Christmas won’t be coming early this year, but the L.A. Auto Show did. And with it came about a half-dozen brand new concepts as well as dozens of new cars. The good news is that the San Diego Auto Show will no longer live in the shadows of the L.A. and Detroit shows, which in years past have loomed so close after the S.D. show that we have missed out on the debuts to come in following weeks. But with L.A. already behind us, San Diego may see its best auto show yet.

In commemoration of its 100th anniversary, the L.A. Auto Show had no fewer than 37 North American and worldwide introductions of new production and concept cars. It was by far the best I’ve ever attended since I started attending religiously as a 12-year-old boy back in 1986 and as a journalist since 1996.

Below are sexy stars of this year’s L.A. Auto Show… look for them here in San Diego Dec. 27 - 31.

Nissan’s popular Altima was due for a redo this year, but it surprised us all with a gorgeous new coupe variant, which looks like the handsome younger brother to the Infiniti G35 coupe. It will go on sale in the middle of next year and will be priced in the mid-$20K range. We may have ourselves a new gay fave.

When: Summer

How much: $24K+

Best attributes:

Looks like a G35

Drives like an Altima

Makes coupe elegance affordable

The gayest of all luxo-utes, the BMW X5 was officially unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show, though it has been in showrooms since late November. Now seating up to seven passengers – so long as the back seat riders are very short – it is considerably larger than the first-generation version, with all the goodies found in new BMW passenger cars. Moreover, it drives even better than the original.

When: Now

How much: $45K+

Best attributes:

Looks like the last one…

…but it can do a lot more

Stands ready to maintain its unbeatable gay appeal

Audi rocked our world with the first U.S. showing of its upcoming exotic, the scrumptious R8 supercar. Based on the Lamborghini Gallardo and powered by a 420-hp V8 mounted behind the driver, the wide, low R8 will be as fast as a Ferrari and as nimble as a 911. But it will also be as comfortable as an A6, with room for two golf bags behind the seats! Make mine silver.

When: Summer

How much: $100K+

Best attributes:

Unspeakably sexy

Somewhat practical

A splendid alternative to a 911 or Aston Martin

GM is poised to launch three new crossover SUVs, and the best looking of them is – clutch pearls – a Buick! No, this is no sign that the Apocalypse is nigh, it’s just one seriously good-looking SUV named Enclave, which just happens to be a Buick. With an interior to match its stunning bod, this may be the first Buick since the ’87 Regal Grand National that gays could be proud to own.

When: Spring

How much: $30K+

Best attributes:

Best looking Buick in generations

Very, very nice interior

Buick claims it to be one of the quietest vehicles ever

A virtual shoe-in for gay automobile of the year is the new cute-ute from our longtime fling, Land Rover, the new LR2. Replacing the Freelander (Remember that? Neither did we.) in the lineup, the LR2 is roughly the same size as the BMW X3 and will be priced like it too, starting in the mid-$30K range. Expect amazing off-road capability and puh-lenty of luxury.

When: Summer

How much: $35K+

Best attributes:

Small, but well dressed inside and out

Certain to be amazing off-road

Makes Land Rover luxury more accessible

If any country knows how to make practicality sexy, it’s Sweden. So it’s no surprise that Sweden’s superstar automaker, Volvo, has produced the sexiest hatchback we’ve seen, um, perhaps ever: the new C30. Based on the S40/V50 that we already love, the C30 has a cool glass hatch and smooth styling, combined with a zesty turbo motor. It’ll be here by next summer, with prices starting in the mid $20K range.

When: June

How much: $25K+

Best attributes:

Fabulous Swedish style

Love that back window

An S40 with serious pizzazz

Is that a banana in your pocket or did an Aston Martin just drive by? Seriously, anything wearing the winged Aston Martin badge on the front is certain to exude goo-gobs of sex appeal, and taking the roof off makes it only more so. The new V8 Vantage is a small two-seater with big power, and is also the most affordable Aston ragtop available… that is if $130,000 can be considered affordable.

When: Spring

How much: $130K+

Best attributes:

Bond-girl curves

Rip-snorting V-8 engine

A rolling reason to find yourself a “daddy”

As much as we appreciate GM’s proactive marketing to the gay community, Saturn’s mediocre products have had a hard time capturing our collective hearts. Until recently, that is. Soon Saturn’s sexy Sky roadster and pleasant Aura will be joined by a much better Vue, which is based on a European compact SUV and should be just the thing to change hearts and minds in a favorable way. Particularly nice are the interior bits, which will blow your mind if you haven’t been in a GM vehicle recently.

When: Summer

How much: $23K+

Best attributes:

Cute, cuddly styling

High-quality interior

European roots promise sweet handling

Lamborghini has always been the wildest automobile manufacturer in the world, but now it’s adding glamour to the craziness in the form of a brief but significant partnership with pissy Versace design house. The very limited-edition (only 20 ever) white-and-black LP640 Versace edition features all the wild V12-powered action of the run-of-the-mill LP640, successor to the Murcielago, and adds fabulous key-patterned graphics on the side, black wheels, key-pattern stitching on the seats, ceiling and dashboard, and other exclusive touches. Price? Half a mil.

