Motor City abuzz at Auto Show preview

DETROIT (WOOD) - You want flash at the North American International Auto Show ? Look no further than the Corvette.

The redesigned Corvette continues to be a dream machine for auto enthusiasts. From the Corvette and the Mercedes E Class on the high end to the more basic rides, there is a lot to choose from at this year's show in downtown Detroit which opens to the public this Saturday.

"There's a car for every person, every pocket," said IHS Automotive analyst Mike Wall. "That's the old cliché saying, but it really is."

Wall, who studies the automotive industry, has a few favorites at the show.

" Nissan's doing a phenomenal job with some of the new products they've been rolling out. So there's a whole host of new offerings that they're going to be unveiling," he told 24 Hour News 8 on Monday during the press preview.

"If you go down the Toyota floor they're going to have what's called the Furia Concept, where you're going to see some cues on the next generation Corolla, which launches later this year. So you talk about a kind of a mainstream vehicle, bread and butter vehicle, that's definitely one."

Chevrolet's introduced a new, full size pick up and Ford appears to be getting back into the minivan business.

"They're going to have a Transit Connect, which is a van offering, but a compact van offering, so you've got that coming out," Wall said.

It's not just the new models creating a buzz in the Motor City this year, it's the atmosphere.

"You look around the show, it's a different vibe. This is just indicative over the recovery that the industry's in right now."

For cars, 2012 was a strong sales year and Wall said 2013 will see another strong year.

"Not  necessarily the same growth rate, but very high volumes. We're looking at US sales of roughly 15 million units this year, over 14 and a half million last year."