If you attend the New York International Auto Show be sure to check out the displays on the lower level. It is here where the true mechanical freaks and geeks of the auto world are on display. (Cars, that is.)

For example, to promote the upcoming "Speed Racer" movie the producers rolled out a mock-up of the famous Mach 5. Sure brings back memories of my childhood, although I'm still not sure if Racer X was a good guy or a bad guy, and I think Trixie and Spritle (the oddest name for a younger brother ever) probably wound up in psychotherapy. (Speaking of, I have to wonder if the stowaway tendencies of Spritle and Chim Chim lead to the need for emergency trunk releases?)

Learn about Speed Racer here.

Also on the lower level of the Jacob Javits Convention Center is a flying car, several electric car prototypes, and cut-aways of the Toyota Tundra and new Dodge Ram pickup trucks. VW also shows some of its very funny TV ads ("Vee-dub in da house") and a couple German-language ones that defy explanation.

—Mike Quincy

See the 2008 New York auto show coverage.