There was an interesting report on german TV today.

As a gift to their 150th anniversary the italian state police got a special modified Lamborghini Gallardo. They use it with their special force against speeding. The car is equiped with a live video system that transfers the film directly to their headquater via sat. So the in-house-officers can check all data/infos from cars they pursue.
In addition the car is equiped with some first aid stuff and a special cooling box for emergency transports (stored blood, organs/transplants, ...)

here at the presentation:

studio pics

back angle

first aid stuff

tech equipment

video recorder / sat system

You mean now I have to make my car faster than that lambo?? Dang.... I was just getting happy that I could outrun the z06's...

phoey..

Cool though!

So who gets to drive that. The normal whistleblow only decorative cops in the picture, or the Cabanieri (Mility Police) that are the real gun toting cops. Thats a really cool police toy in any case.

hey, how come america doenst get a manual version of the Gallardo

QUOTE (i love porsche @ Mar 12 2005, 01:50 PM)

hey, how come america doenst get a manual version of the Gallardo

because no one here knows how to drive stick-shift?

Andy

QUOTE (jd74914 @ Mar 12 2005, 10:26 PM)

So who gets to drive that.

as they told, there is a special unit of 10 guys - only these are the lucky ones

their chief is Guiseppe Dicoste
all of 'em got a special driving training on a track

Hell, we could take 'em in the twisties!

Cole

QUOTE (Gustl B @ Mar 12 2005, 02:13 PM)

QUOTE (jd74914 @ Mar 12 2005, 10:26 PM) So who gets to drive that. as they told, there is a special unit of 10 guys - only these are the lucky ones their chief is Guiseppe Dicoste all of 'em got a special driving training on a track

schweet.

And Andy is right. Noone in the USA drives stick. In Europe most people seem to.

QUOTE (jd74914 @ Mar 12 2005, 02:37 PM)

And Andy is right. Noone in the USA drives stick. In Europe most people seem to.

i'd say, probably less than 1% of cars in germany are automatic ...

plus, if you take your driving test on a automatic, your drivers license will have a note on it that prohibits you from driving a stick-shift ...

Andy

QUOTE (SirAndy @ Mar 12 2005, 02:53 PM)

QUOTE (jd74914 @ Mar 12 2005, 02:37 PM) And Andy is right. Noone in the USA drives stick. In Europe most people seem to. i'd say, probably less than 1% of cars in germany are automatic ... plus, if you take your driving test on a automatic, your drivers license will have a note on it that prohibits you from driving a stick-shift ... Andy

After 10days in Italy I saw probably only 6 automatic cars (and they were all tiptronic). It should be that way overhere.

Thats interesting about restriction notice on your license. I know from our German exchange students that helmets are compulsatory for them (he said he's gotten some tickets).

yeah, its unfortunate how few people drive stick...i mean, the gallardo isnt even OFFERED in manual here, only the tabshift, which sucks, i got to sit in one once, ( a guy pulled up to my gas station) and it was very nice..but needed to be manual.

i personally cannot imagine myself driving an automatic..it just takes all the enjoyment out of driving, i have a ford ranger and its still manual...id die if it was auto....

..sorry, i tend to be opinionated about topics like this...

QUOTE (Gustl B @ Mar 12 2005, 02:13 PM)

QUOTE (jd74914 @ Mar 12 2005, 10:26 PM) So who gets to drive that. as they told, there is a special unit of 10 guys - only these are the lucky ones their chief is Guiseppe Dicoste all of 'em got a special driving training on a track

The California Highway Patrol, can't drive sticks, remember, when they had the GT Mustangs, which were 5 speeds, they didn't last to long, they wrecked most of them

And driving school would not of help them.

QUOTE (Sammy @ Mar 12 2005, 08:57 PM)

Lots of people here know how to drive a stick, they just choose not to because they have a choice. Driving a stick in stop and go traffic sucks, an automatic makes much more sense. Soooo, either they don't have stop and go traffic in Europe, or Americans have more sense.

i disagree, i dont mind a stick in traffic at all, id wrather not have to hold down the brake all the time on level ground....i cant really think of a reason for myself not to drive a manual

QUOTE (Sammy @ Mar 13 2005, 05:57 AM)

Soooo, either they don't have stop and go traffic in Europe, or Americans have more sense.

believe me, we've enaugh stop-and-go here
but we've lots of up-and-down roads where automatic sucks, IMHO

I'd say even in Europe automatic got more importand in the last years, and the percentage is much higher than Andy mentioned - especially with tiptronic

QUOTE (Gustl B @ Mar 13 2005, 02:09 AM)

especially with tiptronic

Tiptronic what a joke!

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Mar 13 2005, 03:37 PM)

QUOTE (Gustl B @ Mar 13 2005, 02:09 AM) especially with tiptronic Tiptronic what a joke!

sorry....i just thought out loud.

he hasn't driven one. he just likes to make the "in and cool" comments of the day.