First seen at the 2011 Classic Car festival in Monterey California, Cadillac has decided to again showcase their Ciel concept. While not a brand new concept car for Chicago, perhaps it has likely not been seen in person by many who may be planning on a trip to Chicago for this show.

The car features so many details, that it would require a full page article to cover them all. Among them include, Wood accents salvaged from a fallen Olive tree in California,  door pockets complete with zippers, full power, dead-bolted  'suicide' doors, and pedals that just happen to resemble those large wooden golf clubs you may be carrying in the turn of your Cadillac. A few more pics after the jump. Jen also got some pics of this cool ride at the LA Auto Show.

If you plan to attend the Chicago Auto Show this year, be sure to take note of the smaller kiosks scattered throughout the event. Many offer some hands-on activities, or even a chance to explore what may become standard on vehicles later this decade. 

One such kiosk was presented by Continental Automotive, a company many simply relate to being a tire manufacturer. What many of you may not be aware of is that Continental is one of the world-leading suppliers for various components within current production automobiles. In this area they compete with known giants such as Bosh, Valeo, and Johnson Controls. 

Here in Chicago they have produced 3 interactive demos for attendees to get their hands on. Pictured here is the Chicago demo of Continental's Emergency Steer Assist system. Using components their own advanced design adapted to the steering, braking, and stability control systems of a given car, it can help enhance the response of a vehicle in an emergency situation. Give it a try if you can, even if you are a bad driver, it will still help you avoid that cab rushing out of a blind Chicago alley. 

As Fireball Tim posted earlier today, Kia unveiled the Trackster concept at the Chicago Auto show yesterday. With the media event winding down, I finally had a chance to get up close and personal with this machine. 

To say I was impressed would be a total understatement with this vehicle. While there is no denying the Kia badge on this car is authentic, I can't help feeling like I am looking at a purebred European hot hatch from something like Skoda, VW or even Audi. This is likely because former Audi/VW Chief Designer now sits at the helm of Kia Automobiles design group, which really helped put this brand on the map for many auto enthusiasts

The broad shoulders, delicate HRE wheels, and Brembo brakes really make this car a standout among the concepts shown at Chicago, and dare I say, even outshines the VW Golf R only a couple stands away. Hit the jump to see more photos!

With all of the eco-minded cars streaming out of the Blue Oval's barn recently, many may have forgotten that Ford has departments dedicated to performance-oriented cars as well. Proving they still loves to go fast, Ford unveiled the convertible counterpart to the Shelby GT500. The Shelby GT500 Convertible features the same powerfull engine that produces 650hp, and boasts a top speed of 200 MPH. One more pic, and a video of the reveal after the jump!

It's hard to believe that the Corvette is nearing 60 years old. While I was far from being born when the 1953 model first saw light of day, I can fondly recall four generations of the car within my lifetime, and had the honor of being invited to the large Detroit party where the current generation Corvette was unveiled. 

Seeing the C1 and the C6 Corvette nose to nose really shows how much has changed in the decades spanning between their manufacture dates. Perhaps it is a subtle reminder for all of us to not take for granted what we have today, as change is again near. The C7 Corvette is expected to be unveiled sometime soon.

My 1991 Audi 200 actually has a really descent sounding Bose audio system in it, and to this day it works really well. As opposed to running a tape adapter, I decided to get one of the Belkin RF tuners to send my iPod tunes over the radio. Like many Audi models from this time (and even more recently), the antennas of the car are built in both the front and rear windshields, making reception for RF devices from the interior actually quite good in most cases. That being said, there are times when a nearby radio station will interfere with my audio enjoyment, sometimes even causing me to listen to something horrible from someone else's car.

For those occasions, this is my solution: the 2nd generation iPod Touch slides nicely into the cassette player, causing no harm to it, or the iPod. It actually clears up a lot of the RF interference too, making the RF adapter actually sound a bit more presentable.

Hokey, but effective. How about you? Got any creative solutions to get a little more mileage out of an aging system?

The Audi Sport Quattro wasn't designed for magazine covers, to spark emotion, or even sex appeal. It was designed for one purpose, to win Group B Rally.  

While not exactly considered a supercar by the traditional auto enthusiast, the Audi Sport Quattro has a special spot in Automotive history for those of us who know what it is. Engineered to win races, the Sport did that, and was an adaptation of the renowned Quattro which brought out even more sporting potential. With the combination of a shorter wheelbase and wider fenders, the car had a much more aggressive appearance than the standard Quattro.

When people talk about cars being a fashion statement, I often have to ask, "well what are you driving?" To me, very few cars catch my eye on today's roads, and I realize this is largely due to the available color choices: most cars are pretty monochromatic, and the colors generally muted. They seem to be painted to blend into their environment, in various shades of grey, blue , and beige. It reminds me of camouflage in the animal kingdom: are automakers afraid of wild lions coming after midwestern families in their family sedan or SUV?

If the adage is true that your car reflects your own characteristics, it's hard to see how today's designs represent anything that anyone would want to aspire to. Who wants to be oddly-proportioned, bulbous, back-heavy, vastly spacious, big nosed, or cross-eyed right from the factory? I guess in the end, I agree that a car can be fashion statement in cases like the SLS pictured below, but for most of the commuting world, it's hard to see how this logic applies.

What's your opinion? Is there anything remotely fashionable about modern commuting? What catches your eye in modern car design?

Dubbed the 190e Elektro, this 190 just so happens to fit in well with Mercedes' own alternative-fuel theme at NAIAS this year. Built 1990, this 190e shows that Mercedes was working to produce electric vehicles for decades. And unlike other manufacturers, Mercedes chose not to destroy their prototypes, fully embracing their history.

With a sedate 43hp output, and range of only 50 miles, this 190 is no SLS E-Cell, or Tesla, but it does show how far we have come with EV's over the past couple decades. One interesting aspect of this vehicle was how much of the original 190e was used in this concept: it's even got the original 5-Speed manual gearbox, and clutch!

In recent years Mercedes has mostly been known for their conservative approach, and for producing rock solid cars for the luxury market. Granted there are a few exceptions out there, mostly wearing AMG badging. Being a Mercedes owner myself, I can understand the draw of such cars, but am super excited to see that they have some fire hidden within those otherwise sedate-looking heated seats.

Dubbed the E-Cell, this SLS based super car is a Lithium-ion charged electric vehicle that can sprint form 0-60 in 3.7 seconds. This massive energetic acceleration comes thanks to its 525 HP and 649 LB-Ft of instant torque. The E-Cell is a vehicle that provides a great win for pedestrian safety advocates who say electric cars are too inconspicuous, as this car clearly isn't deserving of that judgement.