OK, so, WOW. The test drive went very well. My concern regarding a pushy salesman were completely unfounded - which made me feel good. Got to drive an egear (Supperlaggera!) but they sold the manual while I was there. Can you believe the luck??? Crap. But having never driven an egear, it was certainly worth the three hour drive. I plan a trip to another dealer soon and will check out the manual there.

OK, a few observations. 1) the hesitation when you first start out is a bit strange, but really no big deal - just keep pushing through it 2) reverse is not as much of an issues as I expected, but if I would ever have to park in a tight space, the forward/backwards may be a struggle - but I have avoided those spaces for years, so doubt if thats a problem 3) the shifting is smooth but the hesitation between gears is a little awkward at first, but I bet its just as fast (or faster) than the manual, but with the manual you are just busy shifting. Just a guess. I couldn't tell the difference between normal and Sport mode - but hard to feel the difference on a 15 min test drive. I drove it twice, about a hour apart, so it wasn't "new" the second time. Still, its hard to get a real feel until I would own if for a few weeks. Having been a manual guy for 30 years, I could definately get used to it - but I bet I still end up with another manual this time around.

What I did decide for certain - I am buying SOMETHING this year and have pretty much decided on the coupe. The Gallardo is just fantastic. Fast and responsive - curves were a dream. I love the Spyder for what it is, but the lines on the coupe are just awesome. Color?? Went in thinking I would hate the Pearl Orange and Balloon white....wrong, in person they are beautiful. Still want to see a Rosso Vik and Leto in person, and a few of the Blues, before I decide. But narrowing the search.

Thanks for the advice and suggestions.