In but a few scant days, one of the world’s largest auto show and “the” auto show in North America goes live.

In but a few scant days, one of the world’s largest auto show and “the” auto show in North America goes live.

The Detroit Auto Show, or formally the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), opens to the press on Sunday, January 7th before swinging its doors at the Cobo Center wide open to the public on Saturday, January 13th. The world’s largest automakers have been furiously preparing to impress both crowds in the hopes the former will be suitably impressed when they write their reviews; the latter to sign their 5-10 year loans.

At a staggering $200 million, the automakers, from General Motors to Toyota to DaimlerChrysler, are pulling no punches in their bid to outdo each other in scale, flash, or technology. LCD nearly stretch from floor to ceiling on the 25 foot walls. A skating rink gets prepped by DaimlerChrysler. Paint and sawdust irrigate the air with their irritating aromas. According to BusinessWeek over 6,000 journalists alone will attend Preview night to gaze at the 50 plus new concepts or models that last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show barely touched.

We have to admit that, as jaded as we are as auto journalist, we still get that shiver when the Detroit Show approaches. Check back daily as we report on the latest debuts and show-stoppers in this “grand-daddy” of the car shows.