Heading into the new year, auto lovers look forward to the Chicago Auto Show, which hits town from Feb. 8 to 17.

Which car suits you best? A sporty model? A spacious one you don't mind keeping a bunch of stuff in? How about a slinky Italian auto guaranteed to turn heads everywhere you go?

However, the major address given Thursday during a media preview of the show at an Economic Club of Chicago luncheon was from James Press, president of Toyota Motor North America -- Toyota's U.S. holding company.

Today marks the opening of the 2007 Chicago Auto Show, Feb. 9-18, at the expansive McCormick Place. An exciting event for everyone, from the automotive enthusiast to the curiosity seeker, there is plenty to see and do at this year’s show.

Some folks have all day to visit the Chicago Auto Show, but many don't. The event is enormous, so fatigue eventually sets in (and there's no place to sit.) Moreover, this is a family show and many parents have small children who tire and become cranky. So what show highlights shouldn't be missed?

On Wednesday, Ford officially announced at a media preview of the Chicago Auto Show that it will put its venerable Taurus name on an improved 2008 Ford Five Hundred sedan. That car is built at the automaker's big Chicago Assembly Plant on the Far South Side, where the once-best-selling Taurus long was built. The Taurus was dropped last year, when it had become largely an aged fleet car.

A few vehicles that are sure to get a second look are:

Touted by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association as the nation's largest auto show, the Chicago Auto Show, Feb. 9 -18, is held within the vast expanse of the McCormick Place complex's 1.3 million square-feet. The event premieres several world and North American vehicle model introductions throughout the week.

Automakers watch visitor reactions at those shows to help determine which cars will be popular in production form. The million-plus showgoers here come from all walks of life and various ages groups and constitute a wonderful built-in audience for vehicle producers.

Cars and car-based crossover vehicles are hotter than they have been for years, as sales of less-fuel-thrifty light trucks such as SUVs have fallen.

It started with obscure promotions on TV that, for an instant, looked like real newscasts. Were you one of the curious? Did you go to WhoStoleTheShow.com?