Ferrari's new limited-edition boy toys likely to be gone in the blink of an eye

Yesterday, it was the Italians' turn to show off their pricey motoring toys. Ferrari's latest limited-edition vehicle, the Scuderia Spider 16M, had its cover thrown off for the media at its Causeway Bay showroom on Leighton Road. Only 499 cars are available worldwide and 25 have been set aside for the local market.

'Hong Kong is a very important market for Ferrari,' Italian Motors chairman Richard Lee Man-fai (centre in picture) said. 'We can never have enough, but since it's a limited edition, not everyone who can afford it will have them. This is a real collectors' choice for passionate sports-car lovers.'

Clearly, there is no recession for fast-car fanatics. The two-seat convertible starts from HK$4.5 million, and it doesn't deter buyers that they have to leave Hong Kong to test their toy's top performance.

'Hong Kong doesn't have a motor racing track. In fact, there's barely any place where you can really feel the speed. The driving experience on a track is totally different. I wish Hong Kong could have its own racing track in the future.'

Yeah, maybe that can come next on the government's agenda after health care and housing. To prove Ferrari owners aren't all ostentatious playboys, at the event it was also revealed an anonymous group of them donated a total of US$120,000 to the Abruzzo Region Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund.