There’s a new kind of competition emerging among China’s auto CEOs.

The Beijing Auto Show, an event absent from China’s capital for four years, resumed Thursday, quickly becoming a media spectacle dominated not only by the latest car models, but also by high-profile executives. These include Zhou Hongyi, founder of Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd., and Lei Jun, founder of Xiaomi Corp. Their presence, almost celebrity like, drew swarms of onlookers and almost overshadowed the showcased vehicles.