From self-driving taxis to supercars, see the 18 coolest cars at the Shanghai auto show

Nissan showed off a chunky concept SUV with a virtual personal assistant, an open interior, and an auto-dimming glass roof. Car companies from Kia to Polestar are experimenting with this kind of boxy, blocky aesthetic, and I applaud it. 

Nissan also took the opportunity to trot out the Max-Out, an all-wheel-drive sports car that the company says represents "the future of EV performance." Right now, there isn't a single convertible electric sports car on the US market. 

The Max-Out, if it ever actually becomes a production model, could be the first. 

Another concept car that isn't brand-new but worth mentioning: the BMW i Vision Dee. The electric model showcases BMW's "E ink" technology, which lets you change a car's color at the press of a button. 

Here is is in action at CES earlier this year: 

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China has all sorts of cute, affordable electric cars we don't get in America, like the new Panda Mini EV from Geely. Sure, it's kind of like driving a toaster, but at least everyone will be distracted by the duck-themed paint job. 

While most of the global auto industry has embraced electrification as the way forward, Toyota has sat on the sidelines. But that's changing.

It displayed two new concept cars that preview future EVs for the Chinese market. The bZ Sport Crossover is a sleek, low SUV aimed at Gen Z. 

With the FlexSpace Concept, Toyota aimed to create a vehicle for families with lots of interior space.

Mercedes unveiled one of the most luxurious electric vehicles money can buy and the first battery-powered model from its Maybach brand. The Maybach EQS SUV is decked out in copious amounts of wood and leather, has rear seats built for napping, and optionally comes with a refrigerated cubby and champagne flutes. 

It's not an EV you buy to drive. It's one you buy to be driven.

Lynk & Co, the high-end brand owned by China's Geely, displayed a concept it revealed in 2022 called The Next Day. The dramatic car's standout feature: suicide doors that open vertically.

The sharp and shiny Peugeot Inception concept looks like it time traveled to 2023 from some distant future where everything is sparkly clean and made of chrome. The only thing missing is someone dressed in a metallic jumpsuit to operate the sleek machine. Oh wait, Peugeot thought of that, too. 

The Inception previews the French automaker's EV designs coming after 2025. Peugeot says it has a stellar 496 miles of range and almost 680 horsepower.

XPeng, a startup, took the wraps off of its fifth model, the G6. Its silky-smooth body rides atop XPeng's latest and greatest tech platform. Plus, XPeng claims a range of 469 miles and that 10 minutes of charging can add 186 miles of range. 

Like other XPeng models, it offers a minimalist, clutter-free interior and a big ol' touchscreen. 

Part-Swedish, part-Chinese EV brand Polestar presented its latest SUV to the world: the 2025 Polestar 4. 

It's a little bigger than the Polestar 2 sedan and a little smaller than the Polestar 3 SUV, which debuted just a few weeks ago. It targets more than 300 miles of range and well over 500 horsepower in some models. 

But perhaps the most notable detail? It has no back window, forcing buyers to rely on a backup camera only. 

Yangwang is the new high-end sub-brand from BYD, the biggest maker of electric vehicles in China. If you count plug-in hybrids, BYD recently became the largest seller of plug-in vehicles in the world. 

It's next move: Capture well-heeled buyers around the world with luxurious Yangwang-branded vehicles. One is the U9, a supercar that the world recently learned will be able to dance, drive on three wheels, and hop off the ground thanks to BYD's new body control system. 

Yangwang also showed off the U8, a glitzy off-roader that surely takes some inspiration from the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen and Land Rover Defender. 

HiPhi, a brand from Chinese automaker Human Horizons, revealed the third vehicle in its lineup: the HiPhi Y SUV. HiPhi already has an X and a Z. 

The Y has outlandish doors that open in two directions: The upper parts unfurl upward like wings while the lower sections swing like regular doors. HiPhi also took the opportunity to announce it's expanding around the globe, and all three models are headed to Europe. 

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Chinese ride-hailing firm DiDi displayed an autonomous-taxi concept with loads of interior space and seats that face one another It also has robotic arms that can help people pick things up off the floor and assist riders with their luggage, Reuters reported. 

Volkswagen's Tesla-fighting ID.7made an appearance after making its global debut on Monday. 

The sedan comes with a 15-inch screen and promises impressive range of 453 miles (though that hasn't been tested by the US EPA yet). It hits Europe and China this year, before arriving on US shores in 2024. 

Lamborghini's first plug-in supercar has arrived. The Revuelto pairs a screaming V12 engine with three electric motors, cranking out more than 1,000 horsepower combined. 

The new model will start at just over $600,000, Lamborghini said. 

Chinese state-owned automaker Dongfeng presented an electric concept with possibly the strangest name ever: the eπ2023.

Dongfeng is calling its new EV brand "eπ," and I'll let the company explain what that means: "'e' represents 'electron,' which is the simplest unit of electricity, while the discovery and calculation process of 'π' reflects the scientific spirit of human perseverance and exploration of the unknown."

The smooth, rounded concept likely won't make it to production, but it sure looks cool.