Photo by Craig FritzTribune

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Seth Nenabar (from left), John Rozeira and Bryce Albrecht, all with General Motors, push a model of the redesigned Chevrolet Camaro into the Albuquerque Convention Center. Concept cars like the Camaro, which is due into showrooms in 2009, join energy-saving hybrids, muscle cars and trucks at the New Mexico International Auto Show, which runs through Sunday.

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They have a language all their own, car people.

"Two 10s in the trunk."

"Short-throw shifter."

"Blow-off valve."

"Four-banger."

"Cat-back exhaust."

"Dubs."

Don't ask.

If you want to know what makes gearheads tick, watch their eyes glaze as they stare into the engine compartment of a BMW; listen to the sighs as they settle behind the wheel of a loaded Lexus; note how their hands caress the body of a 505-horsepower Corvette.

They love cars.

"The sound, the speed, the power," says 20-something Sloan Bradberry. "I'm crazy about muscle cars."

"I've had a fixation on cars since I was a little girl," says mom Lisa Rowland. "The new technology is amazing, the lines, the moon roofs."

"I like the beauty," says Bob Pimentel, a distinguished gentleman. "A car can be a comfort and a joy."

Says 10-year-old Yael Viniegra: "Cars do cool things."

They were among the thousands of people at opening day Friday of the fourth annual New Mexico International Auto Show at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

More than 300 cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles from 30 domestic and import manufacturers are on display and unlocked, ready to be sat in and inspected. The prices and specs are posted, but vehicles aren't for sale. Industry experts are there to answer questions, not peddle the wares.

"What's that?" a girl asks a guy, pointing to a rear spoiler.

"It creates downforce," he says, "so when you're driving at high speed and air is forming over your car, the fin catches it and pushes the back down so the car doesn't flip. It keeps the back end of the car from leaving the ground at high speed."

And, she asks, the hood scoop? "The engine is positioned horizontally, not vertically. Instead of pistons firing up and down, they fire sideways. It doesn't get air from the grill. The scoop gets air into the intercooler."

Even if you can't define an up-pipe, down-pipe and mid-pipe (answer: the pieces of an exhaust), there's much to ogle at the show.

Concept cars offering a glimpse into the future of auto design and technology are the star attraction.

There's the Cadillac Sixteen, a mind-boggling machine with a V-16 engine, 1,000 horsepower, 24-inch aluminum wheels, crystal hubcaps, a glass roof, silk carpets, a Bulgari clock and 30 layers of paint.

The Ford Fairlane has a tailgate that opens from either side to reveal a built-in refrigerator and food prep tray.

The Ford Reflex has reverse butterfly doors, 20-inch wheels, seats made of recycled Nike running shoes and a diesel-electric hybrid engine.

Then there's the Chevy Camaro, resurrected by General Motors after being dropped about six years ago. The new Camaro, to hit showrooms in 2009 (price as yet undetermined), is the ultimate muscle car.

"I like it, absolutely," says John McCann. "It's sleek."

His dream car, though, is the Suzuki Dune, a dune buggy on steroids.

There are new or restyled models for 2007: the Acura RDX, Pontiac Solstice, Dodge Nitro, Mercedes-Benz GL450, Chrysler Aspen and Volkswagen Eos.

There are cars soon to be in showrooms: the pre-production Dodge Avenger, Ford Focus, Ford F-250, Chrysler Sebring convertible, Jeep Patriot and Mercury Mariner.

Trends to watch for are:

Retro styling. A batch of new cars look like muscle cars of the 1950s and '60s. While the feel is retro, the engines and interiors are state of the art. "It's the perfect marriage of old and new," says show spokeswoman Shelbi Okumura.

Going green. Most automakers have jumped on the hybrid-engine bandwagon to offer better gas mileage - up to 60 miles per gallon - and savings at the pump. The show is packed with gas/electric cars, among them the Ford Escape, Honda Accord, Lexus RX 400h, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry and Saturn Vue Green Line.

And there are small, European-styled conventional cars that are easy on the gas and the wallet: Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Nissan Versa, all getting 35 mpg and costing about $12,000.

Crossovers. These are mid-size sport utility vehicles, the sweet spot between a car and a truck. "Consumers want the versatility of a truck or SUV but the comfort, smooth ride, luxury and performance of a car," says Matt Stone, executive editor of Motor Trend magazine. Some on display are the GMC Acadia, Acura RDS, Saturn Outlook, Ford Edge, Hyundai Santa Fe, Lincoln MKX and Mazda CX-7.

Hard-top convertibles. Ragtops are so yesterday. The new convertibles look like sedans until, at the push of a button, the top breaks into three sections that collapse and fold into the trunk.

High technology. Anybody can be James Bond, as even the lower-end cars come with navigation systems, Blue Tooth, surround sound, lane assist, blind-spot warning, rear-sensing systems and rearview cameras, DVD players and iPod hookups.

Looking longingly at a snazzy Porsche Boxster, Eric Williams says, "I love going fast. Cars are among a person's most proud possessions. People like to make them cool and make a statement. Having a great car takes away the monotony of going where you need to go. It makes driving more enjoyable."

Williams' mouth is dry. Come to think of it, there are a lot of dry mouths in the cavernous room.

But the organizers know their audience, their car people.

There's drinking water everywhere.