Today I went to my 6th straight Los Angeles Auto Show! My buddy Bijan Vahhaji and I checked out the future concepts, newest models and hybrids. Popular cars include the Nissan GT-R, Chevrolet Camaro, Ferrari California, Ford Mustang, Audi S6 and Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. The best aftermarket cars were the Mansory tuned Ferrari, Aston Martin and McLaren.

Today Lamborghini unveiled the LP 560-4 Spyder to a very select group of people. This was before press day or the general public was allowed to see the car. Lamborghini executives and sales people toasted us with champagne and appetizers.

The new Lamborghini of Beverly Hills grand opening was tonight. Attending the event was Lamborghini executives, celebrities, owners, pre-owners and Los Angeles elite.

Today we picked up the brand new 2009 Ranger Rover Sport Supercharged from Hornburg Land Rover in Santa Monica. JoAnn decided on the new bournville metallic exterior color and ivory interior with dark zebrano wood trim. The only additional option selected was the rear seat entertainment system. This option includes two 6.5" LCD panels in the back of each front-seat head restraint. The panels allow the rear-seat passengers to watch DVDs from the 6-disc DVD player, or plug in accessories such as MP3 players or video games. This option is perfect for kids!

The retail price for the 2009 Sport is $59,225. The Sport Supercharged is significantly more starting at $72,675. This model includes a 390-hp, 410 lb-ft torque 4.2-liter V8 engine. Standard features include Brembo front brakes and electronically activated body-lean regulation with hydraulically controlled anti-roll bars. Heated front windshield, heated front and rear seats, center-console cooler box, adaptive front-lighting system, premium leather trim, gps, bluetooth and SIRIUS satellite radio are also standard on this model.

The primary reason for purchasing this vehicle was to have a proper car to transport the upcoming baby! Also, with so many visitors, it was nice to finally have a four-door vehicle capable of holding five passengers and tons of luggage. Total price with car, options, taxes and registration came to just over $82K.

Today we participated in the Ultimate Lamborghini Experience at Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) in Fontana, CA. The event was sponsored by Lamborghini of Beverly Hills and Al & Ed's Autosound. The dealership provided three Gallardo's and the car audio guys brought a variety of modified vehicles for show.

Again, we decided to spend the night closer to the race track so we didn't have to get up as early to drive there by 8:00 am. The day started off with a catered breakfast and a mandatory 30 minute racing technical class. Immediately after the training, we were given helmets for the day (and to keep!) and were put into a group.

Basically I was given two opportunities to drive a Gallardo Supperleggera around the 2.8 mile, 21 turn, auto competition road course. I was also able to take my 2007 Vantage and a Smart car around the track for a number of laps. The Lamborghini was definitely the quickest car of the three.

I enjoyed driving the Aston Martin and didn't have any problem following the Lamborghinis around the track. Many of the other owners were not seasoned drivers and were probably shocked that I was keeping up! The Smart car was just a silly car for the track.

Every time I got into a car and went on the track, one of the many celebrity racing instructors rode as passenger and instructor. My instructor for the day was V.J. Merzayan, a seasoned Grand Am driver who also set multiple club track records. It was very helpful to have expert advice around every corner. After each lap I was always improving my times and technique.

The other celebrity drivers included Tony Adamowicz (Tony A2Z), Al Unser III, Kim Brower, Steve Walsh, David Mecey, Darren Young, Jonathan Lawson, Troy Mueller (Rowland) and Flynn Baglin.

One of the highlights of the day was the unveiling of the brand new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. There were plenty of reporters present including Motor Trend, Road & Track and Los Angeles KNBC Channel 4 doing a short for their television show Whipnotic.

Aston Martin of Beverly Hills invited me to test drive the new Aston Martin DBS at the recently re-opened Malibu Beach Inn at Carbon Beach, Malibu on Tuesday. We arrived around noon to a parking lot full of Aston Martins. We were then treated to a catered lunch in one of the meeting rooms that had a large deck overlooking the ocean. We met with some of the Aston Martin corporate reps and my Aston Martin sales rep, Janelle Salehi.

