More than 750 cars and 800000 visitors: Detroit auto show ready to launch amid ... - MLive.com

DETROIT, MI – The woes of local and state economies aside, it was just four years ago that one of MLive Media Group's newspapers noted, as the 2011 Detroit auto show neared, that despite recent challenges, it appeared the auto industry was on a desperately needed rebound.

Sales of vehicles in the U.S. had just climbed for the first time since the recession, reaching 11.6 million units in 2010.

Now, as Detroit's Cobo Center readies for the 2015 North American International Auto Show Jan. 12-25, auto sales have topped 16.5 million - their highest rate since 2006 - and however finite good economic news may be, the tone for one of the world's largest auto shows is markedly different this time around.

"Consumer confidence is high, production numbers and automotive sales continue to climb, and the global industry is stronger than it's been in years. And our manufacturer partners have committed to bring their most important, global vehicle reveals to Detroit," Scott LaRiche, chairman of NAIAS 2015, said in a release for the show.

The confidence of the industry will carry through to what is arguably Detroit's premiere event next week.

Here are some of the highlights to expect:

• There will be more than 40 global and North American product launches. Chevrolet will debut its next generation Volt, Acura will unveil a long-anticipated next-gen NSX supercar and Toyota will pull the cloak on a retooled Tacoma midsize pickup, to name just a few. We'll be covering them all on Jan. 12 and 13.
• On Saturday, Jan. 10, MGM Grand plays host to "The Gallery," an event featuring more than $6 million worth of exotic luxury vehicles. MLive will be there, and we'll have our own gallery of photos to share with readers after the event.
• For the first time ever, a "Technology Showcase" segment of the auto show's press and industry preview days will explore the integration of high-tech advances in automobiles. 
• The Charity Preview on Friday, Jan. 16, is expected to raise more than $5 million for children's charities. The event has raised nearly $100 million since its founding by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association in 1976. 
• The $300 million Cobo Center renovation is nearing its completion, including a three-floor, glass-enclosed riverfront Atrium and Grand Riverview Ballroom. A new digital screen outside at the corner of Washington and Congress will welcome the hundreds of thousands of gusts to the facility. 
• More than 800,000 visitors from the U.S. and Canada are expected to attend the public days, running Jan. 17-25.
• More than 750 vehicles will be on display.

"The Detroit show is a reflection of the health and excitement of the global industry," LaRiche said. "It's all part of a positive new energy and exciting new vibe that's prevalent in the city and in our industry. We feel it every day." 

David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter

Source : http://www.mlive.com/auto/index.ssf/2015/01/more_than_750_cars_and_800000.html