Photos: Asus Lamborghini VX3 mini-bling laptop

We're big fans of the Asus Lamborghini laptop range at Crave. Sure, some people think they make you look like a chav, but we happen to think they're gorgeous and offer great performance.

The only problem is their size --15.4 inches is slightly too big to take on the train, so style aficionados are restricted to inviting people round the house to show off. Until now. Asus has just taken the wrapper off a shrunken-down Lamborghini VX3, aka the Lamborghini Mini, which weighs 1.68kg and has a 12.1-inch widescreen display.

The Lambo is available in retina-searing yellow, or a more subdued black variant, which is probably better if you want to avoid getting mugged. As you can see, it's significantly smaller than the 15.4-inch VX2 and because it's just 1.68kg, it can be lifted quite comfortably.

Its comparatively tiny dimensions give it that extra cuteness factor, and there are plenty of other cool touches to brag about. For instance, it has a gold-plated strip of metal below the screen, with matching yellow stitching across the genuine cow hide palm rest.

The VX3 wouldn't be a proper Lambo without some serious processing power. Asus says it'll use the new range of Penryn-based Core 2 Duo CPUs, fabricated using a 45nm process. At the top end is the T9500, which runs at a heady 2.6GHz and has a whopping 6MB of L2 cache. Slower, cheaper models will also be available.

Other funky features include built-in 3G for go-anywhere Internet access, a fingerprint reader, and a swivelling webcam. No word on pricing as yet, but we'll let you know the score as soon as we know more. In the meantime, check out the photos across the following few pages. -Rory Reid

Update: Read our full Asus Lamborghini VX3 review.

The 12.1-inch screen may be small, but it's pretty good. It uses LED backlighting technology to provide superior battery life and is great for watching DVD movies, looking at pictures or surfing the Intertubes.

If you like bling, you'll love the VX3. It comes with a mottled gold-plated strip below the screen, which complements the black innards nicely. White LED indicator lights sit inside the gold strip, and there's a touch of silver below that for added pimpery.

Not even the keyboard escapes the bling treatment. Each key has flecks of sparkly paint, which thankfully doesn't come off on your fingers. Don't worry, the effect is more subtle than it appears in this photo.

No self-respecting Asus laptop would be complete without a bit of leather. As ever, Asus claims it's real cow hide, and we're willing to vouch for it. It smells absolutely fabulous and makes us strangely hungry for steak any time we go near it. Fortunately, we're in Vegas, the steak capital of the world.

Sadly the underside of the laptop isn't as stylish as the rest of it. Asus -- take note of Apple or Lenovo's efforts in this area and do better next time. Must try harder.