Chris Harris at Detroit: PH Blog

Monkey reports back from Motor City on the latest from Mercedes, BMW and that Toyota

It almost doesn't matter how the Toyota FT-1 is received, or whether it forms the basis of a new Supra. What matters is that Toyota reminded us what Motor Shows used to be all about: shock factor.

M3 over M4 for Chris, don't forget the M235i too

It wasn't expected, it isn't conventionally beautiful, no one knows if it'll be built or how much it might cost. But it dragged a hell of a lot of people's eyeballs onto Toyota.

The newshounds were really swirling on this one: talks of wrangling with Lexus and even a conspiracy theory that it's simply a concept to lubricate the proposed sports cars deal between the Japanese company and BMW. Personally, I think the i8 looks better, but then I never was much of a TVR Sagaris fan...

Over at BMW the wilderness years of being embarrassed by fast cars have been forgotten. To my eyes the M3 looked cuter than the M4. The seats are very cool, as is the carbon strut brace. The M235i was lurking in the shadows - doubtless one of the performance bargains of 2014. I'll repeat my adulation of the i8's styling again.

He's also a fan of the 'Tartga'

Oh, and the baby-blue colour on the M3 is most appealing.

It shames me to admit that a Tartga [Typo or pun? We await confirmation from Mr Harris! - Ed.] might be my favourite looking 991 variant. Inspired choice to bring back the metal hoop. As for the white 918 Spyder, deary me it looked fine.

Mercedes unveiled the new C-Classwith a rather sassy looking Kelly Rowland singing that excellent tune 'Work'. German self deprecation was in good order with one engineer remarking that the song would have been more appropriate for the brand if it was called 'Work Harder'.

I like the look of the car - especially the sparse cabin. Merc is making some very grand statements about the new C killing the opposition, so it had better be good to drive.

'The Big Nasty' won't reach buyers until 2015

The GLA45 will sell like the A45 - that being faster than AMG can produce them. It's actually a nicely proportioned thing and according to AMG boss Tobias Moers, only about a second slower than the smaller hatch around a certain German race circuit.

I had a little chat with Tobias. He confirmed the next C63 is forced induction, but also mentioned eight cylinders. He also confirmed it would be two-wheel drive and have the electronic LSD seen on the SLS Black Series. Sounds like a complete weapon.

The company's flirtation with 4WD on the E-Class has been problematic - for yobbos like me anyway. Take-up has been 96 per cent in favour of all wheels being driven, so 2WD fast Es might soon be a thing of the past.

Next C63 AMG will be 2WD. Phew

The new small AMG sports car will be shown later this year. I can't wait to drive it.

Lexus made the mistake of placing a gleaming white LF-A on its stand, thereby reducing my interest in any other automobile within a 100 metre radius to zero. God I love that car. The new RC F Coupe was still under wraps. I tweeted a picture of the standard car and called it the F, thereby rendering myself a berk.

The new Ford Mustang is a clever evolution of the last version, but in a strange reversal of the usual trend actually looks better to me in pictures than in the flesh. It just isn't quite there for me. Fiesta ST sales are so strong they're upping production.

The Jaguar F-Type R Coupe is now the car of the moment, but I cannot stop looking at the new Range Rover Sport and thinking it's rather fabulous. I think I might need to sort myself out.

Pics flatter the Mustang apparently

Subaru's WRX appeared a wee bit apologetic in the face of the German firepower and a Chrysler/Jeep stand that was overflowing with crazy domestic product and a whole load of MOPAR branded tuning gear. I love this bit of Detroit - the vast duallys and SRT products.

Best unveil of the day by far was the Corvette Z06 which was ushered in with whooping and hollering and GM's second in command calling it the 'Big Nasty' as he punched the air. It was the US auto industry at its brash, rumbustious best - fittingly the car looks the business too. Talk about bolting early though: deliveries won't begin until 2015!

Chris