These are the untouchables, the prize cars you can't touch at the Michigan International Auto Show. You can't even breathe on them.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – There are two kinds of cars on display at the 15th Annual Michigan International Auto Show this weekend.
Most of the cars you can climb into, play with the shifter, adjust the seats, and open the hood and trunk.
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Then there are the untouchables, the prize cars you can’t touch. You can’t even breathe on them.
Later today, I’ll list my 10 favorite cars you can touch. In fact, I would encourage you to touch them when you visit the show. That’s what they are there for.
But first, here’s the top 10 cars you can look at all you want, but don’t touch:
2013 Ferrari FF: This car is a Ferrari and it’s red. It’s the first all-wheel drive Ferrari. It seats four comfortably and is propelled by a V-12 engine that kicks out 661 horsepower. It snarls like a Formula 1 racecar and comes with its own set of luggage.
At $402,561, most of us are not worthy. Even if you could afford one, Ferrari might not let you buy one unless you’ve proven yourself worthy of ownership with other Ferraris. So look. Dream if you wish, but don’t touch.
Related: Hear snarl of Ferrari FF, Michigan International Auto Show's most expensive car at $402,000
2014 Aston Martin Vanquish: Calling this British work of art a car is like saying the Buckingham Palace is a nice house. From its hand-stitched leather seats to its aluminum frame and carbon fiber body panels, this car is too sweet for your grubby fingerprints -- unless you can write a check for $349,712.
RELATED: A $349,712 car? See the 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish, star of auto show in Grand Rapids
2013 Ford Boss 302S: You can get close to this special edition Ford on the floor of DeVos Place, but you can’t get intimate. The sign on the windshield that says “Not Street Legal” should tell you if the big wing, fat tires, roll cage and lack of interior amenities do not.
This is a factory race car, No. 8 of 50 that Ford will build. This Mustang is destined for a hard and brutal life on race tracks before it will be put out to pasture. Enjoy looking at it while it’s still a colt.2014 Jaguar F-Type: Parked on a mirrored stage in DeVos Place, this orange roadster begs to take you out on the open road, where you can relive the days when Jaguar roadsters showed up in black and white movies with David Niven at the wheel.
This beauty is Jaguar’s first “true sports car” in 40 years, says Dave Bahls of The Sharpe Collection. This cat will be unleashed in May.
2014 Ford Transit Connect: For the practical minded, this pre-production minivan has its appeal for couples with tall offspring. Based on Ford’s small service and delivery truck, this prototype has a full passenger interior and lots of headroom. It’s big and tall, yet small. But it’s not ready for you to buy or sit in.
2013 Fisker Karma: This sporty full-sized member of the Million Dollar Motorway is just as cool and slinky as the Ferrari FF and the Porsche Panamera. But it’s also an electric car like a Chevrolet Volt. Check out the roof, where built-in solar panels help keep the batteries charged.
2013 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder : This angular little car in the Million Dollar Motorway is all about speed and power. The V-10 engine behind the driver’s seat will propel you to 200 mph. But we’re in the middle of the winter in Michigan and this car is as out of place as a palm tree in Marquette. Still, it's a cheeseburger in paradise.
2013 Rolls Royce Ghost: This white beauty with rear suicide doors is as prissy and elite as a car can be. With its white interior, it probably takes a week to clean if you so much as touch it. I’m guessing Prince William wouldn’t let Princess Kate take this one to the beach and neither should you.
1970 Hemi Challenger: Tucked outside the Million Dollar Motorway, this orange car kind of looks like some of the newer Dodge cars inside the big hall. With a powerful black Hemi under the hood, this is the car that inspired all of those fresh-faced Hemis next door. It is one of only 137 Hemi Challengers built that year and it’s in pristine condition. Respect.
2013 BMW M5: You can’t touch this car on the main show floor because of its unique matte black finish. The non-glossy paint requires special soap and cleaners when it gets dirty, says Bryan Dundurand, BMW sales manager for the Sharpe Collection.
Its carbonite beauty would be lost if all of our grubby hands touched its $5,000 paint job this weekend. So even though all of us want to touch it, keep your hands off and enjoy.
The 15th Annual Michigan International Auto Show opens to the general public at 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31 and continues through Sunday afternoon.
• Complete coverage of the auto show this weekend.
E-mail Jim Harger: jharger@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JHHarger