2008 Detroit Auto Show Ultimate Concept Winner: Land Rover LRX

Concept cars don’t have to meet the same requirements to win us over as do production cars. Concepts don’t need to prove they’re viable in certain segments, they just need to talk to the gut, inspire and basically wow us. The Land Rover LRX was a stunner, especially for an SUV, no matter the size. Still, it was the LRX’s small dimensions and daring — for Land Rover — design that impressed us most. Inside, an iPhone dock really pushed things over the top.

Mike Hanley said this is a “must-see concept” at the show, and senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder said “I watched the LRX spin a few times and found nothing wrong with it.”

Runners Up: Cadillac CTS Coupe, Ford Verve