The 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show opens to the public on Friday and runs through December 9. If you're planning on swinging by the L.A. Convention Center to check it out, you'll want to do some drive-bys of the concepts cars.

What's a concept car? It's a dream machine, and some crazy experiment in futuristic design. They're an auto show staple, although in recent years the automakers have been exploring a new...concept when it comes to concept cars: concept-to-production. This means that the concept car on the show floor is pretty close to what consumers will be able to buy right off dealer lots.

That said, there are still plenty of out-there rides at the L.A. Auto Show. We've got 12 you can't, can't, CAN'T miss in the slide show above.

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Update: I spent a some time talking about the show with Larry Mantle on Airtalk this morning, with Eddie Alterman of Car and Driver and Ed Hellwig of Edmunds Inside Line. Check it out.

I'll be roaming the floor of the Los Angeles Auto Show for the next two days, checking out new cars, green cars, concept cars, and the business of cars in Southern California. I'll also be tweeting, so if you want to follow me, check out my Twitter feeds, below.

Look for photos, insights, and even some video. The LA Auto Show is the first big car show for the global industry, kicking off a season that runs for months and travels around the world.

The industry has taken its share of lumps over the past few years. The financial crisis nearly killed both Chrysler and General Motors — and seriously threatned Ford — but the Big Three are back, racking up profits quarter after quarter. 

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