Dodge Demon

Ford Flex

Camaro Convertible

Chevy Trax

I guess it figures that the one city in the country where you really don’t need a car to get around would host one of the biggest annual car shows in the world. I guess it also figures that, for the 54th consecutive year, I didn’t get to go.

One of the neatest cars there, though, was the Dodge Demon. (For some reason, DaimlerChrysler’s American division seems hellbent on resurrecting every old product name in the book—can’t wait for the new DeSoto!) The Demon is a two-seat sports car (officially just a concept at this point) that should compete nicely with the Mazda MX-5, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. Powered by a 2.4-liter engine, with the rear wheels driven by a six-speed transmission, it’ll never be confused with Dodge’s other two-seater, the Viper, but should it ever reach production—and the smart money here says it will—look for the Demon to blow the doors off the Solstice and Sky, and give the MX-5 a run for its money.

Although there hasn’t been much good news out of Dearborn these past few years, the Blue Oval isn’t about to shrivel up and go away. Not yet, anyway. The 2009 Ford Flex made its debut at the show, and it looks like Ford may be on to something this time. Their Windstar/Freestar minivans may have flopped and gone away, and their Freestyle crossover (God, I had to struggle just to remember the name of the thing! What does that tell ya?) is in the midst of a makeover where it will resurrect itself next summer as—ta-da!—the Taurus X (another blast from the past). The Flex will have such niceties as a built-in refrigerator and second-row footrests. Also, three rows of seats, interior mood lighting and a 2,300-song jukebox. In case you’re wondering, I checked and no, there’s no available kitchen sink.

Here’s one from Chevy that you could see coming a mile away—last year when Chevy first showed the Camaro concept, which has since been announced as a future production model, you just had a feeling there’d be a convertible model sooner or later. And here it is, the Camaro convertible concept. Chevy has decided not to tease us this time, and has announced the convertible will also go into production and go on sale in 2009, one year after the coupe hits the showrooms. The convertible will be powered by a V-8 driving the rear wheels, and like the original, have a front and a rear seat—just like the Ford Mustang! Shades of the 1960s!

My other favorite from New York is also from Chevy, but for now this one’s just a concept. The Trax is categorized as an Urban Crossover. This, according to the folks at Chevy, means it’s for you buyers out there who “…want to get in touch with their sportier side—or who just want to navigate the urban jungle in a sportier ride.” Whatever. What’s cool about the Trax is not just its looks, but it’s powered by a one-liter engine and has an electric limited-slip differential that features an independent battery pack and an electric motor to drive the rear wheels, providing a low-cost, all-wheel-drive system. It was designed by the GM design team in Inchon, South Korea. No official word on production possibilities, but look for some of the Trax’s styling cues to maybe creep up on future Chevy SUVs.

Now excuse me while I try to figure out how to get to next year’s show.