Four different colors of Lamborghinis pulled up right next to each other behind the Redmond Town Center parking lot on Saturday.

The scissor doors of the orange Lamborghini rotated upward, exposing the luxurious interior to envious spectators.

“The belief was that these exotics existed,” said Thomas Nault, the event creator of Exotics@RTC, a weekly show of luxurious cars. “The trick is to get people to bring them out of the garage, because we know they (are) there.”

E@RTC, or “Exotics@Redmond Town Center,” is the biggest weekly car show north of Los Angeles, according to Nault. It all started on Old Main Street in Bellevue when Nault and his friend Victor Tiscarino had the dream of drawing in cars from all over the world back in 2008.

Due to the difficulty of parking, the original event soon lost steam with only a few participants remaining.

After the two relocated the show to Redmond Town Center (RTC) in 2009, the numbers of participants started to climb, reaching an average of more than 200 cars per show day. The shopping center has been a sponsor ever since, helping to reserve parking spaces as well as covering advertising fees.

“From the beginning, Tom and Vic had this incredible vision of what Exotics at RTC could be and they personally dedicated significant time and resources to build this event into what it is today,” said Christina Henning, senior marketing manager at RTC. “Now, with a team of volunteers on board, Exotics is becoming bigger than ever with special events and guest appearances from some of the rarest cars in the world.”

Last weekend, the parking lot was again crowded with fans during the show, which takes place between 9 and 11 a.m. every Saturday at RTC.

“You can’t tell the difference between the owners and spectators, they are all the same,” said Nault. “And that is what it’s about: to create an event that brings the two together, because most of these exotic owners have a story to tell.”

People were wild on their feet. Many stepped back, preferring to view the beauties from a distance. Some sprang forward, bent down to check the wheels, and then up again to view the engines. Visitors aimed their cameras – from iPhones to large SLR-style — at their favorites. A Carrera 2, a 1936 Auburn Speedster, and a 1992 Ferrari 512 TR were among the highlights of the day.

According to Nault, exotics are rare, classic, expensive or greatly modified cars.

“Virtually any Ferrari or Lamborghini fits the term,” he added.

Occasionally, volunteers in green vests known as “Thugs,” would encounter an upset owner whose car was rejected from the show. Nault said the admission is not to pass judgment, but to present cars that are the best fit for the theme along with other exotics.

When a car falls in a gray area, Nault and the Thugs always blur the line in favor of the owner if there is slot available, he said.

As the vehicles pulled in near Bear Creek, volunteers used radio to contact the greeter on the other end to determine where the car should park. Sometimes, it required so much coordination that Nault compared the process to air traffic control.

During the gathering, people were welcome to sit in some cars with owners’ permission. Some owners briefly started up their engines to show their roar as exhaust blasted from the tailpipes.

“On Facebook I’ve got an album of 400 different pictures of just people sitting in my car, (and) also for me to recall the smile that it gave for them,” said David Mason of Newcastle, owner of a 1991 Ferrari Testarossa. “Not every Ferrari owner or Lamborghini owner is gonna say hands off or ‘you can’t touch it’ kind of thing,” which is what Hollywood has led people to believe, he added.

According to Mason, the ‘91 Ferrari Testarossa was the world’s fastest production car for number of years. It has a flat-12 engine, and can reach up to 185 mph.

At 10:30 a.m., a number of the exotic vehicles left the parking lot for the “Need for Speed” exhibit at the Boeing Museum of Flight. They joined speedboats and other historic aircraft along with the takeoff and landing of the Navy’s Blue Angels.

“It’s a meeting for the car enthusiasts!” Steve Bender, owner of a 2000 Lotus Esprit, said of the Exotics@RTC weekly car show.

The Saturday morning car show has also provided a boost to RTC businesses, Henning said.

“Many of our retailers have noted increases in sales and traffic during Exotics events which is really the cherry on top of an already incredible event,” she said. “We’re thrilled with the success of Exotics at RTC and are so fortunate to have gotten to know such a wonderful group of people through our involvement.”

For more information regarding E@RTC, visit www.exoticsat.com.

Joshua Chin is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.