Talk about a sexy way to open an auto show. At General Motors Corp.'s first-ever pre-show party before the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, actress Carmen Electra, in a slinky gown, blew kisses and gave come-hither looks in front of a steel gray Chevrolet Camaro coupe concept car.

Actor Christian Slater also entertained the standing-room-only crowd by taking off his designer sport coat and tossing it into the audience. Slater shared the stage with a deep purple Holden Efijy concept car and told MSN Autos he had been thrilled to tour GM’s Advance Design facility the day before to see future cars.

Then there was supermodel Petra Nemcova, drawing cheers in front of a Saab Aero X concept car as she commanded the runway in a flowing white gown as music blared. Both she and the car worked it, as Nemcova playfully twirled her hair and gave sexy looks, while the Aero X raised its roof and doors in its unique, futuristic manner.

A Star-Studded Opening

Electra, Slater, Nemcova, hip-hop star Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and 14 other celebrities from fashion, TV, movies, music and sports highlighted the event, held a mere 13 hours before the official opening of the North American International Auto Show.

The crowd of 2,000 people in attendance was a mix of GM executives, including Chairman Rick Wagoner and Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, as well as GM dealers from around the country, international news media who are in Detroit to cover the auto show, and prominent local businesspeople. The latter include former race car driver and current race team owner Roger Penske.

The evening spectacle, called GM Style, mixed fashion—all the celebrities wore couture dress—and some of GM’s most provocatively styled vehicles. A few were production models, such as the Hummer H2 that followed world-renowned surfer Laird Hamilton and his 3-year-old daughter down the stage. But many of the vehicles were one-of-a-kind concepts, such as the Holden Efijy and the Chevrolet T2X.

None drew the response of the final car that rolled onstage. To a standing ovation, GM’s Style event wrapped up with a bright-orange Camaro convertible driving down the runway. There was no fashionably dressed model to accompany it, but it didn’t matter to the automotive industry-dominated crowd that roared its approval. The debut of the convertible concept was the worst-kept secret in the Motor City all the previous week.

Detroit's Own Wows Crowd

Also drawing lots of cheers was Detroit’s own Jennifer Hudson, who’s winning rave reviews for her performance in the movie “Dreamgirls.” Hudson, who was a finalist on Fox-TV’s “American Idol,” sashayed down the runway in front of a black Cadillac Escalade to Justin Timberlake’s song “SexyBack.”

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel entertained with reports from the red carpet before the event started. But the best moment came when he no doubt startled some GM executives by asking attendees to “get out your raffle tickets because we’re going to give this baby [the Camaro convertible concept] away.” Actually, GM officials kept a close eye on the convertible, keeping it up on the stage, and overnight it was being moved to the GM display area at the NAIAS.

Jay-Z was the only celebrity who rode down the runway. He was chauffeured in a GMC Yukon Denali sport-utility vehicle and later announced he has partnered with GM to produce the signature Jay-Z Blue that was painted on the vehicle. The blue includes some platinum dust in it—appropriate for an award-winning performer who has several platinum records. He also selected the chrome-finished wheels on the vehicle, reviewed the special grille at the front and some interior trim.

GM Looking for Opportunities

Mike Jackson, vice president of GM North America vehicle marketing and advertising, said the automaker is looking for more partnership “opportunities.” While GM officials wouldn’t be specific, he said “we’d love to bring this concept [the whole Jay-Z Denali vehicle] to reality.”

The cutest moment at GM Style had to be Hamilton’s young daughter on stage. She danced with her dad. Later, he even swung her by the arms around his head, with her long blonde hair flying.

Men in the crowd craned their necks to get a good look at petite actress Rosie Perez in a slinky black gown, accompanied by a gold-colored Pontiac Solstice Weekend Club Racer concept car.

Actress Vivica A. Fox playfully led a DUB-customized, black Buick Lucerne sedan down the runway, while former professional volleyball player Gabrielle Reece stopped to shake the hand of a guy in the audience as she showed off a Buick Enclave.

Hot, Hot, Hot

Singer Nick Lachey brought squeals of delight from young women in the front row when he walked the stage in front of a red Cadillac XLR-V convertible. Folks laughed, too, when Lachey pretended to spank the back end of the Cadillac as he followed it off the stage.

CariDee, who won on CW’s “America’s Next Top Model” TV show, received lots of whistles as she showed just how to work a runway. She even pointed to the car following her—a red Saturn Sky Redline—and fanned her face to show how “hot” the car was.

It was, as Kimmel joked, “an unholy union” of celebrities and cars. And it surely was something that the Motor City had never seen before. In the hours leading up to the event, local television news stations covered everything—from the wardrobe room and makeup area of the stars to the red carpet.