Surprisingly and somewhat amazingly, Lamborghini unveiled a new car today for the Paris Auto show - the Estoque. And shockingly, it has four doors. This news is as big as the post when Ferrari unveiled an all-new model earlier this year - the California.

There are few examples of four door Lamborghinis over the decades. A brief prep lesson for the Trivial Pursuit hounds. The Lamborghini LM002 SUV was produced in limited numbers from 1986 - 1993. It was rare and generally unloved but mean and functional. The 1987 Lamborghini Portofino prototype, which never made it to production and then was reportedly destroyed in a wreck while on a transporter. It was slinky but no more than a wishful dream. Too bad. These are the two precedents for today's unveiling.

The Estoque will reportedly carry the V10 from the Gallardo LP 560-4, along with a number of design elements. Lamborghini is aiming for a 2010 launch. While this is aggressive timing, they are certainly trying to play catch up to other four doors from Porsche's Panamera and Aston Martin's Rapide. It is certainly a good time to be a car enthusiast!

The price is also shocking. At an estimated 150,000 Euros, or roughly $230,000 which is likely to increase by 2010, they are positioning this at the same level as the Gallardo. Among the growing family of Lamborghini models, however, this is logical.

The question in my mind is, do I like the look? My first reaction is neutrality, which isn't a traditional Lamborghini design element. Most other Lamborghinis have a shock value that allows you to see it and then immediately close your eye and envision it in your mind, seared in, that is. Not so much with this. Maybe they are going for a more mainstream design that is less polarizing? Eitherway, this redefines the term, four door sports car.

Labels: Aston Martin Rapide, Club Sportiva, exotic car share club, four door sports car, Lamborghini Estoque, Porsche Panamera

Can a Lexus be exciting to drive on a twisty road? Is a sporty Lexus really just an oxymoron? The all new Lexus IS F is getting a lot of press for Lexus and many enthusiasts like me are wondering if the IS F a creative marketing ploy or is it the real deal? So with that in mind, I thought I should get some wheel time and share the experience first hand.

A Member of Club Sportiva took delivery of his IS F about two months ago, which he was told was the first in California when it was delivered. Alain M. allowed me the honors of experiencing his new Lexus IS F for a couple days. I have to give Alain credit for immediately taking his car to Laguna Seca for a Club Sportiva track day when he had just enough miles for its break-in! That is one happy Lexus. It now has about 3,000 miles on it, so Alain is enjoying every mile...

Based on my seat time, in a nut shell, the Lexus IS F is a performance sports sedan with a bent towards luxury. It is hands down the sportiest and most fun Lexus yet, but that's not saying much based on Lexus's traditional position as a faultless and soulless point A to point B automaker (what makes J.D. Powers and Associates happy doesn't always please the car enthusiast).

At 70 mph in eighth gear (yes, 8th) you are loafing at 1,900 rpms with no grunt whatsoever, but certainly helping you get better gas mileage. At 70 mph in third gear, you are at 5,900 rpms with plenty of immediate power to accelerate hard with ease. When getting on the gas hard when the revs are over 4,000 rpms, the engine makes a very non-Japanese sonorous bellow that isn't Lexus-like. It is lively and a bit Italianate in the tune (yes, I am serious) it belts out loudly but you've got to get on it to encourage the exhaust note. It also freely and happily revs all the way to the red line without a hint of protest. As you approach redline, you get an audible warning allowing you time to shift without having to look down at the tach or without hitting the abrupt fuel cut off.

The engine doesn't have as much low end grunt from the line as I would have expected for a healthy 5.0 liter V8 with 416 hp and 371 lb/ft of torque, but it quickly gets more brutal as the revs increase. The words brutal power and Lexus have never been used in the same sentence and this is a certified first time...and a good thing. But know that the power is polished, smooth and predictable, not raw, ragged or peaky. The steering is quick and sharp, but it is certainly filtered through the car's computers before reaching your fingertips gripping the steering wheel giving it a bit of a numb effect.

One of my favorite surprises was how much more the auto gear box is designed for enthusiast driving when set in manual mode than was the original IS300 I've driven. The previous IS in 2002 with 215 hp I'd driven in both automatic and the rare 5-speed manual transmissions. The original automatic set to manual toggle mode was constantly overruled by the authoritarian software program. It was really annoying and not worth shifting because you rarely got it to react, for it was permanently set in "no-fun" mode. Now, in Sport Direct-Shift mode, it is far better and more interesting to use. Kudos to Lexus for allowing the driver to have some control.

One knock I have to point out is the fake vent behind the front tires. Why bother? Make the vent go somewhere, otherwise it is nothing more than a cute little design someone thought up in the studio. It also has a regular steering wheel that I wish were sportier and meatier to match the brawn of the rest of the car. A few cool highlights worth pointing out include a unique trim that looks like silver carbon fiber weave. It also has speedo and tach needles in brilliant blue that really look cool, especially at night. The seats are also deeply bolstered unlike most sedans. Also, the stacked twin exhaust tips look better in person and less forced than in photos, fortunately.

At about $60,000 with a couple options (Navigation, Mark Levinson sound, rear camera, Bluetooth), it is a very worthwhile and significant car. I could see tooling about in the IS F as a daily driver, as Alain gets to do. I am very much a fan of pushing performance to its limit. I'd say the IS F represents Lexus in a way that has some of its executives cowering in fear for what beast they green lighted. I believe all enthusiasts will appreciate their daring.

Thanks Alain for giving me a chance to experience the car and to share with others. Comments welcomed. What other cars should I write up?

Labels: Club Sportiva, exotic car share club, four door sports car, Lexus IS F, Mark Levinson, sport direct-shift, sports sedan, V8