Valentino Rossi gets his own design on HP netbook

I don’t fully understand the collaborations between the master sportsmen of motor racing and gadget manufacturers, but they do crop up from time to time.

Not to be outdone by Acer with their Ferrari One comes Hewlett Packard’s limited edition dot VR46 netbook computer designed for Moto GP world champion Valentino Rossi.

Though the main reason you’re likely to buy this is for the brand association and design, it’s not a pushover when it comes to specifications either. The 11.6-inch display sits atop a full-size keyboard and multi-gesture touchpad. With 1,366×768 resolution on the Diamond View TFT LCD, you can watch high definition content with ease, or port out via HDMI.

Under an inch thin, and weighing in at 1.35kg, it features a six-cell battery claiming up to eight hours of use on a single charge. There’s also the usual additions you’d expect: Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, webcam, and card reader, plus Dolby headphone technology and 640GB hard drive.

The case design is by Aldo Drudi and features the sun and the moon as worn on Rossi’s racing helmets. And if you didn’t know, 46 is the number he races under.

Available in the UK “soon” for £449.99.