Carscoop’s A-to-Z Guide to the 2012 Detroit Motor Show

Every year, the first major international auto show takes place on American soil: it’s the North American International Auto Show, or NAIAS as it is more commonly known, and it’s located right in the heart of the U.S. automotive industry, Detroit.

It’s only natural, therefore, for domestic manufacturers to display their newest models at the Motor City.

Among other presentations, Ford will unveil its new Fusion global mid-size sedan that will be sold as the Mondeo in other parts of the world including Europe, while Cadillac is already releasing spoilers of the brand new 2013 ATS and so is Dodge, which will introduce the first product of the Fiat-Chrysler collaboration, the Alfa Giulietta-based 2013 Dart compact sedan.

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Lexus Drops Another Official Photo of LF-LC 2+2 Hybrid Sports Coupe

Following last night's uncovering of the LF-LC Concept via a magazine teaser video, Lexus partially caved in and released a single teaser photo and some additional details on its new 2+2 seat coupe study.

The full size picture confirms our suspicions that the LF-LC gets Lexus' hybrid drive system, while it also becomes clear that the styling mixes elements from the LFA supercar and the production and concept GS sedans.

“Crafted from a clean sheet of paper at the request of Lexus headquarters in Japan, the LF-LC blends both high technology and organic shapes to connect the driver to the machine,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager.

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Official: New Mercedes E300 BlueTEC Hybrid and E400 Hybrid to Debut in Detroit

Carmakers’ research and development departments around the world are focusing most of their attention not so much in performance as they used to in past years, but in improving fuel consumption and lowering CO2 emissions as much as possible.

Mercedes-Benz claims to set new standards in the executive segment with the development of two new hybrid versions of its latest E-Class sedan and estate models, both of which will receive their world premiere at next month's Detroit Motor Show.

The E 300 BlueTEC Hybrid combines a four-cylinder turbodiesel engine producing 204HP and 500 Nm (368.7 lb-ft) of torque with an electric motor that has an output of 20 kW (27HP) and 250 Nm (184.3 lb-ft). It also features an auto stop/start system, regenerative braking, a pure electric mode and a “sailing” function.

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AMP to Debut All-Electric Jeep Grand Cherokee at the Detroit Motor Show

Adding another new green vehicle to the long line forming at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show, AMP Electric Vehicles will premiere it's latest electric conversion based on the new 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The Ohio-based company is in the business of converting gasoline-powered vehicles to electric having previously offered a battery-powered version of the Saturn Sky while it currently converts the 2010-2011 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 and the Chevrolet Equinox (for fleet use).

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Detroit Show Lexus LF-LC Sports Coupe Photo Scans Leak on the Web

While Lexus was planning a slow strip tease for its 2012 Detroit Motor Show-bound sports coupe concept, the folks over at Autoblog.com discovered a video teaser from the 2012 February issue of Road & Track magazine, giving us our first look at the car, which will carry the LF-LC moniker.

We don’t get any additional information on the rakish concept model, though in one of the photos, it looks like there's a "HYBRID" badge right in front of the rear wheel arch.

Lexus has previously told us that the design of the LF-LC would hint at a new design direction for the brand's future models.

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Useless Teaser of the Day: 2013 Buick Encore Small CUV

So you thought General Motor's second teaser of the 2013 Buick Encore would actually show us the CUV, did you? Well, it doesn't. All we get is a glimpse of the Encore's hood.

You'll have to wait a few more days to get a meaningful preview of the small crossover model when the Detroit brand reveals the second of a total of four pictures on its official Facebook page.

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Toyota NS4 Plug-in Hybrid Concept Heads to Detroit Motor Show

This is our first look at the brand new Toyota NS4 Concept car that will make its world premiere at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, which takes place in Detroit from January 9 to 22.

Toyota is being as secretive about the NS4 as its premium Lexus sibling is about its own prototype that will be shown in Motor Town, with the only piece of information we get about the vehicle is that it will be "an advanced plug-in hybrid concept".

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Nissan Pathfinder Concept: First Official Teaser of 7-Seater SUV

While Nissan isn't yet ready to completely lift the covers off its pre-production Pathfinder showcar, the Japanese company has issued the first teaser image of the seven-seater model that will make its public debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show beginning in Detroit on January 9th.

With a little digital help, we brightened up the picture to reveal the outline of the Pathfinder study, which looks like it will sport a swoopier body than the current model.

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Lexus Drops New Teaser Photo of its Detroit Motor Show Concept, Looks Like it's a Coupe

We got our first glimpse of the new concept model Lexus is readying for the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit with a cryptic teaser picture of the car's front end on December 12.

