Yesterday at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the North American auto show season kicked off as the LA Auto Show opened its doors for media days. The overall mood at the show is one of subdued optimism, with the auto market finally showing signs of recovery after a disastrous period of bankruptcies and losses. While some automakers like Nissan decided to sit the show out completely, others debuted some very important (and exciting) cars in LA.

Arguably the most anticipated debut of the show was the US-spec Ford Fiesta. After hyping the car up through the Fiesta Movement, Ford will have the new compact on sale in the summer of 2010 as 2011 model.

Mazda meanwhile unveiled the North American Mazda2, which happens to share a platform with the Fiesta. I’ll be dedicating separate posts to both the Mazda2 and Ford Fiesta displays at the show.

Ford’s display also included the 2011 Mustang V6. Although it looks the same as the 2010, the base V6 now makes an incredible 305hp and will deliver 30mpg. Gone are the days of six cylinder pony car owners lowering their heads in shame…

Of course this means the Mustang GT should also be getting its much rumored power increase. I’m guessing will be hearing more about the GT’s new powerplant later in the auto show season.

Lexus showed the LF-Ch hybrid concept in their booth. Hmm…does anyone else see a little VW Scirocco in this car?

The real star of the Lexus booth was the LFA. I have to say the white LFA looks much better than the flat black one that’s been making the rounds here in the states.

This cut-out model of the car was on display as well, letting everyone get a good look at the LFA’s innards.

Toyota’s big debut for the show was the new Sienna minivan. Wait a minute, a Toyota Sienna on Speedhunters?

It’s not quite as stylish as the funky minivans sold in Japan, but it looks a lot more interesting than the current Sienna, and dare I say it…a little cool. The one in the photo is the sport version, which comes with dropped suspension, unique styling, and 19’s.

I know it’s not new, but I’ve really been digging the Dodge Challenger lately.

It’s big, heavy, and over the top, but I really want to hop in one of these bruisers for a long road trip…

To mark the end of the Dodge Viper (in its current form at least), Chrysler had a large display dedicated to the car, including the badass ACR model.

Subaru had a few interesting cars in their booth, including the 2010 WRX STI Special Edition.

Inspired by the JDM Spec C, the Special Edition has stiffened up suspension, special wheels, and a bit of weight savings.

Subaru also showed their Hybrid Tourer concept, featuring gull wing doors and a hybrid system using a turbo boxer motor (what else?).

I was impressed by the new Legacy 2.5 GT, and I’m looking forward to spending some time on the road in one. Now, if Subaru could just bring the Legacy Wagon back to North America…

To commemorate the launch of the new Boxster Spyder, Porsche brought out this vintage 718/8 W-RS Spyder.

I wasn’t a big fan of the four-door Porsche Panamera when I first saw it, but it’s growing on me. I guess it’s still hard to belive Porsche offers a sedan now…

Downstairs is a small hall dedicated to custom cars and aftermarket parts. I guess you could call it a nano-sized version of the SEMA show.

That concludes the first part of my LA Auto Show coverage. More on the way!

-Mike Garrett