DETROIT – The Detroit Auto Show is back, and with it comes a carnival of new, unique, wacky rides that are bound to interest gearheads and the general public alike.

MLive journalists were on hand at Huntington Place in Downtown Detroit for Media Day on Friday, Jan. 10 to get an early look at the show. From concept cars to custom classics, take a look at some of the most interesting vehicles we saw below:

Cadillac’s Opulent Velocity Concept Car

The Detroit Auto Show has long been known for showcasing forward-thinking concept cars from established automakers, and this year’s event was no exception. Cadillac highlighted their luxurious electric vehicle concept, aptly named the Opulent Velocity.

Touted as a “pure expression of innovative design and prestigious performance,” the all-electric, scissor-door coupe featured smooth lines, an interior upholstered entirely with blue fabric and low-profile tires partially integrated into its futuristic-looking wheels.

Ford’s Race-Winning F-150 Lightning Supertruck EV

Ford showcased its hot-rodded F-150 Lightning Supertruck electric vehicle demonstrator, which they proudly deemed “King of the Mountain” after its victory at the 102nd Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado. Romain Dumas piloted the 1,600-horsepower electric truck up the winding, 156-turn course in a 12.42-mile road race with a finish time of 8:53.553, the fastest of all 61 competitors.

Grounded’s G2 all-electric camper van

Chevrolet subsidiary Grounded showed off a fully built-out G2 electric vehicle equipped as for emission-free van life. The kitted-out camper, based on GM’s Brightdrop Zevo 400 platform, features 270 miles of range, 1 kW solar power, a fully customizable interior and integrated StarLink internet for around $195,000.

MyFlight’s Detroit Helicopter Tour Flights

In keeping with a long tradition of hosting at least one flying vehicle, the auto show featured a Robinson R44 from Detroit-based MyFlight Tours, which offers aerial tours of the Detroit area by helicopter for as little as $55 per person. MyFlight also offers sightseeing flights over Milwaukee, Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, Ocean City, Md. and the Straits of Mackinac.

National Lampoon’s Vacation Wagon and other Movie Cars by Hagerty

Automotive lifestyle company Hagerty has a booth highlighting a collection of seen-on-the-big-screen vehicles including a tribute to the prototypical road trip vehicle: the “Wagon Queen Family Truckster” from National Lampoon’s Vacation.

Other cars in the Hagerty booth include one of the used-on-screen Modena replica Ferrari 250GT Spyder Californias seen in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” a Pontiac Trans-Am K.I.T.T. from “Knight Rider,” the Volkswagen Beetle “Swinger 2″ from “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” and a rare Ferrari 308 GTSi like the one used in “Magnum P.I.”

A Reliant Robin and other Rare, Modified and Custom Vehicles

The lower River Level at Huntington Place features a collection of rare, custom and enthusiast vehicles owned by community members, including the Reliant Robin three-wheeler above. Famously used by Top Gear hosts James May and Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, the Robin was tricycle-style compact car mass-produced in Britain from the 1970s until 2000.

The Gallery, a Luxury and Exotic Vehicle Showcase

Modded Detroit also helped arrange the return of a display of 50 prestigious automobiles from 12 luxury brands, including the Ferrari Monza SP1 above. Brands featured include Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, McLaren, Morgan, Porsche and Rolls-Royce.

Check out some more of our favorite concept cars and oddities below.

READ MORE AUTO SHOW COVERAGE:

Why is the Detroit Auto Show moving back to January?

Your Detroit Auto Show guide: Parking, tickets, where to eat and more

When is the Detroit Auto Show? Here’s the list of dates and times

A party-priming performance by Flo Rida capped the Detroit Auto Show’s Charity Preview gala Friday night at Huntington Place.

The rapper’s set was likely the wildest 1 hour and 15 minutes of entertainment in the auto show’s decades-long history, featuring hordes of fans dancing onstage, tequila shots doled out to attendees in the front row, and champagne sprayed onto an audience decked out in deluxe suits and gowns for the evening.

Honorary Detroiter Flavor Flav was a surprise guest, popping up early to perform a bit of Public Enemy’s “911 Is a Joke” and then sticking around to play hype man for the rest of the high-energy set by Flo Rida and his crew, which included a pair of sidemen rappers and two female dancers.

Flo Rida’s show was packed with the hook-heavy songs that made him a radio favorite and club staple during his prolific 2008-2015 mainstream run: The Miami native kicked things off with “In the Ayer,” part of a festive, crowd-pleasing set featuring “Low,” “Whistle,” “Wild Ones,” “Right Round,” “Good Feeling” and other hits.

At a downtown gala where Detroit Lions playoff buzz featured prominently from the ribbon-cutting ceremony onward, Flo Rida was fittingly introduced by fellow Sunshine State native and Lions safety Kerby Joseph. The newly minted All-Pro selection took the stage to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” following a video highlight reel showcasing his NFL-leading season of interceptions.

Another unbilled guest was urban hero White Boy Rick, the onetime teen drug dealer and FBI informant born Richard Wershe Jr., who hoisted a drink and captured selfie video onstage during Flo Rida’s “G.D.F.R.”

Former Detroit City Council member Monica Conyers was among the throng of female fans who took up Flo Rida’s invitation to clamber onstage for a group dance on “Low” — and she was also among those who turned to get a quick booty tap from the pop-rap star.

Flo Rida was a rare hip-hop booking for the auto show, a Detroit institution that may be looking to inject a new shot of energy while evolving into its next chapter. As Friday’s concert moved into its final minutes, Flo Rida and Flavor Flav hopped offstage and into the audience for “Good Feeling,” pausing for selfies and fist-bumps with fans, before wrapping up the festivities with a high-spirited “What a Night.”

For some attendees, the upbeat vibes didn’t last long: Out in the Huntington Place lobby, they faced a congested, hours-long scene at the coat check tables, where police officers stepped in to manage what became an increasingly frustrated crowd waiting to head out into a snowy night.

The Detroit Auto Show will open to the public Saturday and run through Jan. 20 at the Huntington Place convention center in downtown Detroit. Tickets are $10-$20. More details here.

Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@freepress.com.

WXYZ DETROIT — On Sunday, January 12, Spotlight on the News will look inside the Detroit Lions’ winning season with Ann Arbor fan Barry Schumer, author of I Don’t Believe It…We’re Good? The New Detroit Lions. How does he rank this year’s team as they rest up for the NFL Playoffs? We’ll also have an insightful conversation with Colonel James F. Grady II, the 20th Director of the Michigan State Police. What are his plans for growing and diversifying the MSP?

Spotlight on the News, now in its 59th season, is Michigan’s longest-running weekly news and public affairs television program. It airs every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. on WXYZ-TV/Channel 7 in Detroit, is streamed live on wxyz.com and broadcast at 11:30 a.m. on 23.1 WKAR-HD in East Lansing.