Coolest Cars To See At The 2015 Chicago Auto Show

Many people go to the auto show while they're shopping around for their next car. Others go to see the coolest cars on the market. If you see yourself in the latter camp – or if you're really there to compare the Ford Focus to the Toyota Corolla but don't mind taking in the sights at the same time – here are five cars to keep in your sights:

2017 Ford GT

After its surprise unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show in January, crowds gathered around the Ford GT super car and made it difficult to really get a glimpse of this car. Now it's returning to the market after more than a decade's hiatus. A retro racing-style body wraps around the car's two seats, and a turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 – mounted behind them, visible through the rear windshield – will give it more than 600 horsepower. Expect to pay close to $200,000. Check it against the upcoming Acura NSX (see below) and the Audi R8, attainable exotics.

2015 Acura NSX

If you've been to an auto show in the last few years, you've probably seen the concept version of Acura's long-promised NSX – the rebirth of the famed 1990s model. The production car, which will go on sale this fall, at last made its debut in January in Detroit. The all-wheel-drive, low-slung, carbon-fiber two-seater will have a turbocharged V6 and electric boost, adding the NSX to the growing list of high-performance hybrids. Like the Ford GT, you can see the mid-mounted engine through the rear windshield.

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C

For exotic-style Italian performance, you can check out something more unusual – and less expensive – than Ferrari or Lamborghini. Back in the U.S. market after nearly two decades, Alfa Romeo is now selling its tiny two-seat 4C, which has raw performance to serve buyers who would consider a Porsche to be just too soft and coddling for true performance duty. Acceleration, handling and style are all standouts. When you see it at the show, though, note the relative lack of creature comforts and rear visibility. You'll also see the new convertible version, which just debuted in Detroit.

2016 Mazda MX-5

It's not going to turn heads everywhere like the aforementioned performance cars, but the redesigned 2016 Mazda MX-5 will offer great thrills to the drivers lucky enough to be inside, and for comfortably under $30,000 at that. The fourth generation of the iconic two-seat convertible is promising improved cabin appointments and technology, better gas mileage and more aggressive styling to better supplement its brilliant handling.

2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe

If your idea of "cool" skews more toward opulence than maximum performance, the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe has a graceful flowing style and decadent interior features. And if vast interior space adds to the cool factor, the S-Class sedan – and its competitors from Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Lexus – is also worth spending some time in. Expect a line of people outside the luxury cars, waiting to try out all the toys inside the cabin.

Brady Holt, a Washington D.C. newspaper reporter, has had a lifelong interest in cars in the automotive world, and he'll share his thoughts at every available opportunity. Brady has written for Examiner.com since 2008, publishing hundreds of car reviews, automotive news pieces and other features. His work can be found on Examiner.com.