Day one highlights — Detroit 2013

Chevrolet revived the storied Stingray name for the seventh generation of its iconic Corvette. The 2014 Corvette Stingray is lighter, stiffer and more powerful than the outgoing model. Despite the legendary name, which was last used in 1976, the C7 Corvette does not possess a retro look. Instead, General Motors' designers say the new version was inspired by the aerodynamic and purposeful look of fighter jets and stingray fish.

More photos and details about the new Corvette Stingray

Watch Video:  Corvette Stingray debuts

The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee gets fresh styling and adds a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 that will deliver 240 horsepower, 420 lb-ft of torque, 30 mpg on the highway, and has 7,200 pounds of towing capacity. Gasoline models will also benefit from an 8-speed automatic transmission that will improve fuel economy by 2 mpg with the V6 and 1 mpg with the V8. A number of interior updates and the addition of a top-line Summit Edition were also announced here in Detroit. Updated versions of the high-performance Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Compass were also on hand at the Jeep display.

More photos and details about the new Jeeps

Here in the Motor City Lincoln showed the all-new MKC concept, which previews a forthcoming compact SUV based on the Ford Escape. The MKC may have Ford roots, but you would never know it based on its appearance. The luxury crossover features an attractive design that is both bold and elegant, with a tasteful interpretation of the brand's split-wing grille. A panoramic sunroof provides an open, airy feel.

To make way for new vehicles and simplify the brand's confusing naming convention, Infiniti will now use Q for cars and QX for crossovers, plus double digits in increments of 10 to denote hierarchy based on vehicle price points.The first car to fit into this new naming structure is the Q50 luxury sedan. The new Q50 features a design with curves and creases that look like waves in water. Details like the shape of the front grille and the kink in the rear roof pillar will be signature cues for the brand going forward.

More photos and details about the new Infiniti Q50

The new Mercedes-Benz models unveiled in Detroit make it clear the German brand is bent on maintaining momentum by improving one of its mainstays, the midsize E-Class sedan and wagon. Changes to the front and rear styling spice up this conservative car. Two distinct trims are now available: hood-ornamented, old-school Luxury; and sexy, in-your-face Sport. Full LED headlights are optional for the first time. Inside, the dashboard is spiffed up with higher-quality materials and a fancy analog clock. Seats and center console have also been redesigned. Making an even bigger splash was the outrageous E63 AMG, boasting as much as 577 horsepower and 4Matic all-wheel drive.

More photos and details about the new Mercedes E-Class

Firmly entrenched in both the American hot hatch and midsize sedan markets, Volkswagen is aiming for a bigger share of an ever-popular SUV segment in the U.S. while capitalizing on the Passat's recent sales success. The German automaker's presentation in Detroit exhibited a focus on SUVs of all stripes, from the punched-up Tiguan and Touareg R-Line editions to the sheer people-moving ability of its new six-seater CrossBlue SUV concept. On top of those, though, VW is teasing the U.S. with a hotter Passat Performance Concept, which features a smaller (yes, smaller) but allegedly punchier turbocharged inline-4 engine.

More photos and details about Volkswagen

BMW premiered a preview of the 3-Series coupe's replacement, but the long, low and wide proportions and the sleek styling details make this 2-door different enough from the 3-Series sedan that BMW decided to change its name to the 4-Series. The visual differentiation between the 3 and new 4 is most striking from the rear, where bulging fenders, a sloping back window and slim, L-shaped taillights create a totally unique look. The bumpers have also been changed from those of the sedan.

More photos and details about the BMW 4-Series

Audi pulled the wraps off two high-performance versions of existing vehicles — an RS 7 (complete with twin turbochargers and a frankly ridiculous 560 horsepower), and a sports-oriented Q5 (dubbed the SQ5) that uses the family's supercharged V6 to find some 354 horsepower. There were a couple other attendees worth mentioning briefly, too: the reworked 2014 R8 and the chopped-top RS 5 Cabriolet.

The folks at Bentley insist there's nothing like the wind in your hair at 200 miles per hour. (If you're wearing a toupee it's even more exciting.) Aside from sticking your head out the window of a top-fuel funny car, there aren't many ways to acheive this velocity on firm ground. Bentley has one solution. Introduced at the Detroit show is the all-new Continental GTC Speed, which sports a monster twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder engine that puts out 616 horsepower and sends this sexy beast from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 202 mph.

More photos and details about the new Bentley Continental GTC Speed

MINI has been propagating pint-sized cars like rabbits. The company has spun off at least four new models in the last two years and doesn't appear to be slowing down. The latest bodystyle to come out is the new Paceman, which is basically a 2-door version of the Countryman crossover. Now MINI has added a performance version of the Paceman, the John Cooper Works Paceman. It has the same recipe for speed as the six other John Cooper Works MINIs: a more powerful engine, a lowered suspension and aerodynamic add-ons. The soul of the John Cooper Works Paceman is a 208-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, which enables a zero-to-60 sprint in 6.5 seconds.

More photos and details MINI Paceman JCW

Honda brought something a little different to the 2013 North American International Auto Show — a sporty midsize Urban SUV Concept with designs on competing with the quirky Nissan JUKE. With a long history of success with small cars, Honda is hoping its reputation will find the Urban SUV Concept an audience — even with no announced specs, Honda is planning to have the concept hit showroom floors in Japan before 2013 ends with an American launch in 2014.

More photos and details about the Honda Urban SUV Concept

Toyota provided a glimpse of what the next Corolla may look like in the shape of the Toyota Corolla Furia concept. This car is a heck of a lot more stylish than the existing Corolla. The wheelbase has been stretched and the front and rear overhangs tucked in for a more athletic stance, with the large wheels pushed to the corners. The overall proportions of the car are also more dramatic, thanks in part to a steeply raked windshield and a shorter hood and trunk. The headlights and taillights with LEDs lend a high-tech look.

When Hyundai introduced the Genesis sedan for the 2009 model year, it signaled an upmarket move for the brand. Hyundai's follow up was the even more luxurious and expensive Equus sedan. Now the South Korean automaker is planning to bring its new Fluidic Sculpture style to its premium cars in the form of the HCD-14. Unveiled in Detroit as a spiritual guide for the future of Hyundai's premium cars, the HCD-14 concept's exterior skin is certainly striking, but it's far from being production-ready. The luxurious cabin features laminated and milled wood that flows into the center console. Three screens keep both the driver and passenger well-informed (each has a screen, plus one in the instrument panel).

More details and stories about the Hyundai HCD-14

Maserati has big plans. The Italian automaker wants to go from selling around 5,000 cars a year to 50,000 by 2015. To help reach this goal, the company is introducing a completely redesigned Quattroporte flagship sedan. The updated sedan is larger with considerably more interior and trunk space, but it weighs nearly 220 pounds less than before, thanks to extensive use of aluminum in the chassis and body. The car retains key design elements such as the prominent front grille, three small side vents in the front fenders, and triangular rear roof pillar. The Quattroporte's V8 has been downsized in terms of displacement, but twin turbochargers boost output to 523 horsepower.

More photos and details on of the Maserati Quattroporte

Via Motors hasn't delivered a vehicle to a customer yet — those are scheduled to commence this year — but it has a couple big things going for it: a new electric hybrid powertrain designed to generate massive amounts of torque while giving large trucks and SUVs unheard-of fuel economy, and auto industry legend Bob Lutz on its board of directors. The company debuted what it believes are three models that will give American consumers a real option when it comes to getting the most mileage from their large utility vehicles. This includes the XTRUX, an 800 horsepower, 4-wheel-drive, high-performance pickup truck with up to 100-mpg fuel economy,