ASUS Lamborghini VX1 Notebook

PC fans commonly liken the speed of their computers to that of high-performance cars. It's therefore somewhat surprising to note that relatively few hardware manufacturers have released car-inspired PCs. Acer pioneered this phenomenon with its Ferrari laptop range, but it has taken almost two years for anyone else to follow suit. Ever eager to widen its range of stylish laptops, Asus has just released the sports car-inspired Lamborghini VX1 range, which promises as much performance and style as its namesake.


Design:
The VX1 comes in two flavours: black, and the more traditional Lamborghini yellow. Both are attractive, but our yellow review sample makes an instant retina-searing impression straight out of the box, making it the more suitable poser's accessory. Asus says the laptops use the same paint finish as the iconic cars, incorporating subtle golden paint flecks that catch the light of the sun, as well as the famous Lamborghini logo.


The lid of the VX1 has a moulded plastic section that is reminiscent of a car boot spoiler, but it's actually inspired by the engine cover slats of a Lamborghini Gallardo. It's a nice touch, giving the laptop a sleek overall look. Unfortunately, the 'spoiler' section of our review sample was a slightly different shade of yellow to the main body of the laptop -- a flaw which Asus says won't be present on final retail models.

Look closely at the spoiler section and you'll see a set of lights hidden behind fine meshing. These three indicator lights are of little use, but make a nice talking point for anyone who loves fine details. We'd hoped the sea of yellow would flow onto the inside section of the laptop, but Asus has chosen a contrasting black. This isn't such a bad thing, but the effect is spoiled by a row of stickers advertising the quality of the laptop's TFT panel and its interior components.

Processor
._Intel Core 2 Duo T7400 processor
(2.16GHz)

Chipset
._Intel 945PM + ICH7

Memory
._Two SODIMM sockets
._2x1GB DDR2 667 Unbuffered Non-ECC memory
._Supports maximum memory capacity up to 4GB

Graphics
._NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 VX 512MB

ATA
._1 x DMA 100/66
._160GB Seagate 5400rpm HDD (8MB cache)
._8x Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW

Communications
._10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
._Intel Pro 3945e(802.11a/b/g) Wireless LAN
._56K v.90 Fax/modem

Display
._15" SXGA+ TFT LCD (native 1400 x 1050)

Audio
._2.1 speakers
._24-bit High-Definition Audio External I/O Connectors
._1 x Power port
._1 x Lock jack
._1 x Ethernet port
._1 x Modem port
._1 x Headphone jack
._1 x Microphone jack
._1 x SPDIF jack
._1 x Express Card slot
._1 x TV-out port (S-Video)
._6 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
._1 x VGA/D-Sub port
._1 x Infrared port
._1 x 4-pin mini IEEE1394 port
._1 x Multimedia (MMC/SD/MS/MS Pro) Card Reader

Dimension and Weight
._1.2" x 13.0" x 10.7"
._Starting at 5.6 lbs.

Software
._Microsoft Windows XP w/ SP2