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Environmental issues were to the fore at the Detroit Auto Show - but there was no shortage of high-performance coupe action on the floor. In some cases, manufacturers managed to combine alternative powertrains with exciting-looking sports cars.
Even Ferrari went green, showing a biofuel-capable version of its F430 Spider model.
Most notable was Fisker Automotive's Karma plug-in hybrid sportscar, a vehicle that's bound to debunk the vision of hybrids as dull-but-worthy commuter boxes. The Karma is an expensive sports car capable of a 0-100km/h time of just 5.8 seconds.
But, according to designer Henrik Fisker, it is greener than a Toyota Prius. Fisker, who designed the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin DB9, says the car is "an environmentally friendly car without compromise" which will make being green seem sexy.
Less green but certainly sexy was the Lexus LF-A roadster, a soft-top version of the coupe shown 12 months ago. With a front-mounted 5.0-litre V10, it's designed to give Toyota's luxury car division a genuine supercar flagship.
