(FORTUNE Magazine) – Judging from the forward-thinking, risk-taking machines on display at last month's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the car industry is enjoying a lavish renaissance. Inspired partly by consumer demand for better, more interesting vehicles, and partly by record sales underwritten by our smoking economy, the flashy new products for model year 2001 and beyond fall into two camps: In one you'll find the low-volume niche vehicles--Rolls-Royce's unimpeachable $360,000 Corniche convertible and Mercedes' new CL500 coupe, an $85,500 addition to Benz's already highfalutin lineup; and in the other, the mass-market, ultraflexible hybrids--SUV-truck-car combos. Ford, for example, debuted its compact SUV, the Escape, and a colorful, iMac-like concept car called the 24.7, a vehicle with voice-activated "telematics" for hands-free Internet access. DaimlerChrysler brought out the small but muscular Jeep Varsity concept--a blend of armored sedan and dwarf Humvee, with a dash of the old VW Thing thrown in. Just about every manufacturer welded a pickup bed onto the back end of something.

Although there are bigger car shows around the world--in Frankfurt and Tokyo, for instance--any carmaker looking to capture a slice of the all-important U.S. market needs to do a little grandstanding at Detroit. Thus Toyota unveiled its full-size Sequoia; Subaru, an all-new Forester; and BMW, its 3-Series convertible.

Still, the central drama in Detroit played out, as it does every year, among the Big Three (or as insiders say since the Chrysler acquisition, the Big Two-and-a-Half). GM announced a deal with AOL (join the club), and Ford announced a partnership with Yahoo--both supporting efforts to connect cars to the Internet. DaimlerChrysler showed lots of beautifully designed family and nostalgia vehicles, along with a series of arresting electrics, fuel-cells, and hybrids. GM introduced the broadest range of concept vehicles it's had in years--and built a 164,456-square-foot display area to show them in that cost a reported $50 million. Unfortunately, some of the concepts felt less fresh and sophisticated than other manufacturers'.

This year, FORTUNE ranks the top ten vehicles from the Detroit show that will actually make it into production either in time for model year 2001 or soon after. A few concepts found their way onto the list, but we've chosen them carefully, meaning you'll actually see these vehicles (or quite similar versions of them) on the road in the next few years. Yes, there's a certain killjoy factor here--we all like checking out the annual crop of psychedelic prototypes--but we've limited ourselves for a very good reason: You can learn far more about what the industry (and the contents of your garage) will look like by watching where automakers put their serious money. Luckily, more and more manufacturers are introducing concepts and technologies that are nearly production-ready, so the future isn't so difficult to see.

1 JAGUAR F-TYPE Unlike many good things in life, sports cars should be judged first by how they look. And although Ford-owned Jaguar has put out some sensuous vehicles of late (my favorite is the sexy 370-horsepower XKR coupe), the company's product lineup has been missing one thing: a compact performance car in the style of the old Jag E-Type from the '60s and '70s.

In fact, even as rumors and smuggled sketches of a proposed S-Type station wagon (insert scream here) were surfacing recently, Jaguar redeemed itself by announcing two important pieces of news. First, Jaguar will enter Formula One racing this year (and has hired Ferrari's Eddie Irvine to prove it is serious). Second, Jaguar executives acknowledged at Detroit that given the standing ovation the F-Type received, it is likely to see production soon. Nearly every major Ford executive attended the F-Type press conference--and all of them were beaming.

Not only was the F-Type by far the most drop-dead-gorgeous vehicle at the Detroit show, but it also happens to have the finest automotive butt to hit the scene since the Porsche Boxster. Better yet, Jaguar hopes to aim squarely at the Boxster market with the F-Type, meaning a price between $42,000 and $50,000, which would make the F-Type one of the more affordable Jags in the lineup. With a sticker like that you can nearly justify it as a second (or third) vehicle; this type of pure sports car isn't likely to become your daily driver, anyway--unless you live full-time on Maui.

If Jaguar does everything right on this one (like leave Geoff Lawson and Keith Helfet's stunning design as untouched as possible), then the brand will have achieved what has eluded it for decades: a return to the realm of true heart-stopping high-performance street cars. With its streamlined cockpit of solid aluminum switches and fittings, drop-dead looks, and high-tech touches like the latest "Baroptic" light technology, the F-Type is pretty much guaranteed to knock aficionados out.

Even if Ford had been myopic enough not to see the benefits of building the F-Type, however, the car would still deserve No. 1 status on this list--simply for its outrageous beauty and attention to detail. I'd have bent the rules to fit it in. Real beauty makes you do silly things, you know.

