The Garia Golfcar is Introduced

At CarThrottle, we're all about performance or luxury - that usually doesn't include covering golf carts. This one though, is a bit different. There is a first time for everything right? Like a 80 mph lawnmower (!).

Now it is time to cover the opposite, luxury side of things with the Garia. Interesting timing too - with the whole Tiger Woods controversy, golfing has been more in the spotlight than usual.

For starters, the Garia isn't a golf cart says the company. Instead, it is a a luxury golf car built to the "highest standards of the automobile industry."

The initial thing that sets it apart is the pricetag - coming in at $16,500. The Garia golf car was designed by Danish designers Anders Lynge Kristensen and Soren Bak Hansen.

What other things set the Garia aprt from a mere golf cart? For starters, the Garia has a double wishbone front suspension, built-in refrigerator (built by the same company that makes them for Bentley and Maybach), and four-wheel hydraulic brakes (discs at the front wheels, drums at the back).

The drive train is built by an (unnamed) Italian company that builds gearboxes for Ducati. The aluminum frame is made by the same company that serves as the supplier to such brands as Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo.

To top it all off, the Garia is manufactured at the Valmet Automotive factory in Finland, which is the same company that produces the Porsche Cayman and Porsche Boxster on contract, as well as the Fisker Karma.

There is also a personalization program that will let you match the paint on your Garia to your existing vehicle. Fancy! The Garia is clearly a golf car designed for the world's elite.

In addition, Garia says that in 2010 the Garia will be street legal and classified as a Low-Speed Vehicle (LSV).  So what do you think about the Garia, its automotive-like features and perhaps most importantly, it's automotive-like pricetag? We're interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments.