The 15.4in VX2S is an update to last year’s Asus’ Lamborghini VX1 (web ID: 38794). The ‘S’ denotes Santa Rosa and all the components are now latest gen, but the main difference is the move to widescreen.

The VX2S revs up when it boots but we’re reminded more of a Suzuki Swift than a V10 Gallardo (thankfully you can turn this off). But it’s an indication of how deeply the branding dominates the laptop; from the yellow lid through to leather wrist rest, leather case, slip pouch and BlueTooth mouse – everything is Lamborghini styled.

Available in lacquered Lambo yellow or carbon-fibre black, the VX2S has a solid feel, and the leather keyboard surround with yellow stitching, stylish design and silver base contribute to its high-end appeal. If it’s wow-factor you’re after; the VX2S has it in spades. The keyboard is comfortable and well-sized. The glossy 1680 x 1050 screen is clear and sharp and the speakers are respectable.

Under the hood is a Santa Rosabased spec, featuring a 2.2GHz T7500, 2GB RAM, 1GB of Intel Turbo Memory (codename: Robson) and a 4200rpm 200GB hard drive. Given the components, our benchmarks delivered a disappointing 0.86 – nowhere near the top of the charts. This is likely to be due to the unit’s pre-production status. Certainly, we’d expect more power from the final version.

The performance limitations don’t extend to games, though. The GeForce 8600M GT delivered a passable 34fps on our Call of Duty 2 benchmark at low settings, and 24fps at medium. It even managed double figures (17fps) in Call of Juarez on low settings but we still feel DirectX 10 is for high end graphics only.

Battery life was modest: it managed 3hrs 1min and 1 hr 16mins under light and intensive use respctively. At 2.7kg it’s big but not un-portable.

The VX2S has connectivity through 802.11a/g/n Wi-Fi, BlueTooth and Gigabit Ethernet. HDMI, VGA and S-video output cover all of the video options and, adding to the bells and whistles, it also includes an eSATA port (which doubles as USB).

This is all joined by mini-FireWire, three other USB ports, an ExpressCard/54 slot, fingerprint reader (with TPM module), SD/MMC/MS card reader and a rotating 1.3MP camera. Pushing the price skywards is a Blu-ray disc writer, but its addition truly means that Asus really has left nothing out.

To complement the laptop, the VX2s also comes with a stylish leather carry case, leather mouse mat, BlueTooth mouse and port replicator – all sporting Lamborghini detailing.

Ultimately, if you want a powerful (the final unit will be much faster), fully featured notebook and/or if you’re styleconscious and have deep pockets, the VX2S leaves nothing out.