honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, March 6, 2008

Auto show exhibits range from hybrids to Hummers

Video: 'Wassap Wit Dat!' blogger visits car show
Video: Hot and Cool cars at the Auto Show
Video: Hybrid vehicles at the Auto Show

By Dave Dondoneau
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

More than 350 vehicles will be on display today through the weekend at the Hawai'i Convention Center.

Photos by GREGORY YAMAMOTO | The Honolulu Advertiser

spacer spacer

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

Most expensive: Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, $400,000

Least expensive: Chevy Aveo, starts under $10,000

Best mpg: Toyota Prius hybrid, 48 mpg highway, 45 city

Worst mpg: Hummer H2, mileage not published by the maker, but independent tests rate it about 9 mpg

spacer spacer

AUTO SHOW

Where: Hawai'i Convention Center

When: Today and tomorrow: noon-10:30 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

On-site parking: $5

TICKETS

Adults: $7

Senior citizens (62 and older): $5

Students (13 and older with student ID): $5

Military (with ID): $5

Children: 7 to 12, $4*; 6 and younger, free

*All children 12 and younger admitted free on Kids Day.

Discount tickets at www.motortrendautoshows.com

spacer spacer

MORE HIGHLIGHTS

Green Trail: Signs will point out all hybrids. You can compare hybrids against the original car model (like the Camry hybrid vs. the conventional Camry) and against other manufacturers.

Other exotics: $250,000 Lamborghini Superleggera; $130,000 Maseratis and $200,000 Bentley Continental GTC convertible.

Worth seeing: Audi R8 starts at $110,000. It's a futuristic two-seater that has all-wheel drive with lots of power.

spacer spacer
Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

The most expensive car at the show through this weekend is the 620-horsepower, 12-cylinder Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano — all yours for just $400,000.

spacer spacer
Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

The least expensive car at the 2008 First Hawaiian Auto Show at the Hawai'i Convention Center is a Chevy Aveo, which has a starting price of less than $10,000.

spacer spacer

Follow the "Green Trail" at this week's 2008 First Hawaiian Auto Show and you'll be able to compare hybrids against each other and against the same model's non-hybrid version.

Stray from that path and you can see how the other half lives — those lucky folks who can buy a $200,000 car as if it were a carton of milk and who don't bother checking the miles-per-gallon rating.

"There is definitely something for everyone this weekend," said Shaun Foley, public relations associate at Motor Trend Auto Shows Inc. "We've got over 30 manufacturers here and people can compare hybrids, look at future models and check out all the new features."

Hybrids typically run a few thousand dollars more than the regular model of a vehicle.

For instance, a Honda Civic hybrid, starting at $23,000, is rated at 40 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway. A regular Civic typically starts at $21,000 and is rated at 25 and 36 mpg, respectively.

On the high end, a Lexus LS 600 HL is the most expensive hybrid at the show at $114,000 and is rated at 20 and 22 mpg. The base cost of a non-hybrid Lexus LS 600 is $73,000 and is rated at 16 and 24 mpg.

The auto show, whose sponsors include The Advertiser, is running today through Sunday at the Hawai'i Convention Center.

The show includes more than 350 vehicles, including the same cars you find in auto showrooms plus preproduction models, alternative fuel vehicles, exotic and customized cars and vintage Volkswagens.

Some things to look for:

  • Wow factor: There's more than $2 million worth of exotic cars on display.

    "It's just the most popular area in our showroom every year," Foley said. "The people who buy these cars appreciate them like some people do paintings. They look at a Ferrari like it is their Picasso."

    A $200,000 Bentley Continental GTC soft-top convertible will be on display, said Brad Nicolai, general manager and vice president of JN Automotive Group, which sells exotic cars.

    "The car is handmade ... ," Nicolai said. "The care that goes into making it is amazing. The steering wheel is hand-stitched and took over 15 hours to make."

  • Green Trail: Visitors can test hybrids and flex-fuel models from different manufacturers and learn how new technology can save money at the fuel pump and promote a cleaner environment.

    The Green Trail will point the way, Foley said.

    "With the growing number of hybrids on the market and the interest in these cars we thought it was important this year to mark the path in the showroom with signs indicating which cars are hybrids," he said. "We didn't put all the hybrids together, but we have marked them so they're easy to find."

  • New features: "Voice command is something that's growing with new models, mostly with Ford and its sync series," Foley said.

  • New cars: Volkswagen's 2009 Tiguan model is its first midsize SUV. It is rated for 26 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.

    Other 2009 preproduction models yet to hit dealer showrooms include the Pontiac Vibe, Dodge Journey, Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla, Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen.

    Reach Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.