One of the nation's largest automotive displays, the D.C. Auto Show proved that every company is looking to personalize as much as possible and get consumers excited to purchase again. Detroit might be struggling, but this week the nation's capital proved that there is no shortage of space-age gadgetry and superhero safety features to keep you in the market.

SLIDESHOW: Cars of the Future!

Safety Gone Green

If work doesn't already have you staring at a computer screen all day, now you can do it in your car. The Ford Focus Hybrid features brand new technology in the dash--and it's not your grandfather's odometer. The so-called Smart Gauge features two LCD-screens that let you choose what you want to see. Among the options are:

- An MPG meter to show just how fuel-efficient the car is at any moment
- An EV Power gauge that lights up bright green when the car is running off its battery, not guzzling gas
- An interactive "tree" that grows leaves on it as the car works more efficiently and you pollute less

Craving competition? Reset the tree after you leave the car and see who really is the greenest member of your household.

Ford is also helping parents feel safer while teaching their teens to drive better with their new MyKey system. Parents get one key, new drivers get the other, and mom or dad can program the car so it can't drive over 80 mph. The key also keeps the radio volume at 45 percent, and the BeltMinder system won't let the radio play unless everyone is buckled in.

Hybrid Alternative

And while it might seem like the whole world has gone hybrid crazy, some companies are looking to limit emissions without the battery pack. Volvo's XC60 is still 90 percent cleaner than the average vehicle, but is not a hybrid. If you constantly find yourself stuck in urban gridlock, the City Safety system could be the perfect fit. The best features?

-Windshield-mounted sensors determine your distance from the car in front of you. Between 7 and 19 mph, the car automatically hits the brakes when you get too close.
-Long trip? The sensors work with the cruise control to slow down or speed up with traffic. Yes, this thing literally drives itself.
-The Blind Spot Information System activates a light in your rearview mirrors when something is in your blind spot.
-An optional lane departure alert flashes light behind your windshields and beeps at you when you cross a line, so no more naps behind the wheel.
-The air quality system monitors the pollution levels outside and closes the outer vents when things get toxic.

Futuristic Concepts

Lincoln is looking forward by designing the first small luxury car for all the James Bonds of the future. The C-Concept will become your own personal assistant that recognizes your voice and tailors itself to you. The car seems too good to be true, but it is slated to do the following:

-Check and read your e-mail
-Read you the news
-Search the web
-Set events on your calendar

And most likely much more. Passengers get their own pop-up monitors to scan the web or watch movies. And in case you want to post to your video blog from the behind the wheel, the C-Concept also includes a webcam.

This Lincoln is in the works, so trendsetters will have to await its arrival for a couple years.

In the end, the D.C. Auto Show succeeded in its mission to be the "Public Policy Show," setting the standard for new cars of every kind.

If you want to see more, visit www.washingtonautoshow.com