When: Now

How much: $500K

Best attributes:

Schizo-fabulous styling

Spectacular, exclusive interior treatment

Doesn’t get faster than this, my friends

The Infiniti G35 sedan, which has successfully lured many of us out of our beloved BMWs over the last five years, has been updated significantly this year. The proportions are now more coupe-like, while the power plant is even more powerful. You can still get a manual transmission for those so inclined, and the interior materials have been upgraded sufficiently to impress the Mercedes-Benz crowd. Well done.

When: Now

How much: $35K+

Best attributes:

Terrific proportions

Superior handling of rear-wheel drive

Should continue to be on gay-preferred list

Acura’s sleepy old MDX has clearly awakened and shaken the domesticity from its image in an attempt to lure the sexy crowd into its mid-size, seven-passenger SUV. Based on the many improvements this year – too numerous to list – I predict this will be a successful endeavor. The cool styling wraps around a 300-hp V-6 with one of the world’s most technologically advanced four-wheel drive systems. And the interior is equally impressive, with XM and real-time traffic reporting at the top of the features list. Very cool.

When: Now

How much: $42K+

Best attributes:

Techno-chic exterior

Techno-chic interior

Porsche performance at discount price

You’d have to be dead not to have noticed one of the Jaguar’s awesome new XKs on the road by now. Thing is, you may have thought you were being passed by an Aston Martin, not a Jag. No accident, as the leader of Jaguar design indeed came from Aston Martin. The new XKR elaborates upon the XK’s distractingly gorgeous style statement in the form of a 420-hp supercharged V-8, helping the big cat pounce to 60 miles per hour in less than five seconds. But even standing still, this kitty is splendid. Make mine black.

When: Now

How much: $85K+

Best attributes:

Gorgeous indeed trumps everything

Unflappable handling and acceleration

Everyone will think you’re in an Aston Mar tin

VW has given us another strange addition to our language with its son-of-Touareg compact SUV concept, the “Tiguan” – a combination of the words “tiger” and “iguana.” M-kay. A near clone of the production version that VW will be sending our way for the 2008 model year, the Tiguan fills a gaping hole in VW’s lineup, and likely will be filling many parking spots in gay garages.

Chances of production: Something by the same name will be sold here within a year

Best attributes:

Featherweight Touareg

Sporty and luxurious

The VW of compact utes

Certainly not intended for production, the Nagare concept – said to portend the styling direction of future Mazdas – has an ultra-slim window-line and all-glass roof, all of which is tinted a lovely shade of bronze, the perfect compliment for your recent spray-on tan. The sides are straked in slick, wave-like patterns, while the ultra-slim head- and taillights show what is possible with LEDs. Mazda has shown us its future, and it looks to be quite beautiful.

Chances of production: Absolutely none

Best attributes:

Sculpted dunescape along the bodysides

Skin-tone paint and roof tint

Incredible proportions

Every once in a while, designers are brought in to dust off an old idea and add their own flair. In this case, Ford chose famed-designer Fabrizio Giugiaro, son of the famed designer of the Lamborghini Countach, to do his thing on the Mustang. With the scissor doors and extreme proportions, it appears that this Italian apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. Crazy horse indeed.

Chances of production: This is strictly a one-off

Best attributes:

Full-glass roof and scissor doors

Sexy scowling headlamps

Horse-hide seat upholstery

Truthfully, when Honda introduced the adorable designer of its Remix concept at the L.A. auto show, I became more than a little distracted and forgot to take notes. The cute young blond named Ben Davidson could have stepped out of an Abercrombie catalog and onto that stage. Yum. For what it’s worth, the Remix represents what a future CRX would be like. And I think I know of the perfect accessory….

Chances of production: 50/50

Best attributes:

Great stance

Nice mug

Hot body

Oh yeah, the car was cool, too

In case mother nature makes it hellion-earth, Hyundai has its Hellion concept, a crazy, billowing, four-passenger SUV with an insect-inspired exoskeleton, intimidating front end styling and a camouflage roof to match those pants you keep wearing to Club Montage. Its mostly black interior is actually pretty slick, with indirect airliner-style lighting and glossy white accents. We may see a hatchback ute come from Hyundai in coming years inspired by this.

Chances of production: Not much, at least not in this form

Best attributes:

Cool clamshell hood

Great proportions

Diesel engine would deliver power and fuel economy in equal measure

If you think hybrids are the future, think a little further. Most major companies have jumped on the hydrogen bandwagon, knowing that by the middle of the next decade, energy companies will figure out a way to turn the most abundant element extant into viable automotive fuel. The four-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steer Chevrolet Sequel has three electric motors, a cruising range of 300 miles and, best of all, absolutely zero emissions. It won’t be produced yet, but a lot of its technology will be found in future GM “fuel-cell” automobiles.

Chances of production: Still experimental but sure to bear fruit

Best attributes:

Livable crossover-ute body packaging

Drives like a normal car…

…but doesn’t pollute like one