The Chicago Auto Show's normally a reliable home for new post-apocalyptic survival vehicles. This year it seems the threat of apocalypse has been downgraded from red to orange because there just aren't that many new offerings.

Normally, when a car company puts a trophy case on the show floor it serves to display their product's latest accolades and accomplishments. This Viper trophy case is half-full of awards from the late 90's. Chrysler: the Cubs of automakers.

Pressing the "Party Mode" button boosts the stereo's bass and pushes the equalization to the back speakers, thus facilitating the party atmosphere surrounding your Toyota 4Runner. Not a bad idea if you could get anyone to ride in your Toyota.

Ford confirmed rumors a new Ecoboost four-cylinder will be the fuel economy offering for the new, more car-like 2011 Ford Explorer. More exciting, though, is they're not exactly being coy about dropping it into the 2011 Focus. Hurray!

The Oshkosh M-ATV is the shiny new toy in the US military's wheeled vehicle fleet, just trickling into Afghanistan now to replace up-armored Humvees. We just got our first look at the thing and it's staggeringly huge in every way.

They say the camera adds ten pounds and this Turtle Van seems to prove it adds heft and somehow disguises the VW bus hiding underneath. This comes via the Volo Auto Museum's Chicago display and it's very weird.

The kiddy-drawings of the Honda Odyssey Concept were way off, though the ice-cream cannon probably splattered the whole thing in inoffensive vanilla. The less tarted-up version will hit production this fall and get 19/28MPG fuel economy sans rocket engines.

The 2011 Toyota Avalon debuted at the Chicago Auto Show just now, but you'd never know it given the frothing hordes of reporters pinning Toyota of the America President Bob Carter against the car and bludgeoning him with recall questions.

The Nissan 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition has bowed on the floor of the Chicago Auto Show accompanied by the fabulous Datsun 240Z. Also, the Nissan GT-R tagged along and asked if it could join the cool kids club.

Here's a first glimpse of the Fiat 500 Elettra, the long-touted electric version of the Fiat 500. We spotted it with it's sexy nose poking out from under this cool vintage 500 car cover.