Is the Buick Regal GS the most important “maybe” of the 2010 Detroit Auto Show? It’s been more than two decades since performance enthusiasts cared about Buick in any meaningful way. The car at that time was the now legendary Buick GNX. Even if the proposed Regal GS makes production – a big if – it’s not going to be a GNX replacement, at least not in the hearts and minds of power-mad Buick enthusiasts. However, at this chapter in Buick’s story, every little performance bit counts.

That stated, here’s what we might get: Power comes from a beefed-up version of the direct-injected 2.0-liter turbocharged Ecotec four-cylinder making 255 horsepower and a walloping 295 pound-feet or torque. Compare that to the regular 2.0-liter DI Ecotec that we know and love in cars like the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Chevrolet Cobalt SS: 260 hp, 260 lb-ft of twist. Five horsepower less, sure (your lawnmower makes five horsepower), but we’ll gladly trade those ponies for the 35 extra torques. All that grunt gets routed through a six-speed manual before being kicked out to all four wheels. Speaking of wheels, the Regal GS rides on gorgeous 20-inch alloys that are hauled to a halt by big Brembos squeezing 14-inch cross-drilled and vented rotors.

One of the more interesting aspects of the Regal GS is its traction control system that Buick has dubbed “Interactive Drive Control.” There’s a Normal mode, a Sport mode and most enticing, a GS mode. That final setting changes the default torque split, routing most of the power to the rear wheels. Color us curious, excitedly so. The Regal GS also sits 10mm lower than the standard car and is further visually differentiated by twin intakes on the front clip and two through-fascia tailpipes. It’s even got sporty Recaros and a flat-bottomed steering wheel.

Are they going to build it? Our gut says “yes,” or something very close to it. As a brand, Buick needs a shot in the arm of something hot and bothered. Why not a hopped-up Regal? And will we eventually see an even more muscular version of the Regal GS, fitted with a 325-hp turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 from the Opel Insignia OPC, possibly called the Regal GSX? Maybe GNX fans will have something to look forward to after all.

At this morning’s XTS Platinum and CTS-V Coupe debut here at the Detroit Motor Show, newly appointed brand manager Bryan Nesbitt announced to the media that that all Cadillac models will receive V-Series and Platinum models. However, during the media scrum that followed the conference, we sought clarification from Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell, and he stated that future Cadillacs will receive a V-Series or a Platinum model. Thus, if you had visions of an Escalade-V dancing in your head, well… don’t.

The prevailing logic behind which models will get a V or a P will depend on the model’s market segment and inherent sportiness. As Caldwell explained it to us, a model like the CTS has a foot in both worlds (and could probably pull off both), but models like the SRX or Escalade lend themselves more to the heightened creature comforts of the Platinum experience. Some Autobloggers remain a bit foggy on why General Motors’ luxury brand needs what is effectively a double-prestige trim level (shouldn’t all Cadillacs be posh by definition?), but we do appreciate the added accouterments all the same.

And as to the possibility of a CTS-V Sport Wagon? Well, we got a wink-wink, nudge-nudge when we suggested to Cadillac that we’d like to see it, and judging by the smiles all ’round, it’s all but certain that we’ll be seeing its debut on the show circuit later this year.

The Volkswagen Touareg hybrid is now just a few months away from production, but the crew in Wolfsburg are staying busy by cranking out small concept vehicles with hybrid powertrains. The latest that debuts here at the Detroit Auto Show this morning is called the New Compact Coupe (NCC), a handsome hybrid coupe that looks remarkably production-ready. Designed to slot globally between the not-for-North-America Scirocco and the rakish CC, we could see a serial version of the NCC competing well here in the States with coupes like the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima.

In showcar guise, the NCC features Volkswagen’s 1.4-liter TSI inline-four with 148 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid system uses the same basic architecture (if not dimensions) as the recent L1 and Up-Lite concepts from Frankfurt and Los Angeles. In this case, a 20-kilowatt electric motor is sandwiched between the engine and the seven-speed DSG dual clutch gearbox. A 1.1 kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery in the back of the car provides electrical energy storage for electric drive, electric boost and regenerative braking. The system also allows for the complete decoupling of the transmission for enhanced coasting even at highway speeds, although it isn’t immediately clear from the press release if the electric motor will push the NCC along for extended periods as it does with Volkswagen Audi Group’s Porsche Cayenne Hybrid system. Either way, VW is estimating the NCC’s mileage at 45 miles per gallon based on EPA test procedures with the EU numbers coming in at 56 mpg (U.S.) and 98 g/km of CO2. Acceleration to 60 mph is ballparked at 8.1 seconds and top speed is pegged at 141 mph.

The car itself is virtually the same size as the current Jetta except for wheelbase length and overall height (the concept has three more inches between the axles and the roof is two inches lower), and it may well be a preview of what to expect from the next-generation Jetta. Recently there have been rumors circulating that VW plans to revive the Jetta coupe, a model that hasn’t been in the lineup since the late ’80s. A production version of this poor-man’s Audi A5 could well be that car, although VW officials aren’t talking. Similarly, the forthcoming Tennessee-built New Medium Sedan is expected with both diesel and hybrid powertrains and the same could be the case for the next Jetta. While you wait, you can check out our high-res gallery below and VW’s official press verbiage available after the jump.

[Source: Volkswagen via World Car Fans]