A stunning new Ford GT, a stylish Honda NSX and Jaguar and Bentley's SUV names revealed… the Detroit motor show had it all. But of all the cars on display, some stood out more than others for the Autocar team…
Ford GT - Mark Tisshaw
Wow. Just wow. What with most cars being revealed well in advance of the show, and those that aren’t leaking out online, it’s rare these days for a genuine surprise at a motor show. The Ford GT was a surprise, though. It looks incredible, has the tech to match a Ferrari and, crucially, heralds a whole new era of performance Fords, rather than being just a one-off.
Jaguar F-Pace - Steve Cropley
My Detroit star is Jag's sports crossover, the F-Pace, newly confirmed for production but not actually present at the show. They're too busy productionising it to bother showing the C-X17 concept that spawned it. But it's likely to become the biggest-selling Jaguar yet, mainly due to US demand. In Detroit, that mattered.
Chevrolet Volt - Jim Holder
Fewer battery cells, greater range: technology has triumphed again, and the reasons to oppose electrification are being swept away before our eyes.
Honda NSX - Andrew Frankel
With the showing of the final production version, Honda appears to have delivered fully on the promise of the NSX concept. The production car is even better looking than previous concepts and is full of relevant yet revolutionary technology. Twenty-five years after the previous NSX was born, Honda could be about to move the supercar boundaries all over again.
Infiniti Q60 - Stan Papior
Is this Infiniti's best-looking car yet? I'd say so. It's good enough to offer real temptation to those bored with the predictability of a BMW 4-series or Audi A5. Let's just hope that it comes to the UK and is unlike other Infinitis in being as good to drive as it is to look at.
Shelby-Mustang GT350R - Darren Moss
It's the ultimate version of my favourite muscle car. I can't wait to see how a 493bhp Mustang performs on the road, but if the sound from its exhausts as it was driven on to the Detroit stage was anything to go by, the answer should be 'pretty sensational'.
Hyundai Santa Cruz - Matt Burt
Setting aside all the guff about the 'urban adventurers' whom Hyundai reckons would buy this car should it make production, I find the idea of the conceptual crossover truck appealing. There's more than a hint of Aussie ute about it, and it's certainly more interesting than conventional slab-sided US trucks. It's precisely the kind of edgy vehicle the ambitious Korean company should be thinking about building.
Volvo S60 Cross Country - Nigel Donnelly
Choosing a humdrum Volvo saloon may seem a little limp, but in a market where the faint whiff of SUV starts a stampede, I reckon this could start a trend. Rugged-looking executive saloons could be a niche too far, but this is the best-looking S60 in the range and I reckon it may just work.
Chevrolet Bolt - Tom Webster
