More than meets the eye.(various automobiles to be shown at trade show in Chicago, Illinois)

Byline: BOB GRITZINGER

At first glance, the Chicago Auto Show looks a little lean when it comes to big fat product announcements. Compared with the 61 worldwide introductions at the Detroit show in January, the Chi-town show is no blockbuster, but it does have strong points.

Chicago show visitors will see the world debut of the world's fastest production pickup truck, the North America premiere of Mercedes' quickest production car, and the return of the Studebaker name after a 37-year hiatus-even if it is on the tailgate of a Hummer-looking sport/ute. Toss in some super sports and Daewoo-based small cars from Chevy, Ford's newest minivans, and an assortment of new and improved models from Acura, BMW, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo, and this show may just generate enough heat to reward those who brave the Windy City winter for a look-see. The show is open to the public Feb. 14-23.

If raw power suits you, sidle up to the 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10, which boasts an 8.3-liter V10 Viper engine making 500 horsepower and 525 lb-ft of torque. Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires mounted on 22-inch Viper-style aluminum wheels provide the traction control system as the six-speed Hurst-shifted manual transmission sends all that power to the rear wheels. Dodge estimates the truck will go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and clear the quarter-mile in 13.8 seconds. With a functional rear wing holding the truck to the road, top speed is 150 mph, assuring the ``fastest'' pickup claim. Dodge will build a few thousand a year, starting late this year.

At the opposite extreme, Mercedes-Benz is showing its fastest production sedan ever, the E55 AMG that made its worldwide debut last fall at the Paris show. The E-Class flagship receives a supercharged 5.5-liter V8 engine that makes 469 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, good for 0 to 62 mph in just 4.7 seconds, Mercedes says. Buy it starting in April or May, for about $75,000.

Enough of the everyday run-of-the-quarter-mile vehicles: How 'bout a Studebaker-the first new production vehicle to carry the name in decades. Built by Avanti Motor Corp. (1-888-230-1475) in Georgia, the 2003 Studebaker XUV (Xtreme Utility Vehicle) is a 215.5-inch-long, ...