Detroit - Ted Edginton is excited to go to the North American International Auto Show, as he is every year. The general management junior is a yearly attendee, along with his family and friends.

“It’s a tradition that we’re keeping,” he said. “Because we all love cars.”

And he’s not alone.

During the week-long run of the show, exhibitors expect more than 750,000 visitors from the public alone. Show organizers distribute nearly 7,000 media passes to more than 50 countries, and the full staff at more than 55 exhibits adds to the overwhelming crowd, spread across the 700,000 square feet in Cobo Conference and Exhibition Center.

The show, which opens Saturday, is one of the biggest automotive industry events of the year. Both domestic and import makers bring their best to show off for both competition and consumers. Since the show went international in 1987, nearly 700 new production and concept cars have debuted from around the world.

This year is no exception, as the majority of exhibitors are once again pulling out all the stops to amaze the crowd and awe their peers.

The best of show

Undoubtedly, the biggest thing to see this year is GM’s AUTOnomy, unveiled Tuesday. Hailed by the auto maker as “a glimpse of the future” and “the most significant concept (General Motors) has shown at this or any other show,” the new concept is in a position to revolutionize the auto industry.

The AUTOnomy system is creating a huge industry fervor, and is making a lot of manufacturers nervous with its standardization of parts and new drive-by-wire technology. It’s certain that its first public showing will meet with as much fanfare as there has been speculation.

The other big noisemaker is BMW’s iDrive Controller, a combination of environmental controls, entertainment features, on-board navigation and communication options built into a single interface sporting tactile feedback.

Both the auto maker and Immersion, the company developing this new system, are excited for the North American roll-out of the iDrive in their high-end models, slated for Tuesday. Having released the option in Europe last November with success, BMW and Immersion officials are hoping to see the iDrive received just as well here.

History repeating itself

For the first time in more than 30 years, the MINI Cooper S is making an appearance on American shores. Emphasizing sportiness and customization, the new MINIs are sure to catch the eye of the young and the young-at-heart, who remember the MINI from the 1960s.

Much like of Volkswagen’s New Beetle, the new MINI looks like a car that will be covering college campuses and finding their way into the garages of young adults as soon as they’re available.

Speaking of the New Beetle, its new model is available to look at as well, as are the Ford Thunderbird and the classic Ferrari.

Toys and games

As anybody who has ever been to the auto show knows, it’s not the usual stodgy industry preview with row after row of booths and shelves, piled high with brochures.

Almost every booth is laden with distractions and diversions that may hardly even refer to the cars at hand.

The Volkswagen booth’s basement sports-driving games and movies, and one particularly intimidating machine that presses and molds chips of blue plastic and recycles them into brand new Beetles - just large enough to hold a pen.

The MINI booth also features a driving simulator and the Ford Motor Co. showcases banks of computer booths where visitors can play a game that demonstrates the new technology it plans on introducing in its new vehicle lines.

A peek at the future

One of the biggest things the auto show is known for is its showcasing of concept cars. Almost every maker has at least one, and each of them features something startling and different to look at.

Volkswagen’s concept, the Magellan, is touted as a combination of sport utility vehicle , minivan, and station wagon. Displayed in an intimate auditorium below the main floor, VW executives proudly display the car, claiming that it contains every feature they’ve ever offered.

While other companies had fascinating designs on display as well, the favorite among the exhibitors was Cadillac’s Cien, a silver two-seater with vertically hinging doors, affectionately referred to as “The Batmobile.”

Glitz and glamour

“I like the GT40 stand,” said Sloane Heller, project manager for Imagination. “It has a really beautiful art gallery feel.”

Imagination, the New York-based design company that built Ford’s booth, followed the same approach, creating a second-story mezzanine lounge next to a clean, futuristic display of the auto company’s new technological advances.

All over the show floor, booths loom nearly to the ceiling, where the Detroit People Mover buzzes overhead. Blinking monitors and rock music blaring, many of the booths rely on sensory aspects to draw in visitors, often without any indication of what’s actually in the booth.

Often, these displays are just as fun to look at as the cars themselves. Mitsubishi’s booth, capturing the fast-paced feel of its recent ad campaign, features a bright and dynamic display that’s a pleasure to walk through. The rugged Jeep booth is also a draw, but the highlight of the booths as of press day was again, the Volkswagen booth, which was simply a multimedia extravaganza, laden with monitors, movies, toys and displays that seize one’s attention in a vice grip.

The North American International Auto Show opens to the public for the 14th time at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and will run until Jan. 21. Ticket information is available at www.naias.com.