After waiting for my turn, I jumped into the DBS passenger seat and headed south on the PCH (Highway 1) with one of the reps. Eventually we turned off the road and headed up one of the Santa Monica mountains. The thing I noticed right away was the amazing sound that came from a combination of the V12 and the dual exhaust.

Soon after heading up the hill, I took control of the car. Having driven these hills quite often in the Vantage, I decided to push the DBS to the limits. I quickly noticed the extra HP and the loose traction control. It was actually more difficult to handle in the corners but also more adventurous.

In my opinion everything on the DBS was just a bit better than the V8 Vantage. I was expecting a lot more from the DBS since it costs more than double the price of the Vantage. Personally, I wouldn't be able to justify the $330K+ asking price for the DBS. I would pick the 2009 Vantage with the new 4.7L V8 and other upgrades.

Tim and Jason drive from Southern to Northern California in the V8 Vantage.

Two of our favorite sections of road were Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs Road around Lake Sonoma (until the road turned rough) and Shoreline Hwy (Highway 1) from Hardy to Leggett. There are many scenic sections along Highway 1. My advice would be to drive during the week in the off-season.

Lamborghini of Beverly Hills offered me the Superleggera on Monday. Of course I didn't turn them down. We ended up driving around Los Angeles for nearly two hours. JoAnn and I picked up the car and went west to Malibu along the PCH. We managed to get up one curvy mountain road and come back down another. At one point, we went through a tunnel, where I nearly caused some hearing damage by mashing the accelerator. The car is extremely loud even when stock.

JoAnn took her turn driving the Lamborghini! Although she wanted a pillow to help boost her height, she was more than capable of handling the car. She managed to floor the accelerator a few times and laughed as if on a rollercoaster!

Here are some Gallardo LP560/4 pricing specs so far. Base price is $198,000. Available options include E-gear ($10,000), dark rear tail lights ($325), transparent engine bonnet ($4,235), colored brake calipers ($850), carbon ceramic brakes ($15,600), electric & heated seats ($3,630), heated seats ($600), bluetooth ($900), premium audio system ($2,080), navigation system ($2,600), rear view camera ($2,600), complete luggage set ($7,800) and leather steering wheel ($650). Freight options are sea ($2,000) or air ($6,502).

Today was the semi-annual Lamborghini owner's run in Los Angeles. The day started at the LA Lamborghini service center location. A quick breakfast, oil check and a little drama. One owner misjudged a curb and high centered his Countach. That was quickly remedied with about five guys lifting the front of the car while the owner reversed his car.

Our route was fairly straight forward. First we jumped onto the 405 north, then met up with the 5 north and eventually turned west on the 126. A few miles down the 126 we took a gas and bathroom break. Just before the stop, we caught the attention of the CHP. While taking our midway break, we saw a few CHP roll through the gas station. Luckily, we never saw them again. There was only one all woman car in the mix and I just had to take their picture!

After the break we headed west to Fillmore and then south on the 23. Eventually we ended up in the hills above Malibu on Decker Canyon Road. Once we reached PCH, we went south and ran into the 10 east. The last stop was the dealership for a decent Italian brunch. JoAnn met me, we had some grub and we took another 20 minute test drive in the Superleggera. She also approved the Gallardo! So...

I ordered a 2010 Gallardo LP560/4! Woo Hoo!

Here are some performance stats on the Gallardo. The standard Gallardo has 520hp, weighs 1430kg (dry), has a top speed of 196 mp/h and hits 100 km/h (62 mp/h) in 3.95 seconds. The Gallardo Superleggera has 530hp, weighs 1330kg, has a top speed of 196 mp/h and and hits 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. The new Gallardo 560/4 has 560hp, weighs 1500kg, has a top speed of 202 mp/h and and hits 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds!