Detroit (CNN/Money) - Detroit's North American International Auto Show has spent recent years cementing its position as the nation's prime venue for showing off new cars and trucks.

Motown's rep was upheld Tuesday as automakers from around the world rolled out a traffic-jam's worth of production and concept models during this annual media preview. (The public show runs from January 10 through 19).

Car, truck, crossover or hybrid, from the sublime to the merely silly, here's what Detroit had to say about the state of the automobile for 2004 and beyond:

BMW 645Ci convertible

Bavaria's finest showed off the open-roof version of its striking 645Ci, on sale alongside the coupe in March for around $70,000. In theory a four-seater, the cramped rear perch makes the all-new 6-Series more a luxury tourer for two adults and their Prada bags. BMW's silken 4.4-liter V-8 with 325 horsepower hustles the 6-Series from 0-60 mph in 5.5 seconds. BMW will offer a choice of six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, or the Formula One-style Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) with its steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Chevrolet Cobalt

The none-too-soon replacement for the Cavalier goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2004, in sedan and coupe models and a host of trim levels, including performance SS versions. It's built on GM's Delta architecture, expected to dramatically improve structural rigidity and handling while reducing interior noise and vibration. A 2.2-liter four-cylinder makes 140 horsepower; uplevel models get a 170-horsepower, 2.4-liter engine.

Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country

Caught napping by the hideaway seats of the Honda Odyssey minivan, Chrysler invested $400 million to rush a redesign of its top-selling Grand Caravan/Town & Country to dealerships by late March. Most importantly, nearly all versions of Chrysler's extended-wheelbase 2005 minivans get an innovative "Stow `n Go" system: It lets owners fold both second- and third-row seats into the floor in quick and easy fashion, without removing headrests. New additions also include a driver's knee-blocker air bag, and a reclining third-row seat.

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

Marking the 50th anniversary of Ferrari's first GT in North American, the Italian Stallion chose Detroit to launch the 612 Scaglietti. The elegant four-seat successor to the 456 model is notable for its lightweight, aluminum-intensive chassis and body, holding weight to just over two tons. A 5.7-liter Ferrari V-12 delivers 540 prancing horses. It's also the first-ever Ferrari with an electronic stability control system. Top speed is 196 mph, the 0-60 charge takes 4.1 seconds. The price, if you must ask, is estimated at $225,000-$240,000.

Ford Freestyle

Ford will finally join the raging crossover wars this summer with the 2005 Freestyle, a seven-passenger, three-row vehicle that tries to combine the best stuff from cars, SUVs and wagons. Based on the Volvo S60 and S80 platform, the Freestyle should start around $23,000. It gets a 3.0-liter Duratec V-6 with 200 horsepower and a continuously variable transmission. Buyers will choose between front- or all-wheel-drive.

Ford Five Hundred

Wave bye-bye to the Taurus (phased out in coming years) and hello to the Five Hundred, Ford's new flagship sedan. With a taller-than-average ride height, roomy interior and available all-wheel-drive, the 500 packs SUV utility and features into a midsize package. The styling carries hints of VW and Audi. Selling point: It's shorter than the big Crown Victoria but vastly roomier inside, with a trunk big enough to hold 8 full-size golf bags. Power comes from the 3.0-liter, 200-horsepower V-6. A six-speed automatic is a luxury touch, and a continuously variable transmission will also be offered.

Ford Shelby Cobra (concept)

Texas muckraker and racing legend Carroll Shelby re-teamed with Ford to create the concept Shelby Cobra -- a "minimalist" muscle car with no radio, roof or cupholders. But it's got plenty of juice: A 6.4-liter V-10 with a shocking 605 horsepower and a 190-mph top speed. On the fleet heels of Ford's $139,995 GT supercar, a reborn Shelby might seem a head-scratching proposition, at least in terms of the business case. But Ford officials hinted strongly that a version of the show Cobra could emerge hissing into dealerships at some point in the future.

Honda Kiwami (concept)

Honda's big announcement was that a hybrid V-6/electric version of the popular Accord sedan will go on sale in 2004. Then came the Kiwami, a pancake-shaped crossover said to combine Honda's advanced hydrogen fuel cell technology with traditional Japanese aesthetics. The Kiwami is accommodating inside despite its ultra-low roofline; Honda says the design is inspired "by the experience of contemplating a carefully tended garden."

Talk about driver distraction.

Lincoln Aviator

The current Lincoln Aviator is a winning performer, but buyers have been cool toward a $50,000 SUV that's essentially a deluxe Ford Explorer. Enter the new Aviator in 2005-2006, transformed into a Mazda6-based crossover -- Lincoln's acknowledgement that car-based luxury SUVs are where the money and buyers are at these days. The sleek show version features an aviation-inspired interior with off-white leather, polished hardwood flooring and moveable storage consoles with lap tables. The production model will see an all-new, 3.5-liter V-6 with dual-overhead valves, variable valve timing and roughly 245 horsepower.

