Automakers have earlier placed their 2007 aces on display at the South Florida International Auto Show. Regardless of the booming complaints about high gasoline prices, fuel-saver vehicles were outshined by fast, sensible yet costly gas-guzzlers at the Miami Beach Convention Center. This shift reflects what American enthusiasts really wanted in a vehicle.



Said auto show is flocked by luxury and sports vehicles from BMW, Lexus, Dodge, Hummer, Mercedes-Benz and other auto giants. Dodge Viper and Chevrolet Corvettes also made a big draw. Aficionados lined up to take a glimpse of the recent ground-breaking cars. Dealers, on the other hand, set up cameras so take photos of high-end sports cars.

Several Miami Beach residents were eyeing all-new Lexus LS460 which is priced at $64,000. On one hand, other fanatics were fascinated by Chevrolet's fuel-saving vehicles that use either gasoline or a mixture of gas and ethanol.

"People don't come to the show to see fuel-efficient cars. They come here to see the flashy cars. New at this year's show was the clutch of E85 flexible fuel SUVs and light trucks at the Chevrolet stand, offering estimated city mileage starting about 15 miles per gallon and 21 mpg on highways," says Terry McCabe, owner of a diesel-powered Volkswagen Beetle.

Chevrolet flaunted its Aveo, a compact station wagon priced at $14,000. It has a rating of 27/37 mpg in city/highways. Chevy also displayed its Camaro concept vehicle. The latter is a streamline version of a muscle car in the 1960s.

Hybrids from Toyota, Ford and Honda were also presented to the audience. These hybrids run on an electric motor and a gasoline-powered engine. They are priced from upward of $20,000 to more than $42,000.

Toyota, Honda and Nissan also displayed their cars that run on gasoline engines. Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Nissan Versa, also dragged the crowd closer. Luxurious cars like Porsche Turbo Coupe and BMW 760Li were also deemed stunners of the show. The former is priced at $147,000, while the latter is made cheaper at $132,000.