Entry-Level Exotic.(The Good Life; WHEELS)(luxury cars)(Product/service evaluation)

Byline: Tara Weingarten

The rough economy has spawned a new moniker for single-digit millionaires who still may not feel wealthy enough: middle-class millionaires. Most don't belong to jet clubs or wear bespoke suits. They live in average-size homes and don't always call attention to what's lurking in their bank accounts. They may covet a sexy exotic car but feel conflicted about springing for the extravagance. If you're one of them, don't fret. Each wildly priced high-performance car from Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche and Maserati has a slightly less expensive sibling that doesn't compromise much in the way of looks or performance. To prove the point, I did the dirty work and drove them all.

Lamborghini takes first place for its exotic sports-car looks. Nothing subtle here. Reeking of testosterone, the top-line Murcielago and the entry-level (so to speak) Gallardo models both have sharply angled contours and sliver-thin side windows.

The Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce is a beast, the fastest Lambo ever built. Consider its torso-compressing 6.5-liter, 12-cylinder, 670-horsepower engine that yanked me hard to the seatback, rocketing to 100kph in 3.2 seconds. Spanish for bat, the Murcielago's doors open vertically, like wings on a Phoenix. And owners get to brag about its $455,000 price. Bargain-conscious millionaires can opt for the Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder, at half the price, and still get a more-than-respectable 5.2-liter, 10-cylinder, 560-horsepower engine that snags 100kph in four seconds. The ride may be too taut for passengers with delicate stomachs, but this open-air beauty beats every heart-stopping ride at Disneyland.

While many Lambo drivers feed on the attention they are sure to get, Porsche owners by comparison can be downright self-effacing--after all, in some upscale suburbs Porsches are as ubiquitous as Camrys. Exacting engineering means that Porsches have predictable handling, which gives me confidence to push my limits as a driver. The racetrack-ready GT2's huge wing, or spoiler, pushes down on the car's rear, ...