JUST ANOTHER DAY IN THE OC - NOT

PRANCING HORSES & MASERATIS ON THE BEACH By CHRISTOPHER HUDDLESTON A recent MSN.com article listed the top ten priciest zip codes in the country. Very few of you reading this article will be surprised to learn that California dominated the list with seven of the top 10 priciest areas. What you may not realize is that two separate zip codes in the top ten actually belonged to Newport Beach, a city of approximately 80,000 situated on California's Gold Coast. Also amazingly, stalwart locales such as Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, and Rancho Palos Verdes all failed to make the list. Newport Beach is arguably the center of coastal Orange County's vibrant car culture. It's only fitting that the city will be the target for the expanding presence of Ferrari and Maserati in Southern California.

Located on the historic Mariner's Mile section of Pacific Coast Highway, the new Ferrari of Newport Beach and Maserati of Newport Beach are housed in an impressive 12,000 square foot building that redefines the idea of how a luxurious establishment such as this can be classy yet comfortable and fully in tune with the mystique of the famous Southern California lifestyle. According to Deborah Pollack of Ferrari North America, Inc., Ferrari is not simply a manufacturer of exotic cars, it is a full-lifestyle luxury brand. Ferrari's dedication to lifestyle marketing is most evident in the extensive array of licensed merchandise on display at the facility as well as the exclusive opportunities for Ferrari customers to enjoy opportunities for travel and enthusiast driving events, all centered around the Ferrari ownership experience. Bill Story, President of Ferrari of Newport Beach and Maserati of Newport Beach, feels the new PCH location is a perfect home for the two brands. The new facility boasts an impressive array of audio-visual equipment, such as an eight 50-inch plasma screens, an even bigger 62-inch plasma screen, and three 50-inch HoloPro screens that display video of fast cars and correspondingly fitting up-beat music. At night, the HoloPro screens remain lit up, casting out from the showroom an impressive light show for all the motoring public to see.

The Ferrari franchise will be migrating from the current Costa Mesa location on Baker Street to the new PCH location in Newport Beach. Maserati, however, will be opening a new point on PCH and keeping their existing Costa Mesa/Baker Street location. This Costa Mesa location will be the authorized Ferrari and Maserati service center for both Orange County locations. I was thoroughly impressed with Story's new facility. The spacious, airy, and welcoming facility presents a truly fine showcase of Ferraris and Maseratis that will be envied the world over. 1000 West Coast Highway is a fine addition to Ferrari of North America and Maserati of North America. I can't imagine a finer way to represent two of the world's leading luxury brands.

Ferrari of Newport Beach and Maserati of Newport Beach is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, Saturday, 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, and Sunday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The dealership's current inventory is listed on their website, www.fmsocal.com.