[PORTFOLIO]

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BY DENNIS ODA / STAR-BULLETIN

The Subaru model, above, is a concept car, which means it's just for
looks right now and in fact may never reach a showroom floor.

VVVRROOOOMM!

IT'S KIND OF A SICK, codependent relationship when you think about it. On the one hand, we're fascinated by these symphonies in chrome and steel; on the other, we know they're nothing but gas-guzzling pollutants. We love our cars, we hate our cars, but finally we can't live without them. And no one knows this better than auto manufacturers, whose brilliance lies in continually finding new ways to seduce us.

Plymouth's Prowler is the only production car that
has its wheels sticking out of the car frame.

How do they do it? Well, one way is via events like the First Hawaiian International Auto Show, running through today at the Hawai'i Convention Center. Interspersed among models that can be found at any dealership are several one-of-a-kind concept cars (like the Subaru on the facing page) that may never be sold in the consumer market. Then again, if the public shows enthusiasm at auto shows, the model may be available in just a few years. Lightning struck a Thunderbird concept vehicle a few years back, and now the car is in general production.

But how do you measure the enthusiasm? The answer may surprise you. Look closely at some of the concept cars on display at this year's show, and then look a bit closer. Tiny microphones have been planted on the cars' bodies, thus ensuring that neither ooh nor ahh will go unnoticed.

A Ferrari 360 Modena is on display at the
2001 First Hawaiian International Auto Show.

The license plate on a Ferrari 360 says it all
about our love affair with the automobile.

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