Wacky Wheels at Auto Shanghai 2011

OK, it doesn't get much wackier than this outlandish commercial vehicle. Many like it — i.e., lavishly adorned food trucks — roam Shanghai. We affectionately call this the "cow car." Why? Well, that's pretty obvious: It is an ice-cream truck painted to look like a friendly bovine, complete with eyes, ears, a nose ring and pink smiley face. But that's not all that makes this truck unique — and sort of creepy. It comes with a strawberry ice-cream cone protruding from the roof, and ice-cream dispensing machines and coolers in the cargo area. What it doesn't come with is an obnoxious sound system. We guess Changan decided the color scheme was enough to reel in the kiddies on a hot summer day.

Bing: Changan Auto Group

This curiously familiar-looking electric vehicle uses the same zero-emission powertrain technology that is found in the Nissan Leaf. Thus, it gets the same basic fuel-efficiency stats. However, the Townpod has a decidedly more vanlike body that borrows design elements from a variety of other Nissan vehicles, such as the Z and the cube. The shape is odd and somewhat cartoonish, with a broad front end, high headlights and a squared-off rear end. Interior space is impressive and stylish, though. The side doors open suicide-style to provide a large entry space for passengers and unwieldy packages, and the split rear doors make loading cargo easy.

Compare: Nissan Leaf vs. Toyota Prius

It's hard not poke fun at the Gleagle IG. First, there's the name. Second, it's a microcar with huge gull-wing doors. Really? It looks as if the Gleagle IG might tip over if just one of its doors is opened, just like Fred Flintstone's prehistoric car does in the cartoon's opening segment when loaded down with brontosaurus ribs at the local drive-in. While this vehicle is just a concept, Geely is developing a production version of the IG that it says will be the most affordable car in the world, even less expensive than the Tata Nano. If the automaker is able to pull it off, the IG might be the next game changer. We'll believe it when we see it.

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The FO is BYD's entry-level economy car, and by all reports it is a very entry-level model — that is, its build quality is suspect at best. While the FO doesn't have a particularly oddball design per se, this particular version is just too pink to be taken seriously. It has pink brake calipers, pink seats with fluffy pillow headrests, a pink steering wheel, and even pink plastic trim that surrounds the air vents in the dash. It looks like something that the impeccably perky Elle Woods would drive in "Legally Blonde 10: Perfectly Pink!" It's just obnoxious.

Bing: Pink Cars

There's a fine line between wacky and cool, and the Naimo straddles that line. Big headlights, big wheels and large, suicide-style doors help it stand out from the crowd, along with its jade-colored paint job. But the Naimo isn't just another silly-looking face — it's an electric car capable of 93 mph and a claimed range of around 125 miles. A great use of interior space means there's room for four people, and it's packed with all sorts of advanced technology, including rearview cameras to replace the mirrors and high-pressure air jets that keep the windshield clear in rain, eliminating the need for wipers.

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It's always interesting when a car company chooses to use a celebrity to hawk its products. But what was smart thinking when it shoehorned 6-foot-6-inch Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant into a tiny 2-seat fortwo for a Chinese-market television advertisement? Check it out on YouTube — it's ludicrous. But even more bizarre is this vehicle, which is adorned with a likeness of the NBA superstar. Sure, Bryant is popular in China. But who would want to ride around with a life-size likeness of him on their vehicle? It's just weird.

(As part of an automaker-sponsored press event, Volvo provided MSN with travel and accommodations to facilitate this report.)

Perry Stern began his automotive career 21 years ago as an advisor at a vehicle consulting firm. In 1995 he became one of the original staff members of Microsoft CarPoint, and in 2002 the site's editor. Now a senior producer at MSN Autos, Stern has also contributed to MSNBC and various MSN properties in Canada, Japan and Europe.

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