Lexus debuted its LF-LC concept at this year’s Detroit International Auto Show and in doing so snagged the spotlight and our attention.

We got our first look at it there and were impressed to say the least. The LF-LC concept introduces bold styling choices that force the car apart from the crowd both inside and out.

Smooth, swooping lines and rich leather mix with tastefully placed touch screens to deliver an organic feel that exudes luxury. Lexus us still mum on specific details behind the drivetrain aside from admitting that it will be a hybrid capable of offering both performance and efficiency.

Three days ago the company posted a video that gives an in-depth look at the car coming as close as possible to touching it without actually being there. While we have actually had that privilege, you probably haven’t.

Even still, there were a few facts to be gleaned from the video. For example, technical details on how the window controls work, but why not just watch the video below and see for yourself.

GALLERY: Lexus LF-LC concept

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The Lincoln MKZ concept that debuted in Detroit earlier this month gave us an olfactory tingle in more than one place after the display started inexplicably smoking in front of us much to its presenter’s chagrin. Despite all that, the MKZ wasn’t the hottest Lincoln design to make the scene.

Instead, the car that’s still capturing imaginations is the 2025 Lincoln Continental EV concept, pictured above. It’s the brainchild of two undergraduate students from Lawrence Technological University in Michigan.  Colin Bonathan and Jeeho Cha are a part of the transportation design program at Lawrence Tech and started on the project last summer. According to the school, Ford liked the concept so much that they decided to get behind it.

Beyond the fact that the student’s concept got exposure at the NAIAS, there isn’t any word on the likelihood of it passing the imaginary phase, though Bonathan did base the exterior on concrete figures like a desired wheelbase length and other components.

GALLERY: 2025 Lincoln Continental Concept

[Source: Lawrence Tech]

There`s an understanding in business that selling a lot means selling cheap. Unless you have a monopoly on the water supply, sales numbers don`t hit astronomical heights without stepping into volume pricing territory. Toyota spent the last decade worshiping that philosophy and consequently kept the Camry on top.

Given the Japanese automaker’s decade of domination, it is easy to assume that Ford will be gunning to take that position with their new Fusion sedan. After all, it’s sporting a sexy new look that’s eye-catching to say the least and before Toyota got hold of the spotlight, the Ford Taurus actually held that title between 1992 and 1996.

Despite the rivalry-ridden history, it seems Ford prefers to improve their product and walk a slightly different line by maintaining a balance that focuses a hair more on quality than volume. In fact, research by IHS Automotive suggests that the company doesn’t even have the capacity to outproduce Toyota.

It wasn’t so long ago that the Ford name brought snide remarks like “found on road dead” or “fix or repair daily” to mind. Well, we have yet to drive the 2013 Fusion, but based on what we saw at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month, it’s shaping up to be a real contender.

So much so, that Ford is actually looking at increasing their production capacity. In fact interest in the car on Edmunds.com jumped 49 percent after the reveal.

Toyota will be hot on Ford’s heels, though, having recovered from the damage their production suffered after last year’s tsunami. When all is said and done, Ford will have the capacity to build 400,000 Fusions per year and Toyota will be capable of producing 500,000 Camrys. Last year the Camry took the top spot by selling just over 308,000, where the Fusion moved just over 248,000 units. Neither company is expected to maximize their capacity in the coming year.

GALLERY: 2013 Ford Fusion

[Source: Automotive News]

It’s a look into the future says Toyota. Unveiled last week at the Detroit Auto Show, the NS4 plug-in hybrid concept was built to showcase a new plug-in hybrid model Toyota is planning that will sit separate from the Prius in its lineup. The car will get a next-generation hybrid drivetrain and also features several safety technologies that Toyota will add to its cars in the near future.

To find out more about the Toyota NS4 plug-in hybrid, watch our fist look video below.

GALLERY: Toyota NS4 Plug-in Hybrid Concept

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Tour the North American International Auto Show from the comfort of your home, office, or wherever you are with AutoGuide’s complete video coverage of the annual Detroit event. From concept cars like the new Acura NSX (above) to the Lexus LF-LC (just below), there were also plenty of interesting and exciting production models on display including the 2013 Ford Fusion, Cadillac ATS and Dodge Dart.

Watch all of AutoGuide’s 2012 Detroit Auto Show Videos below:

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Buick has achieved two straight years of growth and the brand is looking to keep up the momentum, targeting new buyers with unconventional new products. The Enclave SUV kicked-off the new Buick and it’s been a smash success, and even near the end of its product cycle continues to be the brand’s best seller. So if one crossover is a good idea, two must be better… right?

That thinking has spawned the Encore, a sub-compact crossover, that’s a step down in size from GM models like the Chevy Equinox. Rather than being based on a compact car platform like the Cruze, it’s based on the sub-compact Sonic.

For more on the Encore, watch AutoGuide’s first look video from the Detroit Auto Show below.

GALLERY: 2013 Buick Encore

If it’s  impossible, implausible or just plain awesome and you can’t have it in real life, there’s always going to be video games to let you live out the fantasy.

Amid the buzz building around the new Acura NSX, we can’t help but think to ourselves that it would be nice to just jump in and drive the thing. No waiting around, just instant gratification like a kid in Toys-R-Us. The good news is, as you get older the toys tend to get way cooler and in this case more accessible.

Polyphony Digital, the creators behind the wildly successful Gran Turismo racing game series, have released a video featuring both the old and new versions of the Acura NSX ripping around a track. In addition to teasing the distinct possibility that Playstation 3 owners may soon get to “drive” the NSX, it features some of the key details released at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, including the fact that the car is a mid-mounted V6 hybrid using three electric motors. Gamers, power up your consoles.

Watch the video on the after the jump.

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10. Chevy Tru 140S Concept

For some of the more minor auto shows, a Top 10 list of the most important cars often covers most of the new debuts, but not so at the North American International Auto Show. Held each January in Detroit it’s the obvious launch site for major products by the Big Three domestic automakers and over the years has also become the venue for important new models by the rest of the auto industry.

Domestics made their mark at this year’s Detroit show, starting with one very different concept car revealed by Chevrolet. Called the Tru 140S it may look like some outrageously fast and expensive exotic machine, but it’s neither. Based on the same front-drive platform as the Chevy Cruze, it is powered by the same 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder, which makes just 138 hp in that car. Designed, along with the Code 130R concept, as part of an initiative to attract youth buyers back to the brand, Chevy seems serious about the concept, even announcing that if it made production, the target price would be around the $20,000 mark.

Taking a page out of Ford’s playbook, Nissan appears ready to follow suit in the move from SUVs to crossovers announcing that the 2013 Pathfinder will ride on a car-based unibody platform rather than a body-on-frame truck chassis. Over a year ago, Ford made a similar switch with its new Explorer.

As a concept Nissan hasn’t released many specifics about the car but has said it will be powered by a V6 with a CVT transmission and will continue to offer seating for seven. For more on the new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder concept check out AutoGuide’s first look video from the floor of the Detroit Auto Show below.

GALLERY: 2013 Nissan Pathfinder Concept

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The compact car category continues to grow and is increasingly becoming the most important and highest volume segment in America. For years Chrysler hasn’t had a competitive offering, something it is looking to change with the all-new Dodge Dart.

Sharing its underpinnings with an Alfa Romeo it’s the direct result of the tie-up between Chrysler and Fiat, with all the benefits that can have.Included in the list of rather European specs listed for the Dart are a fully-independent rear suspension and an optional turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder mated to a dual-clutch transmission.

Unveiled this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, see AutoGuide’s first look video of the 2013 Dodge Dart below.

GALLERY: 2013 Dodge Dart

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