Curtain goes up in Motor City

Lexus is planning a new high-performance line, to be designated with the letter “F” and equipped competitively against Mercedes-Benz’s AMG line and BMW’s M cars. The first of these, the IS-F, a high-powered version of the brand’s IS sport sedan, will be unveiled at the show and is expected for 2008, along with a futuristic hybrid sports car concept called the FT-HS.

At the Mazda stand, a new hybrid version of the Tribute, called the 2008 Tribute HEV, will debut. More mysterious is the automaker’s Ryuga concept, the latest of several recent Mazda sports car concepts, including the Nagare concept from the L.A. show. The Ryuga looks to be a very sleek, sculpted sports car with gull-wing doors.

January in Detroit might seem like an odd time and place to unveil a convertible, but Mercedes-Benz plans to break the blahs with its Ocean Drive, a four-door convertible based on the big, V12-powered S600 sedan, presumably named after the desirable Miami Beach address.

Other cars to debut include a special edition of the Mini Cooper convertible called the Sidewalk; a thinly veiled preview of the next Mitsubishi Evolution sport sedan in its Prototype X; a Nissan multipurpose vehicle concept called the Bevel; and a revised and face-lifted ’08 Porsche Cayenne.

Anticipated, but not certain, at Detroit are Hummer’s new H4, a smaller model designed to go head-to-head with the Wrangler, and a revised 2007 Maserati Quattroporte.

Two other concepts confirmed for Detroit will presage production cars to come. Jaguar is bringing a concept car, the C-XF, that will give a glimpse of the S-Type’s replacement, due for ‘09; and Volvo’s upcoming XC60 SUV isn’t expected until the ’09 model year, but the automaker will show it as a concept at Detroit.

Rolls-Royce will bring the production-bound version of its convertible model, called the Phantom Drophead. Teased in concept form for several years, the latest development bears the same huge, 6.75-liter V12 engine as the Phantom sedan. Surprisingly, the $407,000 two-door model has rear-hinged doors, a unique, eye-catching feature.

General Motors announced at the L.A. show in November that it is working on a plug-in hybrid version of the Saturn Vue, which would allow drivers to do short commutes on electric power only, with gasoline-hybrid function for longer trips. The automaker is expected to make a significant follow-up announcement at Detroit.

As always, there will undoubtedly be many cleverly kept surprises that aren’t released until the official press days of the Detroit show. Keep checking back the week of Jan. 8 for daily updates from the show floor.

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Detroit Auto Show 2007 Section Front

As commutes worsen, drivers seek solutions Big SUVs, trucks looking scarce in Detroit Saturn’s new Aura breaks with tradition Readers weigh in on the Big Three Ford, Airstream celebrate wanderlust Automakers get creative with concepts Q&A: GM’s Lutz charges up on the Volt Chinese presence felt at auto show Automakers aim for image makeovers New midsize sedans target Camry Detroit Auto Show 2007 Section Front   Add Detroit Auto Show 2007 headlines to your news reader: