Upbeat Again, but Not Overconfident The Detroit auto show delivered treats for a diversity of customers, including the Toyota FT-1 sports car design study. Larry W. Smith/European Pressphoto Agency DETROIT - Twenty-five years ago, the Detroit Lions" biblical trials of football futility coincided with a familiar economic slump - the kind that often seemed to save its worst for Detroit. Auto sales in 1989 were plummeting after an extended boom, helping to push the country toward recession. But the Lions hit upon a catchy comeback slogan: Restore the Roar. Defying logic and history, the team indeed turned things around, winning their division in 1991 and their first-ever playoff game under the three-decade ownership of William Clay Ford. A new slogan - Restored - was bestowed upon the Lions, which took on special bathos with their inevitable collapse the next season. At this year's North American International Auto Show, Restored might well blaze from banners in Cobo Center, a chest-puffing pep talk for Detroit's automakers, rebounding from recession or bankruptcy quicker than most anyone dared to dream, luring new fans and drafting stars for their lineups. But in this city, the question always flutters in the air: Are General Motors, Ford and Chrysler truly, enduringly restored? Or will an ingrained losing behavior - hubris, mismanagement, more nimble competitors - drag the hometown team back to the cellar, the bust that has historically followed every boom? The answer is an emphatic "no," said Mark Reuss, G.M."s head of global product development. "Things are fundamentally different," Mr. Reuss said, flanked by one of his babies that colorfully (specifically, yellow) amplified his point: the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, the roughly 625-horsepower offshoot of the standard Stingray, with the latter named 2014 North American Car of the Year at the show. The Chevy Silverado was honored as Truck/Utility of the year, giving G.M. a sweep of prestigious awards chosen by a panel of auto journalists. And even as the industry roared back to post 15.6 million sales in 2013, the leaner, meaner G.M. could break even financially with industry sales as low as 10.5 or 11 million, Mr. Reuss said. "Our footprint is very responsible now," Mr. Reuss said. We're running factories at about 105 percent capacity on two shifts, we're also selling about 50 percent cars, 50 percent trucks. If we have a downturn again, we're in a very different place. While Detroit has steadily diversified its product portfolio, a traditional truck, the 2015 Ford F-150, dominated this show the way that Ford has dominated pickup sales for 37 straight years. And the F-150"s calling card, a weight-slashing aluminum body that may represent a revolution in affordable vehicles, led the show's big trend: the breathtaking transfer of technology, in materials, alternative fuels, safety and digital gadgets, to mainstream models. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which will most likely start around $36,000, is replete with features from the $100,000 S-Class flagship, including air suspension, pedestrian-spotting collision prevention system and semiautonomous driving functions. The Chrysler 200, a thoroughly reimagined version of a formerly forgettable car, offers a 9-speed automatic transmission in a car that starts at $22,695. That's more gears than you'll find in a $250,000 Bentley. The Audi Allroad Shooting Brake plug-in hybrid spotlights technology that will quickly make its way to production: A new form of Audi's quattro all-wheel drive uses an electric motor to power the rear wheels and a gas engine to drive the front wheels. Car fans trekking to Motown to see it all for themselves can attend the show through Jan 26, where they will see showroom models and forward-looking concepts, including these: ACURA TLX Acura's TLX concept aims to inject some adrenaline into the brand's unremarkable sedan lineup. Replacing today's TSX and V6-only TL, a production TLX will go on sale in the second half of 2014, offering a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder or an optional 3.5-liter V6 backed by a 9-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. AUDI ALLROAD SHOOTING BRAKE Yet another effortlessly stylish Audi, the Shooting Brake design study - a finely proportioned two-door wagon - spotlights design cues that will turn up on the next-generation TT sports car. The Shooting Brake carries Audi's newest technology, including a "virtual cockpit" that replaces traditional gauges with a graphics-driven screen. BMW 2 SERIES Replacing the stubbier 1 Series, the 2 Series coupe will be the least painful entry point to BMW's car lineup: $33,025 for the 4-cylinder 240-horse 228i. Choosing the M235i, with roughly 315-horsepower, yields 0-to-60 m.p.h. excursions in well under five seconds, at $44,025 to start. A wider, longer body translates into more rear-seat and cargo space. Sales begin in the spring. BMW M3 AND M4 Say goodbye to the current M3"s fever-pitch V8 and hello to a twin-turbo 3-liter in-line 6-cylinder with 431 horsepower (preliminary rating) in the M3 sedan and newly named M4 coupe. With cars like the Cadillac ATS breathing down its neck, the new M models look to reaffirm BMW's Ultimate Driving Machine credential. The cars arrive in June, with the M3 at $62,925 and the M4 at $65,125. CADILLAC ATS COUPE Looking demure compared with the sci-fi angles of the CTS coupe, the smaller ATS goes on sale this summer. The two-door adopts the ATS sedan's 272-horse 2-liter turbo 4 and optional 