First off, let me just say that if you were disappointed by the Philly auto show, I share your sentiment. The New York show truly put it to shame. This year, manufacturers from around the world introduced in excess of 25 new models. This is the first time these were seen in the US, and the vast majority of these cars are world introductions as well.

Around 10 a.m. April 16, Nick Sheele, CFO of Ford Motor Company told us a bit of Ford's plans for growth in the future. Ford's focus seems to be on differentiating its brands. A good idea, indeed, as Ford's Lincoln and Mercury divisions have been plagued by parts sharing and have never really been able to shed that "re-badged Ford" stigma. This phenomenon is unfortunate for Ford, of course, but also for us, the consumer. It forces us to look elsewhere for luxury or specialty cars (see: Japanese and European automotive industry) Finally, Ford seems to be taking this matter seriously, targeting its corporate image, product quality, and brand identity. Mercury and Lincoln may be on the up and up, and it seems that even Ford's sails are catching these winds of change.

Ford

What really stood out in my mind were the 427 and Mustang concepts. These cars look fabulous. If these puppies could make it to market looking the way they do now, I'm sure there'd be an eight-month waiting list for each of them. Unfortunately, they won't - but the grapevine promises the Mustang will be pretty close. The 427's interior is particularly striking, with its white-stitched, black leather covered minimalist approach to sporty luxury. Overall, the car makes an impressive visual statement, accompanied by a strong technical statement; this car has a 6-speed manual transmission, and its namesake motor is a 427 CID V-10 that pumps about 590 horses into the rear wheels. The 'Stang concept is no slouch either. Its engine bay cradles a supercharged V8 that won't likely make it to production. Its styling, both inside and out, shows retro cues and classic mustang themes. From its headlights, to its taillights, the exterior bellows "Mustang," while the interior - at least for me - is harder to recognize, though still pleasing. Also at the Ford booth were the current Mustang SVT Cobra, and the Mustang Mach 1, both interesting rides of nigh-muscle car stature. Speaking of SVT, though, the 2004 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning was there as well, boasting aggressive styling, 22-inch wheels, a great looking interior, and functional hood vents that feed air to the 500hp supercharged engine. DieHards will note that this is a big increase from last year's Lightning, and is, no doubt, a response to Dodge's new contender.

Mitsubishi

Finally, we get the Evo! The Lancer Evolution, known casually as the Evo VIII, is now available for purchase on this continent. The Evo 8 is the first U.S.-market Evo ever, and is based on the small sedan that's been available here for years, the unassuming - you guessed it - Lancer. With all-wheel-drive, and over 270hp, this is a street racer right out of the box. The "twin-scroll" turbocharger is supposed to increase low-end throttle response, and, on some nice S-curves, the standard Recaro racing seats are sure to keep your rear end from sliding while you use the standard leather-wrapped Momo steering wheel to keep the Evo's rear end from sliding. Also introduced were the new Diamante and Galant. These old nameplates have been redesigned inside and out, and are a step in the right direction - away from their last bodystyles.

Dodge

I must admit that I was pretty interested in seeing the Viper's big and little brothers at the Dodge display. The big brother is the new Ram SRT-10. Its name betrays precisely what this vehicle is: a Dodge Ram pickup with a Viper engine under the hood. There are fives and zeros all over this truck's specifications; 500hp, 500 lb/ft of torque, 500 CID, 5.0 seconds to 60, and for good measure, a 500 watt stereo system. At just under 13 seconds, its quarter mile time is also pretty impressive. The other Viper sibling of interest is the Tomahawk Motorcycle. "A Viper-inspired motorcycle?" you say, "How does that work?" Yeah. Well, let me tell you. Picture your basic Viper V10 with wheels bolted to it, and you've almost got it. It's a dangerous-looking and brutal-sounding metallic construct capable of a zero to sixty sprint of about two seconds - if you can hold on. Remember always to wear your helmet. I think the new Neon SRT-4 was there, too, but I was too distracted by the Viper-powered modes of personal conveyance to notice what could quite possibly be the Ultimate Neon.

Acura

Acura releases the TSX into the wild and already burgeoning market of mid-sized sporty sedans. Though I did like the car's interior, its exterior styling seemed blasé, and really paled in comparison with the new TL concept. Taking the TL concept's exterior styling to be a sign of things to come, I anxiously await the next generation of Acuras.

