Making a concept car is easy. Taking that concept and coaxing a production car out of it - something people can walk into a showroom and drive away, something you can offer a warranty on - is far, far harder, as Lexus discovered when it decided to move the LF-LC from car show stands to dealership forecourts.
Even in its hometown, Buick couldn't have expected to so thoroughly wow auto show attendees with its Avista concept. The brand known for being the oldest active American car maker is also the frequent butt of jokes about the age - and aged sensibilities - of its drivers, with GM stablemates Chevrolet and Cadillac left to monopolize the lion's share of technology and design.
![Cadillac delays CT6 Super Cruise to avoid Tesla controversy [Updated]](https://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2016-cadillac-ct6-sg-2-980x420.jpg)
Cadillac will delay one of the flagship features on its new CT6 luxury sedan, deeming Super Cruise not ready in time for the car's fall 2016 release. The technology is Cadillac's own take on semi-autonomous driver assistance, combining adaptive cruise control with active lane-keeping, similar to what Tesla pushed out to the Model S and Model X EVs in a software update as Autopilot.
They’ve officially slipped the silk off of everything on four wheels at the 2016 North American International Auto Show, and a few automakers selfishly hogged all the attention. Our team was in full force at every debut, talking to the people that brought these cars and concepts to life. We’ve combed our brains, scanned our notes, and are bringing you our top five of the Detroit Auto Show.
Ridiculously powerful coupes, concepts-made-real, astonishing design studies, and opulent excess: the cars of the NAIAS 2016 had it all. Coming hot on the heels of CES could have seen Mercedes, Lexus, Audi, and the rest overshadowed by electronics - even if automotive actually dominated last week's Las Vegas show - but some legitimate surprises meant the car companies held their own.
Soon your car will be able to avoid collisions, download movies and get traffic updates from space – thanks to a breakthrough in satellite technology. Toyota revealed the next generation in connectivity at the Detroit Auto Show Tuesday: a satellite embedded in the roof of its hydrogen-powered Mirai sedan that can download data faster and more securely than cellular networks.
You probably already know whether you want a 2017 Smart ForTwo Cabriolet. In fact, if that's the case you probably already know what it looks like, seeing as Smart has been offering the convertible option in Europe for some time now. The US was tardy to the tiny car, however, which made its debut in the country in - of all places - cold, snowy Detroit.
Small needn't mean meek, and the 2016 BMW M2 Coupé is an excellent example of that. Making its global debut at the North American International Auto Show 2016 in Detroit this week, the potent little two-door borrows some of the aggressive style - and even some components - from its bigger siblings, but packages it into a (somewhat) more affordable machine.
VLF may not be a name you're familiar with, but you certainly wouldn't miss the company's Force 1 V10 if it passed you on the highway. Handiwork of Henrik Fisker, racing driver Ben Keating, and former GM chairman Bob Lutz, the slinky coupe might look like the Fisker Karma hybrid that tried - and quite spectacularly failed - to do what Tesla has achieved, but it wears no eco-halo.
It's a name with history, so Lincoln has a lot to live up to with the 2017 Continental. Revealed at the NAIAS 2016, the classic badge has a brand new car, with Lincoln hoping its vision of "quiet luxury" chimes with drivers. This is no humble ambition, either, with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class in the Continental's sights.
Acura is looking to get back to its "Precision Crafted Performance" roots with the new Precision Concept, a striking sedan revealed at the NAIAS 2016. Aiming to influence tomorrow's Acura sedans - and give them a needed aggressive and distinctive boost - the bright red four-door with its B-pillarless suicide doors is no mere concept, Honda's luxury division says, but a design study to revamp the brand on its 30th anniversary.
This week the 2017 Infiniti Q60 Sports Coupe sees the light of day at the 2016 North American International Auto Show. This vehicle rolls with a brand new "VR30" 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo engine and what Infinity describes as an "exclusive VR powertrain family". This new VR30 engine comes in two power ratings with its 3.0-liter V6, 300 horsepower or 400 horsepower, and the vehicle will be going on sale in "selected markets" later this year.