Convertible Lexus and Toyota Supra lead Detroit motor show stars

It’s still at concept stage, and there are no details and when and how much, but from the look of the car it’s not far off the showrooms. The LC coupe’s strong design character and intriguing details translate into a very sharp looking and cohesive convertible shape, as though it was designed to be topless from the start (which it undoubtedly was).

What sort of top will it have? The vogue is very much for lightweight fabric electric tops, but Lexus has history with retractable hard tops (remember the SC of the early 2000s?) and a “retractable top housed under the rear deck lid” is how Lexus describes the roofing arrangements of its latest convertible.

We will discover the truth in due course… and also what engine, V8 or hybrid, the convertible will use. From a video of the concept car in action we’d definitely say V8.

Lexus has always been very ambitious with the LC, with good reason, and the company will be keen to see the convertible version extend its reach further into exalted sporting territory. Lexus sees the LC convertible as a halo vehicle for the entire Lexus brand and pricing is likely to reflect that, coming in above the current £76-92,000 range of the coupe. Like the new Porsche 911 Cabriolet revealed earlier this week and which Lexus will have in its sights, the LC drop-top is a 2+2 with practical boot space and all mod cons.

We like the thought of this car: the LC in V8 form is a dream to drive and its styling completely different from others in the class, with its powerful stance and aesthetic of Japanese craftsmanship.

What else will be new at the North American International Auto Show (NAIS) this year? With most Europeans giving the show a miss, not a great deal. Of the new metal most relevant to us two cars stand out…

One is the Toyota Supra, which has been teased so much over the past year, including at the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, you may well think it has not only been unveiled already but probably in line for a facelift by now. In fact it hasn’t yet had its moment in the motorshow spotlight, minus all its camouflage, and that will come in Detroit next week.

We do not blame Toyota for stringing its launch out; the return of a much-loved nameplate in what promises to be stonking form – Toyota’s half of a joint project with the BMW Z4 remember – is definitely one to be welcomed. Expect a really grown up Toyota GT86.

Lexus’s rival Infiniti provides the other big star-in-waiting at Detroit this year. We have just a teaser pic so far, and from its blanked-off front end design it’s easy to tell what it is: all electric.

The QX Inspiration is a concept that previews the upmarket Nissan brand’s electrified future. It's SUV shaped and sized like its electric rivals, the Jag I-Pace, Audi E-tron and, due on sale later this year, the Mercedes EQ C.

Expect high performance, big battery range, spacious, “lounge-like” interior and design and materials “inspired by a subtle Japanese sensuality”.

“QX Inspiration is the beginning of a new era for Infiniti,” said design chief Karim Habib. “New technology has given us the opportunity to evolve our design philosophy – and the new vehicle communicates the ‘serene strength’ at our core.”

“New eras” have and gone at Infiniti since its launched in Europe 10 years ago; we hope this one’s here to stay.

What is not here to stay is the Detroit Motor Show – not least in the cold and snow of a Michigan winter. The show has been getting smaller in recent years and to address this the organisers have decided to move the event to June. For the thousands of Europeans who make the pilgrimage across the Atlantic every year it will never be quite the same again…