Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS: A Serious Driver's Car

Despite claims by some that Aston Martin's effort to create hard-core, "thoroughbred" supercars is futile, this may be the light-weight descendent of one of the best looking cars ever, and now, it has a dragon under it's hood. Oh yes, that fire breathing 6.0 Liter V12 straight out of the DBS has undergone a transplant into a car that weighs in at a kerb weight of an anorexic 3500 lbs. Now equipped with an even more growly exhaust system, lots of carbon fiber bits, and even carbon ceramic brake discs, this Aston might just be a track worthy daily-driver. With 600 bhp, any CEO can get his heart racing when he nudges the throttle just a little. All of Aston Martin's Racing experience, combined with components from the DBR9 GT1 Track Car, and of course the dashing good looks of Aston's top notch design department, would bring even me to say that this one's a winner. Everything except the price tag of a pocket picking $320,000... 

THE LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO LP560-4: What Supercars should be...

This is one of those ferocious Italian cars that make us smile. The very essence of passionate design is exemplified in the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4. This is what a supercar should be. Seriously. With a brand new bodykit, redesigned alloy wheels, carbon fiber all over the place, and that sumptuous 5.0 Liter V10 cranking out more horses then ever, you can't help but feel overwhelmed by Lamborghini's brilliance.  This thing oozes that feeling of insanity that we've come to expect of the Raging Bull. The new Gallardo could even be the epitome of the mid-engine supercars, in terms of design, technology, performance, and handling. This is what we should all be looking for in upcoming supercars.

THE FERRARI CALIFORNIA

Some were hoping for a hard core, lightweight super car, some imagined a replacement for the 250 GT California of old, and some hoped for an F430 replacement, however, we received none of the above. On the contrary, we received none of those. What we see could be a replacement for the 575 Maranello, a 2+2, with possibly a folding hardtop, and a big V8 in the front and *gasp* a second pair of seats in the back. But there is one problem. It's not that original. It's drop dead gorgeous, no doubt about that, but is it really a Ferrari? Does it really carry the flare, the insanity, the passion, and the soul of the Ferrari's that we've all come to love? To me, it feels like competition for the BMW M3 or the Mercedes CL63 AMG, but just more expensive, and with that heart-stopping Ferrari badge on the front, and a few pieces of carbon fiber here and there. What we have here is not a supercar, but a toned down Ferrari, a subdued prancing horse. It almost feels like Ferrari held back on this one, it's missing the purity and the excitement that give Ferrari it's name, and all we can hope, is for the lunacy to return. 

Images From Ferrari SpA

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Trevor