NAIAS 2012 Press Preview.

Hyundai has dropped a bit of a curveball on the auto industry today, because it announced that its Sonata Hybrid will come with a Lifetime Battery Replacement Guarantee. This is a first guarantee of this kind and could potentially have big implications.

CODA Automotive, the newest US-based EV company, becomes the first-in-class manufacturer to provide two mileage range options. The news was previously embargoed until the NAIAS 2012 Press Preview.

The Lexus LF-LC 2+2 sports coupe hybrid concept was revealed today with the requisite degree of fanfare by Mark Templin, Group vice president and general manager, Lexus Division, Toyota Motor Sales.

If you have been waiting for Volkswagen to combine the Beetle with Electricity, your wait is over. Today at North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Volkswagen debut the new “E-Bugster” concept.

This year, the NAIAS pick for Truck of the Year is the Range Rover Evoque, a small, but capable and luxurious little SUV that began production in July, 2011. The win marks another upset in this usually American-dominated segment and award, though, interestingly, none of the Big 3 U.S. automakers was even on the competition's list for 2012.

The compact sedan market has become one of the most vital vehicle classes to the automakers doing business in North America and with the introduction of the 2013 Dodge Dart, the Chrysler Group will finally have a car that could be a major player in that segment – with a price of $15,995 making it less expensive than the bestselling models in that class.

The first Korean electric vehicle is going to have its North American debut tomorrow. Two things are surprising about that. It's not the Korean company you think and the debut location is not at the North American International Auto Show.

Coming to showrooms late this summer, the BMW M5 in its 2013 rendition unveiled at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show today. The North American version of this classic sedan will include a 6-speed manual transmission option rather than the 7-speed M-DCT dual clutch offered in Europe.

Later today in Joe Louis Arena in Detroit as part of the 2012 North American International Auto Show, Ford Motor Company will unveil the entirely-new 2013 Ford Fusion - a car that will raise the bar for the midsized sedan segment with a level of luxury and fuel economy that has never before been seen in this segment.

Cadillac has unveiled the 2013 Cadillac ATS Sedan one day ahead of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show and it appears to have unleashed a beast when it comes to power and weight.