Yesterday evening, just before the start of the Detroit auto show, Mercedes introduced its new 2010 E-Class. The presentation took place in the Westin Book Cadillac, a restored and reopened luxury hotel, where the 650 guests had a great time.

The event began with a performance of Broadway’s musical star Audra McDonald, who delighted the audience with five songs. Once this moment ended, the official car show began, with a coreography that included flashing lights, video screens and dancers.

The first model brought to the stage was the SLR Stirling Moss supercar, a two-seat vehicle which cost about $1 million. It is scheduled for release next year and only 75 units will be made - all of them already reserved by collectors from outside of the United States who already own a McLaren SLR.

The SLR was followed by the BlueZERO, a concept car that could be released with three different alternative-energy powertrains: hydrogen fuel, battery electric and series hybrid. 

It was then the time for the event’s major attraction, the new E-Class. The E350 will have a 268 horsepower V6 engine and the E550 model will have a 382 horsepower V8 engine.

The car brings several safety technologies, which are also available on other models - assisted braking to avoid accidents, alerting the driver for exceeding the speed limit and also a monitoring system that recognizes when a driver is tired or is drifting off its course.

"This system can and will save lives," said Daimler AG chief executive Dieter Zetsche.