Hot laps

There's a flashy Italian bandwagon in town. Perhaps inspired by Acer's Ferrari branded laptop Asus bring you the Lamborghini branded notebook.

They've dropped some hints about what's inside. Asus confirmed this week that the machine will be based on Intel's Centrino Duo platform, and said it will contain more than 1GB of memory and a hard drive offering over 120GB.

The VX1 will incorporate a 15in display, Asus said, and claimed it will nonetheless weigh less than "most" 14in notebooks.

The computer sports a red light on its lid, built into the raised section that's said by Asus' designers to reflect the tail-end and grille of a 1970 Lamborghini Miura. The red glow, they add, suggests the car's brake light.

If this is more than just a cheap styling exercise but a genuine attempt to embrace Lamborghini's traditional brand values into computing, then users unfamiliar with the marques history may be in for a few surprises.

The notebook opens with the screen lifting up in a convoluted 'scissor swing' action that denotes mere hinges are for inferior types. Let's start her up. Lambo's starting have always been compared with an electric drill that soon turns to a mechanical din, and the VX1 is no different, everybody on the train will know you are a laptop user of style and distinction. Even in other carriages.

Visibility is somewhat limited by the styling, but when it looks this good, who's going to quibble about viewing the screen through a louvred slot 3 inches deep? And you'll need to concentrate when your operating a thoroughbred like this. The electrics are a little on the temperamental side, and it's not recommended that you put it in the same room as a glass of water, but Italian brio has never been about practicality.

Or reliability. A lot of Lamborghini's end up crashing, and the VX1 is the same, but you'll probably be glad of the break - the keyboard is offset by 36 degrees clockwise and was obviously designed by Jeremy Beadle. Not one for long documents!

A company official revealed Asus expects the machine to be priced between £1599 and £1799 when it ships.
Three days after you buy it expect it to be worth £25. Truly it's a Lamborghini!