Sizing up the beauty queens, class clowns of Detroit

Think about it: An auto show is kinda like high school. You saunter down the hall and check out the new cars — sizing up the jocks and the losernerds, the clean-cuts and the class clowns, the beauty queens and the most likely to succeed. Staff Reporter Ryan Beene, a popular dude back in the day, was our social arbiter at the Detroit auto show.

Ford GT: If one car can steal a show, the Ford GT should be charged with armed robbery. The impossibly cool midengine supercar retains the original GT's iconic proportions but its carbon fiber construction, teardrop-shaped passenger capsule and down-force-inducing bodywork plants it firmly in the digital age. Ford nailed this one, and walked away with a sizable share of Acura's lunch money.

Acura NSX: That's not to say the Acura didn't put up a fight. The NSX was a standout in its own right. Acura designers managed to make the production car look wilder and more aggressive -- and possibly better -- than the NSX concept shown three years ago. Couple that with more than 550 hp from a custom twin-turbo V-6 mated to Acura's Sport Hybrid system and all-wheel drive, and the NSX is a winner, a worthy heir to the nameplate.

Bolt concept: With hints of a 2017 launch, General Motors signaled that it's dead serious about making electric vehicles for the masses. A 200-mile range and low-$30,000 sticker after tax credits would position it for many as a viable EV for everyday use. Moreover, the design shows a level of small-car sophistication rarely seen from the General with an airy, open interior from the reverse pitched C-pillars and a wraparound backlight. 

Buick Avenir concept: Buick must -- I repeat, MUST -- build this. It just has to. A production flagship that has even some of the Avenir's presence and panache would pay big dividends in the long run. The long hood, cab-rearward proportions wrapped in elegant sheet metal with just enough bling would draw crowds at a suburban country club, or the carport of a Beijing skyscraper. Maybe it will: "Avenir" is the French word for "future," and "A venir" means "coming soon." 

Hyundai Santa Cruz concept: A collective groan met the rumors of a Hyundai "lifestyle pickup" ahead of Hyundai's press conference, but the Santa Cruz concept shut up this doubter. The compact pickup concept rides on huge wheels, seats five behind suicide doors and has an extendable bed that, when fully deployed, is as big as a Toyota Tacoma's, Hyundai says. In a truck-crazed market, who says there's no room for something different?

Nissan Titan: A few show-goers observed that the redesigned truck looked too similar to the Ford F-150. This misses the point. The real story is the V-8 Cummins turbodiesel engine in the Titan XD, a heavy-duty engine in a light-duty truck that was added to the Titan lineup. It's unlikely that the Titan will ever get close to the three-headed monster of Detroit's trucks in sales, but for a middling player in the truck market, Nissan made a savvy tactical decision.

Volkswagen Cross Coupe GTE concept: This concept is a promising preview of the U.S.-built midsize crossover coming in early 2017. The muscular proportions, wide stance and the short front and rear overhangs give it a presence and that sense of off-road capability that U.S. buyers desire. The interior is clean, modern and sophisticated. Here's hoping the overall feeling the concept conveys makes it to production, even if it's about five years too late.

Audi Q7: Audi's interior building prowess is on full display, with all the elegance, sophistication and high-tech touches we've come to expect. The sheet metal is a different story. The beauty of Audi's current crop of designs is in their simplicity, with a character line here or a crease there to connect gorgeous detail work. The Q7, on the other hand, is busy, with five character lines and subtle folds on the side sheet metal, four hood creases and, count 'em, three creases around the wheel arches.

Chevrolet Volt: The top-to-bottom redesign of the groundbreaking plug-in hybrid was significant for a few reasons. First, the all-electric cruising range increased to 50 miles from 38 on a full charge. Second, it can now carry five passengers and it does so in decidedly mainstream sheet metal, not some wonky look that says "I'm green." It's another sign that GM is trying to make alternative powertrains an acceptable option to more buyers.

Toyota Tacoma: Toyota's refrain that exciting design is now a major priority stands at odds with the highly evolutionary redesign of the Tacoma pickup. Aside from the new grille, little else about the Tacoma has changed from the outgoing version. This could mean trouble, because with GM now fielding serious compact pickup players in the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, Toyota's dominance in the segment is no longer assured.

Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe: Maybe it's just me, but the whole SUV-dressed-as-a-coupe movement simply doesn't work. The same goes for the BMW X6, the rival in the GLE Coupe's cross hairs. The silhouette is pleasing enough, but people much taller than 6 feet will quickly become acquainted with the GLE's headliner -- that is, after their circus act of contortions to get in the back seats without banging their head on the sloping roof.

Lincoln MKX: This was a missed opportunity. For a brand seeking to regain luxury credibility and a safe distance from Ford, Lincoln needed to make a big design statement with the second edition of its midsize crossover. Instead, it made a big MKC. This inclination is understandable, given the success of the compact MKC, but there's nothing about the MKX that says "I'm special." The interior is nice enough, but cost cuts can be seen, especially in its downmarket headliner.

Infiniti Q60 concept: The sheet metal is well-composed, but we've seen many of the Q60's elements before on cars both luxurious and mainstream. The concept is supposed to herald the next design step for the brand as it fights for a higher profile. Here's hoping the production execution is a little more evocative.