By Matt Simonette

Staff writer

The Chicago Auto Show this week wrapped its 100th edition February 17. The largest auto show in the nation, the 2008 edition offered floor displays of hundreds of the sportiest, flashiest and most innovative cars from manufacturers from around the world.

Carmakers set up numerous interactive displays to better engage show-goers with their newest products.

Lexus offered a test track simulator, while Jeep featured its Jeep 101 driving range, which allowed visitors to ride the Jeep Rubicon as it was subjected to rough terrain and inclement conditions. The Auto Show also paid tribute to its history with a display of vehicles from the exhibition’s earliest years.

But, as always, the real stars of the show were the newest floor models. Here are just a few of the cars that stood out this year:

Jeep showed off its “Renegade” concept model, supposedly designed for the “Stylish Green” market segment. Equipped with a 40-mile lithium-ion battery pack, and a 115-horsepower, 1.5-liter, 3-cyclinder BLUETEC diesel engine, the Renegade delivers a 400-mile driving range and an equivalent petroleum fuel economy of 110-mpg. Dual electric 200-kilowatt (268 horsepower) motors propel the 4x4 system.

Renegade’s components are supposedly environmentally responsible, both in manufacture and end-of-vehicle-life recyclability. The prototype on display had no top but featured a roll bar, weather-tight, durable cockpit and cargo deck for outdoor gear. Renegade also sports a matte finish, a feature that has been hot this year. According to manufacturers, a dulled finish better highlights the car’s design by further setting it apart from its physical environment.

The Buick Riviera concept coupe, the interior of which Buick refers to as a “cockpit,” is the first new Riviera to appear in Chicago since 1999. This is not your grandparents’ Riviera. Painted “Shell Blue,” the tightly stretched carbon fiber body features a trihedral waterfall grille, gull-wing doors, Formula

One styled side mirrors and top-mounted chrome portholes. The body sits on 21-inch, 10-spoke forged aluminum wheels with low-profile tires, and the powertrain is engineered to accommodate a hybrid propulsion system. The car is accented in subtle icy green ambient lighting.

The 2008 show also saw the return of the Muscle Car.

Steve McQueen fans should be on the look out for the Ford Mustang Bullitt. Launched in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the classic McQueen film, the Bullitt offers a special chassis and suspension tweaks as well as a 4.6-liter V-8 that delivers 315 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. A total of only 7,700 units are being manufactured, and similar to the 1968 Mustang GT in the movie, the exterior of the 2008 Bullitt is finished in Dark Highland Green.

If the “Dukes of Hazzard” General Lee was more your style, there’s always the 2008 Dodge Challenger. A 6.1-liter HEMI V-8 that produces 425 horses and 420 lb.-ft. of torque to the rear wheels powers the production version of the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8. A 5-speed automatic gearbox is standard, and comes with a lock-up torque converter and AutoStick. All four wheels are equipped with red-painted Brembo calipers and offer customers benchmark braking.

More compact than previous Hummers, the HX two-door concept is an open-air, off-road vehicle that acclimates to highway and off-road driving. Along with the removable roof panels and modular rear roof assembly, the fender flares and doors can also be detached from the body. Power comes from an E85 FlexFuel, 304 hp 3.6-liter SIDI V-6, backed by a 6-speed automatic gearbox that’s teamed with the 4WD system to offer exceptional low-speed traction and crawling capability.

Hyundai’s Genesis sports sedan, scheduled to arrive at dealerships this summer, is built on Hyundai’s all-new, performance-driven rear-wheel-drive architecture. It offers three powertrains, including 3.3-liter and 3.8-liter V-6 engines, and Hyundai’s all-new 4.6-liter Tau V-8. The Tau produces an estimated 375 horsepower using premium fuel and 368 horsepower using regular unleaded. Both V-6s use an Aisin 6-speed Shiftronic automatic with overdrive, and the V-8 Genesis is mated with a high output ZF 6-speed auto gearbox.

Bentley’s new Brooklands coupe is named in centenary celebration of the famous Brooklands motor racing oval track, near Weybridge in Surrey, England. Propulsion comes from a 6.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 that generates 530 horsepower and a whopping 774 pound-feet of torque. Save your pennies for this—Bentley’s production run for this year is only 550 cars, each listing at $330,000.