Showtime in Detroit

By Joseph R. Szczesny

Small may be hip, but heavy metal and horsepower are what rev Detroit. Highlights from this year's auto show:

* HOTTEST MOTORS Cadillac debuts the STS-V, featuring a hand-built 440-h.p. engine; BMW unveils the new M5, which hits 60 m.p.h. in 4.5 seconds.

* COOLEST TECHNOLOGIES The diesel-fueled hybrid Opel Astra, which gets 60 m.p.g; Ford's Mercury Meta One, a prototype of a hybrid-powered SUV; and BMW's H2R racer, fueled by liquid hydrogen. GM also will reveal the hybrid system it plans for full-size pickups and SUVs by 2007.

* WILDEST INTERIOR Ford's SYNus, right, features seats that can reverse to face the rear and a steering wheel that stows under the dash. The back door has a flat-screen TV.

* NEWEST STATUS SYMBOL The two-seater Lexus LS-F, designed to compete with high-end European roadsters, will be the first car from Toyota to crack $100,000. --By Joseph R. Szczesny