321-horse V6. A 6-speed manual is offered only with the 4; a 6-speed automatic is available with either engine. CHRYSLER 200 Today's 200, kept on life support while Chrysler struggled through bankruptcy, is mercifully laid to rest. In its place comes a sleekly modern 200, based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The 200 rolls out of a suburban Detroit factory this spring, at $22,695 to start with a 184-horsepower 2.4-liter 4. The 200 C model gets the 295-horsepower Pentastar V6. CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 The Stingray is not fast enough for you? Strap on the Z06 and prepare for launch, thanks to roughly 625 horsepower from Chevy's new supercharged 6.2-liter V8. Dressed-for-battle body contours generate prodigious aerodynamic downforce to pin the Z06 to the pavement. The 7-speed manual transmission gets a useful rev-matching feature, and the Z06 will introduce, finally, G.M."s 8-speed automatic. FORD F-150 This Ford's burly pickup visage may look familiar, but it masks a groundbreaking structure: The body is aluminum, a lightweight material once reserved for exotic luxury and sports cars. Up to 700 pounds lighter than its predecessor, the 2015 F-150 may brush 30 highway m.p.g. with a new 2.7-liter EcoBoost turbo V6. Buyers also get the choice of a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6, a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 or a 5-liter V8. GMC CANYON With truck-stop styling and a smaller, more economical footprint than G.M."s full-size pickups, the midsize Canyon hits showrooms this fall. Buyers can choose a 193-horsepower 4 or a 306-horse V6, with a diesel coming for 2016. HONDA FIT Already magically roomy inside, the latest Fit subcompact hatch adds five inches of rear legroom. On sale this spring, the made-in-Mexico Fit gets a bump to 130 horses with a new 1.5-liter 4. HYUNDAI GENESIS Combining gadgetry with a grab bag of design cues and a smart new cabin, the redesigned Genesis, available this spring, will still undercut big-name luxury sedans, most likely starting around $37,000 with a 3.8-liter V6. There's also a 429-horse V8 and a new all-wheel-drive system. KIA GT4 STINGER Kia could fill a hole in its line by bringing this Lotus-like sport coupe concept to market - and possibly blow away competitors like the Scion FR-S with a 315-horsepower turbo 4. The GT4 Stinger's old-school approach includes minimalist styling and no audio system. LEXUS RC F The RC F confirms that Lexus is continuing to rejuvenate its conservative designs and take a few risks. The sinuous sport coupe with a monstrous chain-mail maw goes on sale late this year, along with a less powerful RC 350. Both are offshoots of the IS sedan. The RC F will move, swiftly, with a 450 horsepower V8. MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS With the smaller CLA serving budget-constrained customers, the C-Class moves up to midsize proportions, yet an infusion of aluminum reduces weight by up to 220 pounds. Laden with technology from pricier Benz models, the C300 will cruise with a 208-horse turbo 4 or fly with the C400"s 329-horse turbo V6. Both models arrive in September. MERCEDES-BENZ GLA45 AMG One of several vehicles here that defied classification as a crossover, hatchback or wagon, the all-wheel-drive GLA45 will be the angry young man of the once-staid Mercedes lineup. The GLA's 355-horsepower 2-liter turbo was first seen in the CLA45 sedan. MINI COOPER JOHN COOPER WORKS With stainless-steel mimicking paint that made it look like, well, a Mini fridge, the spicy JCW Concept - based on the all-new 2015 Mini - will inspire a production model later this year. NISSAN SPORT SEDAN CONCEPT By next year, Nissan will pour much of this concept's styling into a new large sedan that may or may not be called Maxima. The concept's potentially polarizing design - a so-called floating roof, daring shapes and a sweeping fastback profile - offer hope for a more distinctive Nissan. PORSCHE 911 TARGA If Rube Goldberg struck it rich, he would drive this Porsche, whose wildly complex, bubble-glassed Targa convertible roof was the talk of the show. In a nod to Targa models of old, the Porsche flaunts a hooplike roof bar executed in brushed aluminum. It arrives in June, itching for open-air pleasure. SUBARU WRX STI The high-grade version of Subaru's trusty WRX, all grown up now, punches out 305 horsepower from a turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer 4. Hatchback fans are out of luck, with the rally-replica Subie offered only as a sedan. TOYOTA FT-1 Toyota rolled out one wild-looking speed machine in the FT-1, which stands for Future Toyota. An adolescent's rippling dream, with gills and bulges, spoilers and splitters, the FT-1 concept - if that dream came true - might spawn a modern take on the dearly missed Supra. VW PASSAT BLUEMOTION VW already sells a fuel-sipping Passat diesel, but the BlueMotion could challenge its mileage with a 150-horse 1.4-liter turbo 4 that cuts back to two cylinders at cruising speeds. VW pegs highway economy at 43 m.p.g. in a car that could reach production. VW GOLF R Volkswagen's on-again, off-again Golf R is back for its most blazing run yet: 290 horsepower from a 2-liter turbo 4 distributed by all-wheel drive. This may be the market's ultimate hot hatch. VOLVO CONCEPT XC COUPÉ Volvo's Chinese owner, Geely, might be taking notes on Volvo's sophisticated styling ideas - or Xeroxing them in full. The shapely XC will guide the design of future Volvos, including the XC90 crossover coming to showrooms this year.