Detroit Motor Show 2013 highlights

Car sales are finally edging up in the UK, although many of Europe's big manufacturers are still searching for the killer product that'll elevate them above their rivals. Premium cars are still doing best of all, with the big German brands now outselling their mid-market equivalents in some territories. The American car market is a different beast altogether, slower, more conservative and rather eccentric in its predilection for big trucks and nostalgic muscle cars. On the other hand, hybrids have been taken by the US in bigger numbers than almost anywhere else, while the ultra-compact city car beloved in central Europe is still seen as a wayward aberration to be confined to the coasts.

This year's Detroit Motor Show, the traditional bellwether of the US Industry's state of mind, was rather more upbeat than in recent years. The headline car was an all-new Corvette, the C7 Stingray, a sharp-edged statement that - Chevrolet hopes - signals a switch to American supercar supremacy. Elsewhere, the focus wasn't so much on eco-flavoured minimalism, but a rather pumped up self-confidence; expensive cars are starting to look rather similar as the fashion for swirling, muscular body styles and jutting, angular grilles sweeps across the market.

See the image gallery above for our round-up of the most significant machines at the show.

BMW i3 Concept Coupé: Playing fast and loose with the word 'coupé' doesn't seem to do BMW much harm, but the third coupé model on show in Detroit couldn't be more removed from its namesakes. 2013 is the year that BMWi finally arrives, and the Concept Coupé version of the i3 city car offers the best look yet at the final product's true form

Maserati's Quattroporte: The Quattroporte has always been an outlier, a quirky choice for the aesthete who hankers after a sporting image and isn't afraid to put up with a little bit of Italian idiosyncracy. With the arrival of the last generation model, the V, back in 2004, most of those kinks were ironed out without losing the fluid lines (penned by Pininfarina) and the sonorous engine sound. The newest Quattroporte is the VI, whose styling is rather more sober, and not in a good way. Larger and plusher than ever, the Quattroporte is moving upmarket to make way for a new, smaller Maserati saloon, the Ghibli, later in the year

Maserati's Quattroporte: The Quattroporte has always been an outlier, a quirky choice for the aesthete who hankers after a sporting image and isn't afraid to put up with a little bit of Italian idiosyncracy. With the arrival of the last generation model, the V, back in 2004, most of those kinks were ironed out without losing the fluid lines (penned by Pininfarina) and the sonorous engine sound. The newest Quattroporte is the VI, whose styling is rather more sober, and not in a good way. Larger and plusher than ever, the Quattroporte is moving upmarket to make way for a new, smaller Maserati saloon, the Ghibli, later in the year

Mercedes E-Class facelift: Most cars get a discrete mid-life nip and tuck or two before their replacement model comes along, out-patient surgery that's often hard to spot. Mercedes has always done things rather differently, preferring to exercise serious mid-life face-lifts on its model line. The new E-Class is no different, having been comprehensively overhauled with a new face and bodywork, upgraded interior, electronics and engines

Mercedes E-Class facelift: Most cars get a discrete mid-life nip and tuck or two before their replacement model comes along, out-patient surgery that's often hard to spot. Mercedes has always done things rather differently, preferring to exercise serious mid-life face-lifts on its model line. The new E-Class is no different, having been comprehensively overhauled with a new face and bodywork, upgraded interior, electronics and engines

Acura NSX Concept: Acura (Honda to the rest of the world) has been touting the idea of a new NSX for years now. The original was a true classic, last made in 2005. This new concept, badged as an Acura, is updated from its first outing in early 2012, with a complete - and rather seductive-looking - interior and the promise of a sophisticated hybrid system to give it a sporting edge

VW Beetle Cabriolet: Volkswagen has all but admitted that the revival of the Beetle, now in its second iteration, is little more than a bit of fashion-driven fun. Smart buyers should choose a Golf, but if you want a car with a sense of history and humour, the Beetle is more than a match for the Mini

Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible: Like Aston Martin, Bentley is adept at cutting and dicing a straightforward-looking product range into any number of subtle variations. The Speed Convertible proclaims itself the world's fastest four-seater drop top - 205mph, no less - and the fixtures and finishes are as always a cut above the rest

Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible: Like Aston Martin, Bentley is adept at cutting and dicing a straightforward-looking product range into any number of subtle variations. The Speed Convertible proclaims itself the world's fastest four-seater drop top - 205mph, no less - and the fixtures and finishes are as always a cut above the rest

Lexus IS F Sport: Lexus has mastered the art of making discrete but hi-tech saloons and SUVs - and has even turned its hand to a quirky supercar, the LF-A. The new IS F looks set to up its standing amongst aficionados of sporting saloons, furthering the brand's aggressive new design language