Lincoln Mark X (concept)

Steadfastly denying that the retro Ford Thunderbird has been a sales letdown, Ford and Lincoln floated a T-Bird-based concept that would cost even more than the $40,000 people already refuse to pay for the Ford. The Mark X -- pronounced "Mark ten" -- is a big, two-seat roadster with a retractable hardtop that doesn't intrude on truck space, and a luxury interior wrapped in creamy "Lime Sorbet" leather. With design cues that signal the direction of future Lincolns, the rear-drive Mark X carries the T-Bird's 280-horsepower V-8.

Lincoln Mark LT

Undeterred by the disastrous Blackwood, Lincoln will try, try again with a luxury pickup - but this one's based on the fabulous new Ford F-150, with available four-wheel-drive and minus the Blackwood's utility-robbing power bed cover. Expect a production version to reach showrooms early next year, laden with exterior chrome and the sumptuous, import-worthy interior that's becoming a hallmark of Ford and Lincoln light trucks. The F-Series' 5.4-liter V-8 manages 300 horsepower.

Mercedes-Benz E 320 CDI

More than 40 percent of European buyers tool around in modern clean diesels, but diesels have gotten a bad rap in the U.S. Mercedes hopes its E 320 CDI can help clean up that reputation.

The frugal version of Benz' bread-and-butter sedan gets around 35 mpg and travels more than 600 miles on a tank. Yet it accelerates from 0-60 in 7.8 seconds, thanks to 204 horsepower and a mighty 369 pound-feet of pulling torque from its turbocharged, direct-injection diesel. The diesel E-Class goes on sale in April.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

With 617 horsepower and a top speed of 207 mph, the SLR McLaren will satisfy the supercar dreams of roughly 150 lucky buyers each year -- those who don't blink at the $400,000-plus sticker. A supercharged 5.5-liter V-8 and lightweight carbon fiber construction combine to rocket the SLR from 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds. A rear "airbrake" spoiler pops from the trunklid during hard stops to supplement the braking system.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Concept-E (concept)

Mitsubishi has softened the Eclipse into a timid creampuff in recent years, but the Concept-E coupe holds promise of restoring the Eclipse's original sporty self -- maybe even better. The punchy, sci-fi shape has elements of the Audi TT and Nissan Z; Mitsubishi says much of the styling will be preserved in the production version coming in 2005 as a 2006 model.

The concept is a high-performance hybrid, with a 269-horsepower V-6 driving the front wheels and a 150 Kw electric motor juicing the back; production models will be strictly gas-powered. The concept's hood and rear hatch hinge from the side. Coolest of all are the Xenon "plasma" marker lights and turn signals that emit a pulsing, crackling-wave special effect on the road. Inside," deep video imaging" instruments pair overlapping LCD monitors for a 3-D viewing effect. Transmission is a six-speed automatic with manual function.

Nissan Pathfinder

Nissan's compact SUV gets a full makeover for 2005, including seating for seven in three rows, plus independent rear suspension for improved ride and handling. Production of the all-new model begins in fall, moving from Japan to Smyrna, Tenn. A bigger 4.0-liter V-6, developed from the terrific VQ engines that power everything from the Altima to the Z sports car and Infiniti G35, will top 250 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque.

Nissan Frontier

The Frontier compact pickup grows bigger and stronger for 2005, in an all-new version that will incorporate the new 4.0-liter V-6 with 250-plus horsepower -- a lot of grunt for a small-scale truck. Sharing frame design and other hardware with its big-brother Titan, the Frontier will offer King and Crew Cab models, along with the Titan's spray-in bedliner and tie-down cleats that can be repositioned along tracks in the bed.

Pontiac G6

The replacement for the Grand Am ditches Pontiac's notorious plastic body cladding for a cleaner look -- especially in the coupe version, which I'll argue is the most handsome, sophisticated GM car design in a decade or more. (Excluding special cases like the `Vette).

The sedan rolls out this fall, with coupe and convertible models to follow in roughly spring 2005. The G6 shares its front-drive GM Epsilon platform with models like the Saab 9-3 and Opel Vectra. Base models will start under $20,000 with a four-cylinder engine; uplevel G6s will top out in the high $20,000s, with either a 200-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 or a 3.9-liter six with 240 horsepower.

Scion tC

When Toyota's Gen-Y brand rolls out nationwide in June, the 2005 tC sports coupe will give Scion a trio of high-value hipster models. The tC sets out to pack performance into a three-door, far-under-$20,000 hatchback with 160 horsepower from its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. A huge roster of standard gear includes a panorama sunroof, independent suspension, four-wheel discs with ABS, 17-inch wheels and a high-output audio system.

Volkswagen Concept T

Sports car drivers usually stick to the pavement, but V-dubya says its Concept T can blast off-road equally as well. The 241-horsepower concept sports four-wheel-drive, doors that open like wings and a T-bar roof.