Mercedes

The new bodystyle CLK convertible makes its North American debut, introduced by Mercedes-Benz USA VP of Marketing herself. It's a soft-top, though. Fortunately enough, there's no B-pillar, and the car does look pretty sharp - particularly with the top down. It is a pity this wasn't another of Daimler's slick retractable hardtops. Though if it had been, I'm sure the price tag would have read even higher than it currently does. In addition to the new CLK convertible, there were two cars I hadn't seen before; the CL65, a very big, very comfortable, very fast AMG coupe; and the SLK Special Edition, which means a new SLK is on the way ... hopefully not looking as much like the SLR as I've heard it will.

Toyota

The world gets its first look at the second generation of the very popular Toyota Camry Solara coupe. This generation is more refined, a bit larger overall, but sportier. It's also rated as a ULEV (Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle). You can choose a 4- or a 6-cylinder, and there's a 5-speed automatic sequential transmission that sounds interesting. With these changes, the new Solara is meant to appeal to a wider market. I keep seeing a Hyundai Tiburon when I look at it, though, so perhaps they aimed too wide. We'll see if they hit the mark when sales start this August. Also at the show was the new Prius - one of those hybrid cars. Indeed, this is a hybrid, which means you fill it up with gasoline, but it uses gasoline and electricity to run. No plugging-in required. Toyota's advertising is really trying to press this issue lately, and they should be. Toyota's "Hybrid Synergy Drive" makes the Prius nearly 90% cleaner, emissions-wise, than a typical gasoline car. It also gets really good gas mileage. For those of you who want to save the world by polluting less during your commute, this makes a lot more sense right now than hydrogen-powered cars do. At the very least, drive one of these while you're waiting for those hydrogen cars and refueling stations to pop up.

Volvo

The VCC, or the Versatility Concept Car, is Volvo's idea of "Smart Luxury." It's powered by an inline 6, has all-wheel-drive, a beautiful interior, and a whole slew of creative and innovative features. It's pretty schnazzy, but the exterior styling is a bit iffy. Also of interest is the new S60R. This is the performance-minded Volvo. I know - it feels weird just typing that. But, seriously, this car harkens back to Volvo's Performance Concept Car (PCC). With its 300hp turbo-charged 5-cylinder engine (peak torque of 295 lb/ft at only 2,100rpm), an adaptive active chassis, a 6-speed manual or a 5-speed semiautomatic transmission, and Brembo brakes, this is a symphony of Swedish technology I hardly recognize. The S60R also has AWD, ABS, Traction Control, and Volvo's own Dynamic Stability Control System, standard - now there's the Volvo I know. Of particular importance is the aforementioned adaptive active chassis which Volvo is calling Four-C, standing for Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept. The system is made up of a network of sensors that collect movement data ever other millisecond and nearly instantly adjust suspension components according to road conditions and your particular driving style. To tweak it, there's a dash switch that offers three ride choices - comfort, sport, and advanced. The interior is nicely appointed, and includes a very tasteful touch of blue in several areas including the dial faces in the instrument cluster. It's quite nice, indeed, though I'd opt for the Alcantara leather, which really complements the interior.

Porsche

The Cayenne was there, and while the idea of an SUV from Porsche bothers me a bit, and the exterior styling leaves me lukewarm, the interior wins me over. But I saw that at the Philly show. What I hadn't seen yet (or had anyone else for that matter) was the new 911 GT3. Having a horsepower rating of 380 makes this 911 engine the most powerful naturally aspirated engine that Porsche has ever produced for the US market. This is the ultimate Porsche for the 911 purist, and for the non-turbo enthusiast.

Chevy

At Chevy's truck display, the Cheyenne caught my interest. It's a (very) large quad cab pickup truck concept vehicle that has some of the most agreeable exterior and interior styling I've seen on a pickup - ever. Its interior was covered with leather with aluminum accents, and looked very comfortable. The exterior is smooth and curvaceous, and incorporates an interesting bed; one with side access doors, additional storage bins, and cupholders molded into a segmented tailgate that can fold down to two different positions. The SSR is a nifty new pickup of an entirely different nature. For one, it's much smaller, but it also has a distinctive and character-filled design, a retractable roof, and a sporty 290hp motor. Limited production of the SSR starts this summer. Take note of its name; the ŒSS' moniker is reappearing throughout Chevy's lineup - in all, the Super Sport models available soon are the Impala SS, the Monte Carlo SS, the Silverado SS, and the SSR. The SS action doesn't stop there though - at the company's car display, the new "SS Concept" took center stage, and looks much better in person than in photos.

