LOOK BUT DON’T TOUCH

What does $1.8 million look like?

A Skittle. A giant Skittle.

It's sleek and red, not quite round but shaped like a fat Tic-Tac, and it looks so luscious you might be tempted to pop it in your mouth and savor it like the sweetest piece of candy.

If it weren't a 14-foot-long Italian sports car, that is.

Most people will never own anything worth nearly $2 million, but they can at least gaze upon it at the Strip's newest playground for the wealthy, Lamborghini Las Vegas at the Palazzo.

But don't even think about putting your hands on it; there's a strict no-touching policy.

The car, a Bugatti -- the most expensive and fastest production car in the world with a top recorded speed of 253 mph -- is part of a luxury car showroom that is unlike any ordinary dealership, says general manager Patrick Searcy.

The venue, while aimed at attracting serious buyers who can afford the Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Strykers, Ferraris or the $400,000 display artwork, also hopes to draw the people who can only afford the Lamborghini model car, available in the showroom's Lamborghini boutique for $80. Or even just the people who want to pay $10 to tour both levels of the showroom.

Maybe it's the speed, or the price or the signature design (think cool spaceship-style doors that open up instead of out); for whatever reason, people are drawn to Lamborghinis, Searcy says. A pre-owned Lamborghini can cost $140,000 while newer models cost $200,000 and more.

Roughly 3,000 of the cars are produced each year and 40 percent of those come to the United States, Searcy says.

With one dealership already on Blue Diamond Road, Lamborghini Las Vegas decided to open on the Strip because that's where the rich people go.

"It was location, location, location," Searcy says.

And to make the car shopping, or browsing, a memorable event, a boutique, an espresso bar and a restaurant were added to the 20,000-square-foot venue. It's even available for private parties.

It has been open a few weeks, but at least one person who qualifies to buy one of the luxury cars has come in every day, according to Lamborghini salespeople. To qualify, one must already own a Lamborghini or similarly valued car, or just be rich.

Potential buyers can tour the showroom for free, but if you only want to gawk, you'll have to pay $10. It's nonrefundable.

Upstairs, visitors can view a selection of Lamborghinis -- and the Bugatti -- in a variety of colors. There's lime green, yellow, shades of red, hues as vibrant and shiny as a bag of multicolored candy.

Once guests are finished salivating over the street-legal race cars, they can whet their appetite at Dal Toro, the showroom's Italian restaurant that is separated from the cars by a glass wall.

An eclectic collection of art is on display, including a silver reproduction of Wall Street's charging bull, sculpted by artist Arturo Di Modica.

"We wanted to create an atmosphere that's different from a normal dealership," Searcy explains of the venue's design. "It kind of ties into the Lamborghini lifestyle. It's exclusive ownership, fine Italian dining and entertainment on the Strip."

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at spadgett@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4564.