Three Legendary Ferrari Supercars Coming to Honolulu for June 12 - 13 International Exotic Car & Cycle Show

HONOLULU, June 2 -- How often do you get to see three Ferrari supercars in one place at the same time -- anywhere in the world?

Once in a lifetime if you're lucky, but on June 12th & 13th at the Neal Blaisdell Center, these prancing horses will be in the same exhibit for the inaugural International Exotic Car & Cycle Show. Whether or not you're a car enthusiast, you've probably heard of the limited production supercars that Ferrari builds every five or so years. The latest example is Ferrari's Enzo, which will set you back about $1,000 for each of its 650 horses if you were lucky enough to be "chosen" by Ferrari to buy one.

Between 1990 and 2001 Ferrari built three limited production supercars, the F40, F50, and 550 Barchetta, all of which will be appearing at the show's Ferrari supercar exhibit-generously provided by the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Since 1985 with the introduction of the 288GTO, Ferrari has raised the bar with each supercar successor in performance, design, and investment value.

Enzo Ferrari envisioned a simply trimmed, basic, street legal powerhouse with a top speed of 201mph! With that, 399 F40's were born in commemoration of the company's forty years in business. A lower center of gravity and large spoiler allows this car to attack each corner with vigor. This would be the last Ferrari that Enzo himself would introduce to the world before his death. Today, this car is valued at $325,000.

With the exception of the open top, the F50 is pure race car. 399 F50's were conceived in the midst of tough competition from companies such as Bugatti, Lister, and McLaren, but Ferrari was the only company to turn a profit. Today these cars are worth $650,000. Inspired by World Champion Ferrari Formula One cars, the F50's chassis is rigid and lightweight, thanks to carbon fiber, but you won't find any wood trim or sound system packages.

The 550 Barchetta, produced in 2001, celebrates seventy years of Pininfarina tradition. Sergio Pininfarina is responsible for some of the most legendary designs. He is also known for his work with Alfa Romeo. This car was intended to run topless. Poor aerodynamics caused by the lack of a roof didn't keep this car from taking it all off since the 550 Maranello Coupe. In concession to bad weather, a manual cloth top was added. Ferrari produced 449 of these cars, now valued at $300.000.

European exotic automobile manufacturers Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, and Lotus will be featured in the event as will motorcycle manufacturers Harley Davidson, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Buell, Honda, and Aprilia. In all, over 200 exotic cars and cycles will be on display.

Tickets are available at the Neal Blaisdell Center box office, 777 Ward Avenue, Honolulu, 808-527-5400. Hours for the show are Saturday, June 12, 10:00 AM -10:00 PM, and Sunday, June 13,10:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Tickets are $6.00 for adults (13 and over); $4.00 for seniors (62 and over) and military (with ID); $2.00 for children (7-12); and free for children six and under.

Discount coupons available at McDonald's, Dave & Busters, Hawaii Adventures Waterpark, Wallace Theatres, JN Chevrolet, Audi of Hawaii and online at http://www.exoticcarshow.com/.

The International Exotic Car & Cycle Show is being sponsored by JN Automotive Group, and the Honolulu Advertiser. This is the first of many planned events to be held in conjunction with the World Trade Center Hawaii. For more information please contact WTC Productions at (808) 585-6627 or go online at http://www.exoticcarshow.com/.

  FERRARI SUPERCAR FACT SHEET

  1990 Ferrari F40

In 1987 when Enzo Ferrari was 90 years old he celebrated forty years of producing cars under his name. When Ferrari himself unveiled the car at the factory at Maranello the world saw that he had created a true supercar. Under the hood you will find a twin turbo V8 that produces 478 horses pushing the car to a top speed of 201mph.

The aim was simplicity and not extravagant flair. The F40 was to be the fastest street legal car ever built, boasting one of the fastest accelerations. The F40 has no carpets, electric windows or central locking, this car is not meant to be a luxury sports car, it was designed to be a real race car. Functionality is key. Every vent has a purpose, cooling the huge engine or brakes. The large spoiler is required to keep the car on the ground at top speeds.

1995 Ferrari F50

The F50 drew heavily on Formula 1 concepts and technology of the day. A 4.7L V12 gives the F50 513 horses, with a top speed of 207mph. Another key difference between this car and its predecessor is the convertible top. Never before had such a high performance spyder been offered for sale, which made the F50 the world's fastest roadster upon it's launch. The use of carbon fiber resulted in an incredibly rigid set up that was as flex-free with the roof removed, as it was as a coupe.

The transparent engine cover that was first used on the F40 is also used on the F50. Huge engine cooling scoops are carved out from each side as the engine is almost fully enclosed by the underbody aerodynamics. The F50 was only available in five colors, two reds, yellow, black and silver. Pininfarina's cockpit design featured heavily bolstered composite seats trimmed in Connolly leather and fully adjustable pedals and seats allowing almost every driver to tailor a perfect position. The dash houses nicely integrated digital, and more traditional, analogue readouts. Launched during March 1995's Geneva Salon, the F50 was only ever built as a limited edition model, 349 being manufactured by the time production ceased in 1997, all of which were left-hand drive.

2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta

In September 2000, Ferrari unveiled the 550 Barchetta and announced that they were going to build 448 of them to celebrate Pininfarina's 70th Anniversary. The 550 Barchetta bears many of the same styling cues as the production 550 Maranello Coupe. Even with the aerodynamic inefficiencies caused by the lack of a roof, little was compromised in performance and handling. It was the bodywork that inevitably saw the most radical alterations in its transition from Maranello to Barchetta. Pininfarina removed all evidence of a roof, cutting the windscreen height down to give a real roadster appearance. A broad muscular tail with a flat deck and two prominent roll hoops transformed the look of that previously restrained coupe. New five spoke riveted alloy Speedline wheels were used, and the interior of the Barchetta contains sporty racing seats, and carbon fiber dash, steering wheel, and door trim.