Nissan

Less than a year ago, Nissan gave us the new 350Z sport coupe. A legend reborn, the new Z sold like hot cakes and offered very impressive performance and style, especially considering its price range. Now, they give us the 350Z Roadster, the new Z's convertible counterpart. Overall, this new convertible seems to be very nicely done. Points of interest include optional ventilated net mesh seats that look extraordinarily comfortable and stylish, and a sculpted, body color tonneau that completely hides the top when it's down. Pricing starts at about $34,000, so I'm thinking buyers will have to start lining up early in the morning. Also debuting in NYC this year were the new Pathfinder Armada, and the Titan Crew Cab. These are both pretty mammoth, and will be available for purchase later this year.

Subaru

The WRX STI is a 300hp 2.5 liter turbocharged bullet aimed squarely at the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution's market. Equipped with a new 4-cylinder boxer engine, an oversized intercooler, a standard Momo steering wheel, all-wheel-drive (of course) and even DCCD (Driver Controlled Center Differential), this car must be making Mitsubishi executives everywhere cringe. The Baja Turbo was introduced, and looks very much like the standard Baja - too much like it, if you ask me. This product lacks the differentiation it needs to sell as well as it could, and I think Subaru is missing out. And if they're thinking that the aftermarket will take care of differentiating this car, well, then they're missing out again. Maybe they see this product's launch as immaterial next to the STI, which is no good at all. For the sake of the company, I hope they're still ironing out the Baja Turbo's styling and badging issues.

Ferrari

Nothing too interesting in Ferrari's corner - the 2004 Ferrari Challenge Stradale was there, looking like what it is: a street-legal, race-car variant of the outrageously popular 360 Modena. Also there were the Enzo (which is still stunning) and the 575M.

Pontiac

Considering how long some people have been waiting for the GTO to return, it really is a shame that GM is trying to pull a fast one. This new GTO isn't "The Judge" from the the days of yore - it's a rebadged Holden Monaro. That's right, this "American Musclecar" is from down under. Sure, it may be a fast GM product, but is that really enough to call it a GTO? I don't think so. To boot, it doesn't look like anything special either. Now, I'm not saying that the folks at Pontiac have nothing in their stable; the fact is that they do - and that makes this an outrage. The new G6 concept looks quite nice; I can picture a nice GTO derivative of that working out a lot better than this aussie Musclecar. If that's not an option, why not drop the Corvette engine into a Grand Am and call that a GTO? It would make for more a call to heritage, I think.

Mercury

The Mercury Messenger was a concept car for Mercury's revamped product line. Its styling is interesting, and it is a nice looking car, but it doesn't look much like the Mercury's I'm familiar with, which is a good thing. Also there was a new small SUV based on Ford's Escape called the Mariner. Look for it, and other new Mercury products starting with the letter M, (the Montego sedan and the Monterey minivan) to go on sale this fall.

Mazda

We got to see Mazda's new RX-8, which is not an RX-7 replacement, so please try very hard not to call it that. Though powered by a rotary engine, it's a totally different car than the RX-7 was. This new rotary engine uses a different approach to expelling exhaust gases than Mazda's last rotary, however, and greatly cuts down on emissions. Perhaps the best thing about the RX-8 is the great attention to detail noticeable in its overall design. The interior and exterior both flirt with rotary motifs, but the interior really shines even without these touches. Also incorporated into this car is an interesting take on the "suicide door." Mazda's calling it the freestyle door system, and it is basically their way of getting four adult passengers into a 4-seater sports car without calling for acrobatics. There is no b-pillar, and the rear doors are smaller than the fronts and hinged at the rear. What this equates to is a huge opening in the car when you've opened all its doors.

Volkswagen

The new Touraeg was there, looking more like the Passat's older brother visiting home while he's on shore leave rather than a re-badged Porsche Cayenne. This new SUV will hit the market with your choice of a V6 or a V8, but a new V10 Turbodiesel may be on the way. The exterior on this car is quite handsome, and much better looking that its cousin from Leipzig. The interior is also nicely done, and is beaming with the VW quality that we've come to expect.

And finally, Lamborghini

The new Gallardo. A beautiful new 10-cylinder mid-engine sportscar from Lamborghini. This "Baby Lambo" is one of the best looking things I've ever seen, and it silently stole the show. When you plan on buying, your transmission choices are a 6-speed manual with a metal shiftgate and stick that look just like what's in the Murcielago, or you can opt for the manu-matic type transmission Lamborghini is calling e-gear. Along with that hi-tech, AWD is standard on these puppies, and will come in handy when you're trying to get all of the new Gallardo's 492 horses to the pavement. At just about half the price of the Murcielago, this car might be the deal of the century. But maybe not. At any rate, I'm liquidating my assets and getting in line for one.

For photos, see http://www.aspenauto.com/~mike