Lamborghini a top-rank taxi

The majority of Australia's taxi fleet consist of Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores, worth about $35,000 new, but this exotic taxi operating in Sydney fetches more than 10 times as much.

Priced at over $400,000, this bright orange, mid-engined Lamborghini Gallardo taxi won't be plodding through traffic, but hacking around town in order to get passengers to their destination with extreme rapidity. Decked out in taxi livery, the hardcore cab is powered by a rip-snorting 5.2-litre V10 outputting 405kW at 8500rpm and 540Nm at 6500rpm – enough mumbo to accelerate the car from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds.

The Italian-made exotic doesn't have much room for luggage however – the engine takes up all the boot space – and has been enlisted for active duty in Sydney as part of a promotion for the new Need For Speed: Most Wanted videogame. In operation until Saturday November 3, the Lambo taxi will be picking up passengers who enter a competition on the Electronic Arts Australia Facebook page, describing what makes them 'most wanted'. Riding in a crazy taxi could be one excuse?

It's true the taxi industry cops a lot of flack for several reasons – dirty vehicles, poorly maintained, rude drivers, refusal of fares, the list goes on – but the world's first 'Most Wanted' Lamborghini looks neat and tidy, and appears to have been a hit with Sydney's taxi operators.

Stay tuned for the stretched Ferrari limo in Brisbane...