Fast is the operative word, because the latest 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder is one of the quickest ragtops in the world, with Lamborghini claiming a 0-to-62-mph time of 4.0 seconds - likely a conservative number - and a breathtaking top speed of 201 mph (with the top in place, thank you, not that we tried it). These figures are made possible by the fact that the Gallardo Spyder weighs some 44 pounds less than its predecessor, although it also weighs about 220 pounds more than the coupe, due to its extra structural reinforcements and roof-opening mechanisms. And with a 3417-pound dry weight, it can hardly be called light.
The E-gear single-clutch automated manual transmission has come a long way since the Gallardo debuted in 2003, when it lurched and hesitated. Now, it has eclipsed Ferrari's similar F1 unit in around-town driving. E-gear also comes with a launch-control mode that almost merits the gearbox's $10,000 price. Find a straight piece of road - preferably not in your own neighborhood - select Corsa mode, turn off the stability control, depress the brake pedal with your left foot, and hit the gas. Revs automatically rise to 5200 rpm and stay there; you lift your left foot, and the Gallardo erupts forward, all four Pirellis scorching the tarmac in a squealing, smoking override (abuse, really) of the all-wheel-drive system. Leave it in Corsa mode, and the shifts are brutally, violently quick.