Chicago is home to the oldest and biggest auto show in the states, so there’ll be some wicked debuts—and lots of other generally trick stuff—to behold this week in the Windy City. We’re super stoked about—stubby hood or not—Dodge’s 2009 Challenger, the potent little Yes! Roadster, and Chevy’s new giant-killer, the ZR1. Concept-wise, we’ll be posting killer shots of Dodge’s ZEO, Hummer’s beyond-burly HX, Mitsubishi’s ferocious looking Concept-RA, and Audi’s wicked R8 V12 TDI. Head over to the show’s official site to see exactly what’s going to be there, and if there’s anything you’re dying to see, let us know!

Many think that the current Mitsubishi Eclipse does a rather lackluster job of upholding the performance legacy established by the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive, highly moddable Eclipses of decades past. But the Concept-RA that Mitsubishi unwrapped at the Detroit auto show may send enthusiasts’ hearts a-fluttering yet, even if it doesn’t end up replacing the Eclipse in the brand’s model line. The big news about the Concept-RA is that it’s a diesel. The 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder makes 204 hp, which doesn’t seem like that much until you consider that 310 pound-feet of twisting action is on tap. That’s enough to make you glad that you got caught at a red light, since taking off again will be so much fun. Although no fuel economy figures have been released, the Concept-RA is one of those "clean diesels" you may have heard about, which means it can run on ultra-low-sulfur fuel and its bumper isn’t going to turn black from soot. Best of all, the Concept-RA will emphasize high-performance driving dynamics thanks to a low curb weight (there’s a great future in plastics) and Super All Wheel Control. The latter is like combining all-wheel drive with an advanced traction control and then putting the whole system on steroids. The results just might be spectacular.

Check out the Mitsubishi Concept-RA! It’s got a clean-diesel, turbocharged 200 hp 2.2L with an AWD drivetrain that uses the same dual clutch as the Evo. This one could be pretty fun if if ever makes it to production. Check out the gallery at Left Lane News.