2 CHEVY SSR Who'da thunk it? GM created an innovative, eye-catching concept that echoes vintage '50s Chevy design and marries two unlikely vehicles--a sports car and a pickup. It's called the Super Sport Roadster, or SSR--and GM designed it in a record seven weeks on the computer without ever building a model, at least until the full-scale prototype was put together. All of that is impressive, but GM hasn't exactly cultivated a reputation for innovative, design-centric cars (that has been Chrysler's territory). So when GM told FORTUNE--in a slip-up five days before they introduced the SSR in Detroit as a "concept"--that they would actually produce the spirited mongrel, I thought I was talking with the wrong company. "We can afford to take risks," said Ron Zarrella, president of GM North America, oblivious that he was giving away his secret. "And we've discussed the need to have image vehicles. So we'll end up building the SSR."

The SSR is so innovative, I won't even pick on Chevrolet general manager Kurt Ritter for posing one of the world's most ridiculous rhetorical questions: "What could be more functional than a roadster with a cargo bed?" The SSR's high points: A mighty 6-liter V8 powers the rear wheels for serious performance. An automatic retractable hardtop stows behind the seats, making the SSR a true drop-top pickup. Inside, a center storage area can be lifted to form a seat for a third passenger. The rear bed has a lockable cover and an electronic tailgate. And the form-fitting fender flares and full-width grille scream vintage Chevy.

Chevy won't discuss specifics like price or time to market, but you can expect to see the SSR within two years.

3 CHRYSLER MINIVAN As you've probably guessed by now, I'm no soccer mom. Therefore I have never personally warmed to the idea of a minivan (although one image has always stuck in my head: Lamborghini's chief test driver owns one as his daily commuter--and likes it). But I do know a good thing when I see one. The reworked Dodge/Chrysler lineup--Dodge Caravan, Chrysler Voyager, and Chrysler Town & Country--is handsome enough to attract attention and loaded with enough smart industry firsts to help DaimlerChrysler maintain No. 1 minivan-seller status. (In the past several years its lead has been slipping even as overall minivan sales hit a record in 1999, thanks to ever better competition from the Ford Windstar, Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, and a dozen other subspecies.)

Here's a sampling of the novelties loaded into the new-generation Dodges and Chryslers: power up and down liftgate; a pop-up rear cargo organizer; power dual sliding doors that allow for manual override and obstacle detection when opening and closing; removable powered center console; "split fifty-fifty easy-out roller third seats"; V6 engine armed with 215 horsepower (as well as the class-leading new optional 3.5-liter, 230-horsepower V6); three-zone temperature control system; adjustable gas and brake pedals; side airbags; and universal child seat anchors. The company even managed to build middle-row seats that detect whether the cup holders are full or not. If they are, they remain stationary when the seats are folded forward to prevent spills. The fact that the new styling, while just a subtle shift from the last generation, actually looks pretty good is mere icing.

DaimlerChrysler expects the minivans to begin arriving at dealerships in September, and not to stray too far from current prices--$19,000 to $37,000.

4 BMW Z8 Don't ignore BMW's gorgeous new Z8 just because it appears in the latest James Bond film. (We've learned to live with product placement, but Pierce Brosnan? Please!) Strip away the Hollywood schlock and the Z8's flowing lines and family resemblance to the late-'50s 507 roadster are immediately clear. Its long nose, chiseled features, and well-balanced proportions recall a far kinder time in automotive design. As does the stunning interior, which features my favorite touch: All the gauges sit in the center console. So when you're speeding along the corniche above Monte Carlo, wind blowing through your impossibly expensive vicuna and guanaco wrap (hey, this is my fantasy, OK?), all that lies between you and the twisting road are some handsome aluminum trim, a gleaming crescent of windshield, and the sculptural open-spoke steering wheel. Nothing else distracts you from the tasks at hand: driving fast and looking good. (Luckily, a car like the Z8 can do both for you.)

Actually, the deep-throated snarl pouring from the 400-horsepower engine makes glancing at the speedometer and tachometer unnecessary: You know exactly where you are in the rpm range just from the bass note of the V8. BMW took the M5's state-of-the-art powerplant (see "The M5 is a 10" in the fortune.com archive) and dropped it into the Z8's futuristic aluminum space-frame body. With such lightweight yet rigid construction, the two-seater weighs 470 pounds less than the M5 and is capable of going from zero to 60 in well under five seconds. Add 18-inch runflat wheels, a fully automatic soft-top and removable hardtop, a GPS navigation system, a portable hands-free phone, a CD changer, heated seats, and all-aluminum front and rear suspension, and just one question remains: Is it worth $130,000? Only 400 overcompensated Americans will find out--so you'd better try getting on the list now, because the Z8s are showing up at dealers in April. Hey, it's crazy money, but this thing made the FORTUNE list because so few like it get built anymore.

