This month when car enthusiasts roll into the "Motor City" for the upcoming auto show they'll find a continued transformation underway.

Detroit, the "Big D," is racing along diversifying its auto manufacturing roots to become an emerging major entertainment destination.

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Heating up the winter will be cars and casinos in this border town.

A visit to the North American International Auto Show, Jan. 19 to 27, at Cobo Center provides a chance to check out the latest models and the changing landscape of Detroit and Windsor.

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Both cities have had an infusion of millions of dollars to rebuild lavish casinos with hotels and to open new restaurants, entertainment and shopping attractions.

The recently revamped MGM Grand Detroit Casino, MotorCity Casino and Casino Windsor, now part of Harrah's, have added hundreds of high-end hotel rooms along with fine dining and show lounges.

Detroit's downtown Greektown Casino is following suit this year with its lavish hotel.

"Metro Detroit's allure is real - no matter what the season," said Larry Alexander, president and CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau.

As well, "the time is right with the exchange rate for Canadians come to 'The D,'" he added.

Among the Canadians will be the Barenaked Ladies performing at the auto show's Charity Preview on Jan. 18.

One of their hit songs, If I Had a Million Dollars, is about what is needed to drive home one of the highest-end vehicles on display.

Tickets for the 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. preview, a strictly black tie affair, cost US $400 and supports children's charities. It attracts 17,500 people and is an annual sell-out.

It's the biggest night of the year for the car show crowd with a chance to be the first to check out the hot new wheels up close while sipping champagne and eating hors d'oeuvres.

It takes 10 weeks to get Cobo ready for the really big nine-day show with some 90 exhibitors and 700 vehicles, including the unveiling of about 50 new models.

The high-powered Racing Day on Jan. 25 will feature NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Greg Biffle, IndyCar Series drivers Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan and American Le Mans Series driver Bryan Herta.

While in Detroit, check out the many museums and attractions paying homage to the car, along with the early auto barons' estates.

Detroit connections to the auto include the first mile of paved concrete road in 1909 and the first traffic light -- likely red -- installed in 1915.

The first U.S. urban freeway opened in 1942 and the city shares the first traffic underpass between two nations -- the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel. The sprawling Henry Ford Museum houses major collections in transportation including a walk along "Highway 100," a two-lane museum roadway artistically littered with 100 cars and thousands of artifacts.

The trip shows how the auto evolved from a 19th century novelty into a North American mainstay. Along the exit ramps are aspects of life linked to the car -- a 1930s' Texaco service station, 1940s' diner, 1950s' McDonald's neon sign with a 1956 Chevy convertible parked beside, a 1960s' Holiday Inn room and a recreated campground. The Motor City Exhibit at the Detroit Historical Museum follows the development of the world's auto capital, highlighted by a Cadillac production line body drop. There's also the Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Automotive Hall of Fame and Walter P. Chrysler Museum.

Downtown in the Renaissance Centre, General Motors' world headquarters, is a free attraction displaying new models and some classics. In a city where old auto money has ruled, a must-see are the auto baron homes -- Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, Fisher Mansion, Henry Ford Estate and Meadow Brook Hall (John Dodge). Tours are available at these vast mansions of the automotive royalty and remain as they were in the 1920s.

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If you go:

Auto show website:

Where: Cobo Centre, 1 Washington Blvd. After exiting the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel on Randolph Street, turn left at Jefferson. The centre is straight ahead at Washington.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Jan. 19-26; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the last day, Jan 27. Tickets: US $12, adults; $6, seniors/children, seven to 12; free, six and younger available on-line, through Ticketmaster or at the door.

Parking: At Cobo and nearby lots or take the tunnel bus from the downtown Windsor terminal (300 Chatham St. W.)

Visits: Contact the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, www.visitdetroit.com; 1-800-DETROIT.