Lots of folks out there want a fast bike but are scared to death of drop bars. The high end Sirrus is basically a Roubaix with flat bars. The Roubaix has been a great "comfort" road bike for Specialized over the past few years winning their share of races on less-than-perfect road surfaces. The Roubaix model was named for the infamous Paris-Roubaix race that runs racers over dirt/mud/cobbles for sadistic fun.

Anyway...people buy the Sirrus if they want a true high performance machine with flat bars and a snazzy carbon frame and fork that won't rattle their teeth out in the real world. The whole Sirrus line also tracks better than their Tarmac (full blown carbon roadie machine), more stable at any speed (less twitchy), and way more comfy (vertical compliance) yet stiff as hell laterally. Flat bars can only add to the feeling of stability.

For me...drop bars please. Otherwise, it's a pretty b@d@$$ ride. The $$$ are in the frame mostly.