Since I was a young child, attending the Chicago Auto Show has been a tradition in my family. We would go on one of the weekends and spend the whole day there, from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. For me, it was the experience of actually being able to sit in the front seat of a car without my parents freaking out. It was also a chance for me to see and step inside, the real-life versions of some of the thousands of Hot Wheels cars I owned and still own today.

As as 16 year old with a permit, I now view the Auto Show in a different way: the experience of actually getting a feel for the car behind the wheel, seeing how much room there is on the driver’s side, and starting to get an idea of a car I could realistically own in the future (psst…Infiniti G37.) Throughout the years, being educated by my father in the field of auto mechanics helped me learn about how cars work. This gave me enough knowledge to know whether a car at the show is good or bad.

As usual, I started off in the North Hall of McCormick Place. When you walk in, two versions of cars that have transcended time greet you. You can’t help but stopping at the display of the 2013 Ford Shelby (Mustang) GT500 with its older brother, the 1993, Ford Mustang SVT Cobra. The 2013 GT500 will be, when released, the most powerful V-8 on the planet. It is equipped with a 5.8 liter supercharged aluminum-block V-8 engine that will produce 650 horsepower and 600 foot-pounds of torque. For those of you who don’t know what I just said, that means it goes, really, really fast. It also looks stunningly good, and surprisingly, it is a convertible.

As I continued on through the Ford exhibit, another new 2013-model caught my eye: the 2013 Ford Fusion. Yeah, okay, it’s not the epitome of cool when you think Ford Fusion, but I have to say, the 2013 model is stunning. With looks similar to the Aston Martin Rapide, this car was designed by the son of a designer at Aston Martin. The Fusion will come with Ford’s EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine, an automatic start stop system to shut off the engine at stationary idle (i.e. traffic lights), front-wheel and all-wheel drive, and a choice between automatic or manually shifted six-speed transmissions.

One of the versions of the Fusion, the Energi plug-in hybrid, is supposed to be able to go 100 miles on one gallon of gas (in comparison to using one gallon of gas.) The Fusion will be offered in the S, SE, and Titanium series which come with the latest technologies: Blind Spot Information System with cross-traffic alert, lane keeping technology, adaptive cruise control, active park assist, and voice control MyFord Touch system.

Many cars from other exhibits seem to be really nice, but nothing much to get excited about. The Subaru BRZ, Subaru’s new sports car, is really not a sports car at all. The Mitsubishi I is too expensive for the cheapness on the interior, although it is fully electric. Also, a lot of well-known and previously great cars have remained mainly the same into the most recent model year. (Other notable cars are listed at the bottom)

One car that did finally get me really excited was the Lexus LF-LC. The LF-LC is a hybrid 2+2 Sports Coupe concept car that pushes the boundaries of performance, style, and technology. It is equipped with the Advanced Lexus Hybrid Drive, which gives the car top performance in a very eco-friendly way. Its tail lights were designed to have the look of a jet afterburner at take-off. This car is also comes with a fully glass roof which can be pulled down to turn this beast into a convertible. It is not a car for just any everyday driver. No performance statistics have been released as of yet, but just from the looks of it, makes it seem to be a predecessor for tomorrow’s super cars.

The 2012 Chicago Auto Show was great fun. Just getting to see all of the new cars for this year, out-smarting people trying to open the trunk of a Porsche 911, and trying to convince people to buy certain cars is more than enough to have a satisfying day at the show.  The Auto show is really more than just a thing for car people, but it’s for everyone.  If you want to understand cars more or become a perspective buyer of a car, go spend a day, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

Below are some of my picks for the best cars at the show:

Best in Show: 2013 Ford Shelby (Mustang)
Best Eco-friendly car: 2013 Ford Fusion
Best Mid-size family sedan: 2012 Hyundai Sonata
Best Crossover-SUV: 2012 Ford Explorer
Best Subcompact car: 2012 Hyundai Accent
Best Compact car: 2012 Subaru Impreza WRX
Best Mini-Van: 2012 Honda Odyssey
Best Convertible: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
Best Performance car: 2013 Ford Shelby (Mustang) GT500
Best Pick-up truck: 2012 Ford F-150
Best Super Car: McLaren MP4-12C