It's January and that means that its time for the annual three day extravaganza of world premieres that is the Detroit Auto Show. Dozens of production and concept vehicles will be vying for the attention of the gathered throngs of journalists that make the trek to the Motor City from all corners of the globe. This year's Detroit show press days run from Sunday, Jan. 13, through Tuesday, Jan. 15.
As in years past, the Detroit Three will be hogging much of the limelight, with center stage likely going to Ford and Dodge, as both will be rolling out all-new versions of their iconic F-150 and Ram trucks. In addition, Chrysler will be showing off a troika of eco-friendly concepts, GM will roll officially roll out its monster Corvette ZR1 and the V version of the CTS, along with a smattering of green machines including Saturn Vue Green Line Two Mode. Ford will also showcase the possible future of the Explorer with the Explorer America Concept.
Notable debuts from Asia include the production version of the Hyundai Genesis sedan, Nissan's FORUM concept, a crossover sedan from Toyota called Venza, a prototype of the next-generation Honda Pilot and Mazda's Furai race car. The Germans are also bringing plenty of sheetmetal from Europe, including the first ever U.S.-bound BMW diesels, the Baby Benz GLK ute, performance-themed Audis and a special Volkswagen Passat.
The Chinese are coming to Detroit again too, and this time in greater numbers. Five Chinese automakers in all will be present in Detroit. Making repeat appearances are Geely (2006) and Changfeng (2007). The three newcomers are BYD Auto, Chamco, and Li Shi Guang Ming. BYD is best known for its Brilliance sedan, which infamously failed Euro NCAP tests, Chamco is the American operation for a company called Zhongxing, headed by Steve Saleen, and Li Shi Guang Ming is a small purveyor of small electric cars.