Welcome from the North American International Auto Show! Detroit Metro Mashup’s preview photos are being processed and uploaded as I type this blog! I’ll add in the URL to our massive photographic and video coverage when it becomes available, later in this post.

We started the week on Monday, when most of the manufacturers were still in mid-setup at the Cobo Hall Convention Center in Detroit. Setup is an impressive operation, because most of the displays are conceived in complex and beautiful tech-architectural styles that have important structural and display requirements. Detroit’s incomparable union workers do a great job working out the details of these setups and getting them assembled.

This year we have a bit of a focus on Italian manufacturers due to FCA’s (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) release of Alfa Romeo models into the American marketplace, including the Alfa 4C and the Alfa 4C Spider. We have a lot of good photos of Alfas, Fiats, Maseratis, etc. However, we gave every automotive company a fair shake while they are giving the public some amazing cars for this year and beyond.

Even with the drop in gas prices, electric vehicles and fuel cell autos dominated large areas of the floor; thinking about operating a car on hydrogen likewise dominated a lot of this writer’s imagination! It’s been talked about for years and now it seems to be happening. Apparently a lot of the technical hurdles have been overcome, because “apparently functional” fuel cell cars were in attendance along with some awesome cutaways.

We are in a major transitional stage of auto design, materials, and manufacturing. With new Federal CAFE fuel standards looming on the horizon and global warming due to carbon dioxide emissions asserting itself ever more conclusively (2014 was the warmest worldwide in recorded history), manufacturers are rapidly assessing new materials, new power trains, and all types of alternative fuels to meet the needs of the very near future. But…POWER LOVERS NEVER FEAR! There were boatloads of high performance, gasoline powered automobiles at this auto show. If you have a craving for horsepower, you could satisfy it at almost any manufacturer’s display area.

In closing, Detroit’s North American International Auto Show is the pièce de résistance of all auto shows. It has the highest tech and the most muscle of anything anywhere. When you combine that with the amazing design work that is coming out of SE Michigan and finding its way into these cars, this show is something you should not miss. Get down to Detroit from January 17 through 25, 2015, and enjoy this experience. If you’re not convinced, go check out our photos from the media preview week at http://detroitmm.com/events/2015/01-North-American-International-Auto-Show/.