Greg Migliore: Behind the scenes at the Detroit auto show

Yes, that's a shot of Detroit. In January. Inside Cobo Hall. Where the 2009 Detroit Auto Show is just days away.

Sheetmetal? Engines? They're nowhere to be seen. That looks like a shot of a Canadian landscape being used for a beer commercial.

OK, car fans--don't freak out. That's the basement of Cobo--where an eco-themed test track has been set up for journalists to drive a sampling of hybrids and other green cars during the preview days.

Upstairs is the usual layout new of shiny new cars, still-impressive-looking stands and most of the rest of the sights and sounds that annually greet visitors to one of the most important auto shows in the world.

But to say things are different this year is to put it mildly. Ferrari, Nissan and others have punted on the show, and crazy stunts of yore

By Greg Migliore