Chevy’s revived both the LT1 and the Stingray name for the C7 Vette. Apparently it’s got a better power/weight ratio than the Porsche 911 or Audi R8, though GM didn’t say what the car weighs. Personally, I think the C6 is gorgeous, so I’ll have to reserve judgement until I see this thing in the flesh tomorrow. Right now, I’m not so sure I’d take this one over a C6, crappy interior and all…

Among the key features:

-5 Driving modes including “Eco”

– A 7-speed manual with skip shift and active rev matching

– A digital display

-Lots more carbon fiber

An Escape-based Lincoln crossover? Sounds like it would be a total snooze, right? Could be a lot worse. The 2.0L Ecoboost is under the hood and it looks fairly production-ready.

Here’s Volkswagen’s replacement for the Routan – since that didn’t quite turn out the way VW wanted it to. This one won’t be based on the expensive Touraeg platform. It will probably be derided by the press as further evidence of VW losing its way, while selling in significant volumes. Onwards to 1 million units in 2018! I’ll get some live shots if I don’t fall asleep during the typically dry press conference.

Blame Canada! Infiniti Canada’s website blew the cover of the Infiniti Q50 before the big reveal at Detroit. Since I’ll probably be stuffing my face with free bacon when the press conference is happening, here’s a photo gallery to make up for the lack of instantaneous coverage.

As I gear up for NAIAS (read: do laundry, look for my passport), I am scanning the schedule for what press conferences are worth going to and what’s worth skipping? If you have any special requests, speak now in the comments or forever hold you peace. Personally, I’m most looking forward to seeing the new GM full-size trucks. I liked the old GMT900 pickups, but the bar has been moved forward consecutively by both Ford and Ram. The old formula of a simple, honest no-frills truck may not be enough – and that could be a disastrous miscalculation by GM, leading to a Civic/Malibu-esque need for a mid-cycle refresh.

Here’s the first picture of the 2014 Lexus IS. This example is an F-Sport model, complete with the big wheels and some more aggressive body treatments. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a little while longer to see what the regular and hybrid models look like.

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In a week’s time, we’ll have an uncovered look at Hyundai’s newest concept, the HCD-14, but the silhouette should tell you all you need to know.

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TTAC’s influence on the auto industry continues to grow. Following TTAC’s choice of the Detroit Beer Company as the location of our meet & greet during the North American International Auto Show’s press preview, the NAIAS’ own organizers, DADA, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, held a press conference this morning, upstairs at the same brew pub, announcing plans for next year’s show. Most of the announcements were fairly mundane, but buried in the news there may have been hints of a change brewing in how General Motors’ flagship brand is marketed.

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