Raging Bull
Lamborghini Murciélago
List price: $273,000
Jaw-dropping looks — what else did you expect from Lamborghini? — are just the start with the Murciélago.
Under the hood you get an all-aluminum 6.2-liter V-12 that delivers 575 horsepower and will get you from 0 to 60 in 3.8 seconds. That power plant is paired with Lamborghini’s first-ever six-speed gearbox and a permanent four-wheel-drive system.
Flip up the gull-wing doors on the carbon fiber body and you’re greeted with leather-wrapped bucket seats, a leather-wrapped sport steering wheel and a steel-balled gear lever and steel selector gate.
Why you want it: Speed. Speed. Speed.
M Life
Ferrari 575 M Maranello
List price: $250,000
High performance paired with exquisite appointments make a powerful one-two punch for Ferrari’s top-of-the-line model.
If the 5.75-liter, 515 horsepower V-12 with a Formula 1-style gearbox isn’t enough to get you, how about an adaptive suspension that, based on road conditions, raises and lowers the ride height to optimal position for the sport or comfort setting.
Why you want it: It’s a Ferrari, stupid.
Shaken, not stirred
Aston Martin Vanquish
List price: $231,000
If your tastes are a little more classic — but you don’t want to give up bone-crushing power — the Vanquish is for you.
It may start a little slower than the Lamborghini, but it still gets you to 100 mph in 10 seconds. With an all-new design for 2003, the Vanquish features a 6.0-liter V12 assisted by the a-speed semi-automatic transmission operated by a pair of F1-style paddles behind the steering wheel. All this is covered by a body made of super-plastic-formed and pressed aluminum that is neither too retro nor too modern.
Why you want it: If it’s good enough for Bond, it’s good enough for you.
F-1 fun
Mercedes Benz SLR
List price: $250,000
Coming later this year, the SLR promises to bring the knowledge Mercedes has gained from working with McLaren on the Formula 1 circuit to a production model.
The carbon fiber and aluminum body features gull-wing doors with remote-controlled door handles that retract once you enter the car. A 557 horsepower supercharged V-8 engine takes you from 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and boasts a top speed just shy of 200 mph.
Why you want it: Because you can’t race for Team Mercedes McLaren. And those door handles.
One of a kind
A custom-made Bentley
List price: $211,000 entry-level base
If your fast-car days are behind you, it’s time for a Bentley. But not just any Bentley.
Start with the Arnage sedan — or the more expensive Continental coupe or Azure convertible — and send it over to the carmaker’s Mulliner division for all the extras your heart desires. Shaquille O’Neal has a Superman logo on his grille. Queen Elizabeth has a royal purple paint job.
And for the busy executive? How about a 1 GHz on-board PC with a 20-gig hard drive, wireless keyboard and full mobile office capability. Extras can easily add another $100,000 to the price.
Why you want it: It’s as unique as you are.
