The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), or Detroit Auto Show, could be leaving Detroit for good. The Cobo Center, which plays host to the show each year, is being rapidly outgrown and more carmakers and models vie for attention at the show, and the organizers of the event are now eying other locations in other cities for the event.

Rod Alberts, executive director of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association says some of the primary candidates for the relocated NAIAS show include New York, Chicago, Miami and Washington, D.C., reports The Oakland Press. However, a move away from Detroit could be prevented if the Cobo Center is adequately and promptly renovated. More space is the main issue, though its age - Center has hosted the Detroit Auto Show since 1965 - also plays a role in the need for updates.

A previous renovation and expansion in 1989 helped push the show from an 11th-place ranking to the top of the auto-show charts, and show organizers hope another update to the Cobo facility will help invigorate the show once again. The event is expected to host over 380 new-model debuts by 2011, up from 190 in 1998.

Some of the cars expected to make their debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show include Toyota's new dedicated hybrid, the Audi RS5 and the Lincoln MKT.