2002 Detroit Auto Show.(Brief Article)

Lincoln Continental concept

The public got its first look at Lincoln's Continental concept at the Los Angeles show, but the concept was virtually hidden at Detroit, tucked in a corner behind the Mercury stand far away from the press conference circus. This one had an almost phosphorescent light blue paint job, compared to the all-black version we saw at a private reveal in Pebble Beach. It still sports the center-opening doors and massive slab sides like the '61 it so closely resembles. Hints of the awful Lincoln Sentinel concept from 1996 show up in the Continental's lines, but overall this one is much cleaner. However, it's all for naught. Continental was killed on Black Friday as Ford announced a major overhaul of the company.

Bentley Arnage T

The Arnage has been treated to a complete re-engineering, and the T is the first of these ``Series Two'' Arnages. It's also the most powerful Bentley road car ever, with a redesigned 6.75-liter V8 featuring twin turbochargers that makes 450 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque. It'll do 168 mph (limited) and hauls its 5700-pound mass to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, says Bentley. Other revisions include new bumpers and sills, new sport seats and ESP. Moreover, the Arnage T will wear the black label badge, the only appropriately understated way to show that your Bentley is more Bentley than others.

Maserati Coupe

Soon it won't be just the Europeans having all the fun. Making its world debut in Detroit, Maserati rolled out its sexy new Coupe, complete with its American-ready 4.2-liter V8 with 390 screaming cavallos. For the past few years the coupe has been available across the pond, with Maser's 3.2-liter engine and slightly different body styling. The new coupe, penned by Italdesign, has a more pronounced hood and revised taillights with transparent lenses. Only a total of 1400 Coupe and its sister Spyder cars will make it Stateside per year, so get in line now.

Isuzu Axiom XSR sport roadster concept