Camaro

Chevrolet Camaro concept
Start growing those mullets, boys; the Camaro is back! Sort of. It's actually a concept car and it looks like something - maybe even a bunch of things - with the exception of a Camaro. Everyone is going to compare this retro concept to the Dodge Challenger concept, which was the belle of the 2006 Detroit auto show ball. Dodge picked the definitive Challenger, the 1970 model, and designed its concept after that. Chevrolet started with classic Camaros, such as the 1969 model, and then strayed to the modern-day Corvette and then somehow ended up on the deck of an aircraft carrier, where they claim to have taken some cues from the YF-22, the most advanced fighter jet in the U.S. military.

The Camaro concept is powered by a 400-horsepower version of the Corvette's 6.0-liter LS2 V-8. The transmission has six gears, a stick shift and a clutch pedal. Chevy estimates that the engine's cylinder-deactivation technology should grant fuel economy of 30 mpg or better. Naturally, the car is rear-wheel drive, with 22-inch wheels wearing gargantuan tires. The front wheels are a none-too-shabby 21 inches in diameter.

Denali

Denali XT concept
Since the Chicago Auto Show is known as one for trucks, we're really impressed with GMC's concept. The Denali XT Hybrid is good-looking and features an innovative hybrid powertrain that we hope will come down the line soon. What you need to know about the Denali XT is that it has a small, 4.9-liter V-8 engine teamed to an electric motor. They work together to pump out a very respectable 326 horsepower.

GM says it will get 50 percent better fuel economy than comparable “small trucks.” The engine uses cylinder deactivation and direct injection to improve efficiency, and if it were produced it would also be the first E85 capable hybrid.