Fuel-Friendly is the Theme at the Los Angeles Auto Show

Honda unveils its FC Sport fuel cell concept car as the Los Angeles Auto Show opens for press previews at the Los Angeles Convention Center on November 18, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Against a backdrop of economic upheaval, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC will be virtual no-shows with no senior executives in attendance nor holding any press conferences as they concentrate on lobbying for federal bailouts. Ford Motor Co. will be the only big American auto maker to have a significant presence at the annual event and compete with participating foreign car makers. The first major North American auto show of the season opens to the public on November 21 and continues through November 30. (Getty Images)more pics »Car fanatics will be pleased to hear that the Los Angeles Auto Show will open this Friday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Well-known car makers, including Honda, Toyota and Ford as well as luxury names like Porsche, Audi and Bentley will be debuting next season's models as well as futuristic concept cars.

Nissan unveils the Cube. The theme of this year's show seems to be fuel efficiency, which only makes sense considering how fickle gas prices are right now. Big trucks and huge SUVs are basically non-existant on the show-room floor, replaced by hybrids and fuel-friendly cars like the newly debuted Nissan Cube, a battery powered electric car, which looks very much like a cube. Surprise!

Honda will unveil a fuel cell concept car called the FC Sport. Although it would be cool to see some hydrogen powered sports cars, the FC Sport is pretty ugly. It's sleek, and kind of cool, but its design might be a little too modern for the current car buyer. What is awesome is the interior, which was modeled after the McLaren F1, with the driver seated in the center of the vehicle and passengers on each side.
Honda unveils the FC Sport fuel cell concept car.

Not making a significant appearance this year are General Motors and Chrysler. Both companies are facing a significant financial crisis as sales of their cars continue to decline.

The Los Angeles Auto Show is the first major North American auto show of the season, and runs from November 21, to November 30. The show will also feature other interesting world car debuts from Lexus, BMW, Cadillac, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Pontiac, with concept cars by Hyundai, Kia, Saab and Toyota.