5 FORD TH!NK At a time when nearly every carmaker is touting its R&D on advanced-technology automobiles, Ford deserves credit for organizing all of its electric products under one brand name. Too bad that name happens to be the irritatingly punctuated Th!nk. The vehicle that leads the Th!nk pack is the irritatingly italicized Th!nk city, a battery-powered electric vehicle that has been on sale in Scandinavia since November. Within two years the compact two-seater will be introduced to the U.S. market for less than $20,000.

Americans have been loath to install recharging stations in their garages--it's a lot of work and money for 80 miles of range at best--so the Th!nk city can be plugged directly into any standard 220-volt outlet. It takes roughly eight hours to completely recharge the little thermoplastic-skinned car, which gives you about a 60-mile range, depending on conditions. Also in the Th!nk lineup: the Th!nk neighbor, a low-speed, golf-cartish vehicle (hint: Th!nk nursing home) and two electric bikes, the Th!nk bike fun and the Th!nk bike traveler. There's also Th!nk Mobility, a sales and e-commerce arm, and Th!nk Technology, which will sell electric systems and parts.

At Detroit, Ford announced production of another alternative car by 2003, a "fuel-sipping" hybrid gas-electric family sedan called Prodigy. Unlike Honda's Insight and Toyota's Prius--both are compact hybrids that came to market at the end of last year--Ford will make Prodigy a larger, family- and cargo-friendly vehicle that can nevertheless achieve up to 80 mpg.

6 VOLVO V70 A handful of high-octane station wagons were unveiled in Detroit--including Subaru's completely reworked Forester and BMW's 3-Series sport wagon. But of all the significant family movers on display, the next-generation Volvo V70 and the slightly raised, all-wheel-drive V70 XC wagons--the backbone of the brand--were the winners. The evolutionary design is attractive and aerodynamic if cautious, aimed at making the vehicle look, as Volvo says, "straight as an arrow." (If you squint, you can see what Volvos of the future will look like, and they're a lot prettier than the bland old upright boxes they used to be.)

The new V70 makes smart use of the Volvo S80 platform, meaning it is slightly smaller overall than its predecessor but actually ends up having more interior room--the product of thinner bumpers, a more rigid body assembly process, and high-tech materials. Says Ford CEO Jac Nasser, "The new V70 is the sportiest, safest Volvo ever." Sounds like the promise of calorie-free chocolate to me--but it's still more tempting than a minivan.

Volvo intends to go after the German market with the V70. Volvo Europe President Wolff Huber believes that the new vehicles "have precisely the dynamic sophistication that German customers appreciate." That's shooting pretty high--Germany is not a country where the Swedish brand has done well in the past--but Wolfgang Reitzle, head of Ford's Premier Automotive Group, is determined to get there. "The V70 is by far the most significant car we are launching at Detroit," says the rakish former BMW executive.

Volvo debuts several technologies in the V70, such as dual-stage airbags: During a minor impact, the system only activates the seat-belt tensioners; in a middling collision, it activates the airbags, filling them to 70% of their capacity; in a serious disaster, the airbags fully deploy.

Other bland-sounding but handy innovations include a stowable shopping-bag holder in the rear cargo area so that your wagon doesn't fill with rolling fruit on the way home from the store. There's a rear seat table that tucks under the center cushion when not in use. There is even a coat hanger for the driver that doesn't obstruct the view (it's on the inboard side of the passenger seat, in case the suspense was killing you).

The V70 will be out in April, the V70 XC in August. Prices will range from the low $30,000s to high $30,000s.

7 MAZDA RX-EVOLVE There are more than a few lost souls in the world still mourning the demise of Mazda's magnificent rotary-engined RX-7 sports car. Well, despair no more: Mazda design director Tom Matano (father of the Miata) has put together the mold-breaking RX-Evolve, a four-door sports car concept. According to Matano, the Evolve was 80% likely to go to production after its debut in Tokyo last fall; judging by the admiring crowds swarming it at Detroit, it's a sure bet now--especially at a time when the struggling Mazda brand could use a little excitement.

While a four-door doesn't exactly replace a two-seater, Mazda hopes high performance and utility together will sell cars. Explains Matano: "Four-doors are the way for us to get back into the sports car market." With a front engine layout, four-wheel independent suspension, and fifty-fifty weight distribution, the RX-Evolve possesses several key characteristics of a high-performance car. For RX-7 fans, it resurrects that car's twin-bubble Aero-Wave roof.

The RX-Evolve also happens to be eye candy. Matano has once again built a car around the driver rather than wedging a driver into a particular design. The cockpit fits like a glove and offers unique perks: steering-wheel-mounted brake adjustment switches for fine-tuning deceleration during high-speed driving; a programmable magnetic driver ID card that will automatically enable or disable such high-performance gadgetry, according to driver skill; and a lightweight rotary engine that produces 280 horsepower at 9,000 rpm without a turbo boost--and that's more efficient and cleaner than comparably powerful conventional engines. There's a clutchless six-speed gearbox with shift paddles on the steering column. Rear-hinged rear doors make the roomy back seat, which has built-in baby seats, more accessible.