Today, Toyota's premium brand released a second image, this time showing the as of yet unnamed concept model's interior. What’s important about this image is that the teardrop shape of the window line suggests we're looking at a two-door coupe model.

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New 2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS is All Show, Little Go, will Debut in Detroit

When General Motors previewed the Chevrolet Sonic series with the Aveo RS Concept at last year's North American Auto Show, the company also hinted at a spicier version inspired by the study.

Following the launch of the regular Sonic models, Chevrolet has now revealed the production Sonic RS that will go on sale late next year after making its world premiere at the Detroit Motor Show in January.

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2013 Mercedes-Benz SL: Feast Your Eyes on 60 High-Res Photos and the First Official Videos

The last couple of days, the sixth-generation of the Mercedes-Benz SL roadster has been one of the hottest subjects on the web – and rightly so, as it introduces several new technologies that will eventually trickle down to the premium automaker's other models.

There's a lot to mention, but one of the highlights is the aluminum bodywork, which significantly reduces weight and has a positive effect on both agility and handling as well as fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

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Nissan Confirms New Pathfinder and All-Electric Van Concepts for Detroit Show

As we're approaching closer to the 2012 edition of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 9, more automakers are slowly rolling out their plans to create some additional buzz around their products.

Today, Nissan confirmed that it's presence at the show will be highlighted by the worldwide debut of two concept vehicles, including a Pathfinder preview study and an all-electric van prototype.

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Detroit Auto Show: Mercedes-Benz Dishes Out Official Details on the 2013 SL Roadster

After the first official photos of the all-new 2013 SL hit the web on Tuesday, it was only a matter of time before Mercedes-Benz itself disclosed all the juicy details about its new luxury roadster model, which will make its official world premiere at the Detroit Motor Show in January.
For starters, the new SL, code-named R321, is the first mass-production Mercedes car built almost entirely from aluminum, with the same material used for the multi-link front and rear suspensions. As a result, its weight has been reduced by up to 308 pounds (140 kg) compared to its predecessor.
Using aluminum has not only reduced weight, but also increased agility providing sportier handling characteristics.
Dr. Thomas Rudlaff, who was responsible for the new aluminum bodyshell, said: "The result is perceptible and measurable. Less weight means improved performance and efficiency. In other words, the driving pleasure increases and the environmental impact decreases."
The 2013 SL will be available with two different suspension setups, both of which will feature the Agility Control Suspension system as standard and the Active Body Control system as an option. They are combined with a new electromechanical, speed-sensitive power steering called Direct-Steer that reduces the effort required by the driver in low-speed maneuvers and increases its weight and feel at high speeds.
In Europe, the new SL will initially be offered with two direct injection gasoline engines, both of which send power to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic gearbox.
The SL 350 is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 with an output of 302HP and 370 Nm (273 lb-ft) of torque. Despite being less powerful than the previous SL 350, the increased torque along with the reduced weight make it 0.3 seconds faster in the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint while, at the same time, recording an average consumption of just 5.6 lt/100 km (42 mpg US).
The second unit is a twin-turbocharged 4.7-liter V8 “borrowed” from the current S-Class, with 429HP and 699.6 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque, which powers the SL500 (SL550 in the US market, where it will available next spring).
The 4,663 cc V8 is 12 percent more powerful and produces 32 percent more torque than its predecessor, despite losing almost 0.8 liters in displacement. It accelerates Merc’s latest roadster from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.6 seconds.
Mercedes-Benz claims that the new SL could have been even lighter, if not for the extended use of advanced systems.
These include the driver drowsiness detection system Attention Assist and the Adaptive Brake, both of which are standard. The Distronic Plus adaptive cruise control and the Pre Safe autonomous emergency braking system are optional.
The retractable hard top sports a rigid and light magnesium frame and it takes less than 20 to open or close the roof completely. It is available in two versions: glass or the panoramic “Magic Sky Control” introduced in the 2012 SLK that changes its transparency at the touch of a button.
The FrontBass system, which uses the aluminum chassis for enhancing the audio system’s bass output and optimize acoustics, and the Magic Vision Control windscreen cleaning system that houses the water injectors inside the wiper blades, have already been revealed in detail in Merc’s earlier release.
Mercedes-Benz will also offer a limited-edition version of the 2013 SL named the "Edition 1". It features AMG 19-inch alloy wheels, designo exclusive leather with contrasting topstitching, AIRSCARF and a Harman/Kardon Logic7 surround sound system.
It will be painted in an “Edition 1”-exclusive “designo crystal silver magno” color, while the interior upholstery is designo classic red/black exclusive with designo black piano lacquer wood trim.
In the U.S., the 2013 SL550 will arrive in showrooms in the spring of 2012.

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