Sounds expensive, right? Not really: The RX-Evolve should fall in the $27,000 to $33,000 range. Yo, Mazda, hurry up.

8 LEXUS SPORT COUPE Toyota's luxury division has historically been a bit slow to come to market with important vehicles in its lineup. Last year's introduction of the IS concept--a sporty rear-wheel drive four-door sedan intended to take on the entry-level BMW 3-Series--is a good example of something Lexus should have built long ago. But the company does a classy job when it finally gets around to filling a gap. Take its latest "concept" exercise: a convertible sport coupe, which executives whisper will hit production in the near future. Part Saab, part Porsche, the Lexus' bathtub shape is roomy and sporty at once. A retractable aluminum hardtop changes the two-plus-two coupe into a convertible in 20 seconds. And for hopeful gearheads, there are three key words to remember: rear-wheel drive.

Lexus also showed a sophisticated, gadget-rich version of its flagship, the LS430, but the luxury sedan's Benz-like looks can't match the draw of the sport coupe's--and many of the same perks will undoubtedly find their way to the open-top car.

The company hasn't officially announced production on the V8 sport coupe yet, but as one Lexus spokesman confided, "Think about it: How long has this company known that it needs a convertible?" Look for it sometime in 2001--and I'll keep you posted on how much it will cost to go topless Lexus-style.

9 CHEVY AVALANCHE "Subtle" is not the first word that comes to mind about one of Chevy's brawniest truck concepts, but the Avalanche makes sense coming from the company that just acquired Hummer. Then again, with all the hybrids on the market trying to be too many things to too many people, it's somewhat refreshing to see one so obviously singular in purpose. John Cafaro, chief designer of Chevy trucks, likens the Avalanche to a piece of heavy-duty earthmoving machinery. True enough: It's hard to imagine anything stopping this sawed-off Suburban with a flatbed. If Ford wants to own the superhuge SUV market, then clearly GM is going after the artillery-grade hybrid category.

Beyond its get-through-anything durability, the beauty, as it were, of the Avalanche is its flexibility (it sure isn't all that "composite" body armor). While Ford and Nissan both showed SUV/pickup truck crossovers last year, and with everyone else rushing to market with one, the Avalanche's cargo-bed design offers more storage options than any other like-minded vehicle. The bed can easily go from 5 feet 3 inches to 8 feet 1 inch, thanks to Chevy's Midgate system, which has a removable rear window that stows inside the cab, making the back seat part of the bed once the seats are folded down. (Chevy claims the removable window was inspired by the '68 Corvette, but that's a stretch.) Because of the height of the space, motorcycles and ATVs fit too.

A less fortunate effect of the Midgate is the "open-air" ride whenever the bed is fully extended. That'll certainly be a tough sell in Manitoba. But the cargo bed does have a lockable and removable three-piece cover, as well as two boxes that can attach to the top of the bed for extra storage.

Chevy collaborated with mountain gear manufacturer North Face on the Avalanche's rugged interior. And Chevy even coined a new category name: UUV, or ultimate utility vehicle. That kind of modesty befits the Avalanche's over-the-top personality. I just wonder if anybody calculated buyers' reaction to a truck named after a life-threatening disaster.

A production version will hit dealerships sometime next year; expect prices to be in the $25,000 to $29,000 ballpark.

10 ACURA MD-X Last on the list is Acura's MD-X--not a ground-breaking idea, but one that takes a well-established segment to a higher level. Although this car-SUV hybrid is booked into dealerships this fall, Acura is being coy in calling it a concept. ("The MD-X signals Acura's direction for a superior multidimensional vehicle exceeding the capabilities of any SUV currently available," sidesteps the press release.) But as Honda learned with the Insight, calling the thing a concept now only means that buyers will be pleasantly surprised when the in-the-flesh production version surfaces promptly in a nearly identical form.

Designwise, the Acura isn't terribly risky: The five-passenger MD-X copies the shape and overall proportions of Lexus' top-selling RX300. But the MD-X team had the opportunity to improve a few things along the way, meaning that the Acura looks better and has more features than the Lexus. For instance, the MD-X promises class-leading power and performance, cellular Internet access, a lightweight all-aluminum engine clean enough to qualify for the government's low-emissions-vehicle status, and optional four-wheel drive. And while the bronze-colored concept vehicle's flashy brushed-aluminum interior details, tony sisal rugs, and hardwood flooring may never make it into production (a shame, really--I'd love to see a truly different SUV interior happen someday), Acura's smart enough--and hungry enough for sales--to preserve some of the more spectacular details. Even if the production version doesn't deliver on all its promises, Acura will still have improved on Lexus' design.