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Newsletter |
March,
2008 |
Volume 6, No. 3 |
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If there's a topic you
would like to see or special information you seek, send
your request to:
info@certified-auto.com |
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2009
Jaguar XF
By
J.P. Vettraino
from
$49,200
to
$62,200 |
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Fountain 48 Express Cruiser
By
Eric Colby
$821,893
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The
2009
Jaguar
XF
is a new
model,
replacing
the
aging
S-Type
in Jaguar's
lineup.
This
mid-sized,
rear-wheel-drive
sedan
offers a
fresh,
engaging
alternative
to
luxury
imports
such as
the Audi
A6, BMW
5
Series,
Mercedes
E-Class,
and
Lexus
GS.
After a
300-mile
test
drive,
we'd
rank the
Jaguar XF near
the top
of its
class.
 The
Jaguar
XF
delivers
everything
you'd
expect
in a
contemporary
luxury
sedan,
and then
some.
The big
news
with XF
is
styling,
interior
design
and
features,
though
the
hardware
underneath
is
anything
but
ordinary.
A lot of
it,
including
the
suspension
design,
is
borrowed
from the
Jaguar
XK.
Factor
in a
well-engineered
body
structure,
and the
XF is
exactly
what it
should
be:
smooth,
quiet
and
responsive.
It feels
lighter
and more
agile
than
some of
its
competitors,
and it
bears up
like a
sport
sedan
when
driven
aggressively.
The XF
comes
with a
choice
of two
V8
engines.
The base
engine
is Jag's
familiar
4.2-liter
V8,
delivering
300
horsepower
and 310
pound-feet
of
torque.
The
upgrade
is a
supercharged
version
of the
4.2,
generating
420 hp
and 408
lb-ft
and
surpassing
nearly
all
competitors
in
output.
Both V8s
come
with
Jaguar's
six-speed
ZF
automatic
transmission,
which is
one of
the best
automatics
money
can buy.
The XF
will be
offered
in three
trim
levels,
starting
with the
normally
aspirated
Luxury,
which is
better
equipped
than
most
base
models
in this
category.
The
Premium
Luxury
adds
even
more
stuff,
including
double-stitched,
soft-grain
leather
on the
dash and
door
panels.
The SC
(for
supercharged)
comes
with
just
about
everything
Jaguar
offers,
including
CATS
automatic
suspension
control
and
20-inch
wheels. ......More>>
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You'd
be right to look at Fountain
Powerboats CEO Reggie Fountain and
conclude that he's obsessed. You'd be
wrong if you thought that his sole
obsession is speed. In test after test
of his boats, Fountain touts their
efficiency, and his 48 Express Cruiser
is no exception. The boat planes in 4.9
seconds at only 16 mph and 2000 rpm and
gets better than 1 mpg through the top
speed of 51.6 mph and 3400 rpm. Now
that's amazingly efficient.
You
won't find another boat in this size
range that runs these speeds and burns
so little fuel. The closest is the
outboard-powered Intrepid 475 Sport
Yacht. With four Mercury 300 XS
outboards, it runs 52 mph and nets 0.8
mpg. It retails for $700,770 with the
quartet of motors.
When
Fountain and I were part of a foursome
that set an endurance record from Key
West, Florida, to Cancun, Mexico, we
used a 48 Express Cruiser powered by
triple Yanmar diesels with Arneson
surface drives. It ran 65 mph, but the
company found that few customers wanted
or needed to go that fast. Plus, at that
speed, the belowdecks components took a
beating. So Fountain scaled back to twin
480-bhp Cummins QSB5.9 diesels. With
Arneson ASD-8 surface drives, the boat
hits a respectable 51.6 mph. The
twin-stepped bottom design hasn't
changed and the handling hasn't
suffered. I turned the boat at wide open
and it carved effortlessly. Plus, a
driver's ability to trim the Arnesons
makes the 48 Express Cruiser more
versatile. In rough water trim down the
drives and the tabs, and you're on plane
and making headway at only 18 mph. A
conventional straight-shaft inboard
would be wallowing in the waves. And
when the waves lay down, you can lean on
the throttles and ......More>> |
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If there's a topic you
would like to see or special information you seek, send
your request to:
info@certified-auto.com |
|
• Home • Up • Newsletter List • March, 2008 • February, 2008 • January, 2008 • December, 2007 • November, 2007 • October, 2007 • September, 2007 • August, 2007 • July, 2007 • June, 2007 • May, 2007 • April, 2007 • March, 2007 • February, 2007 • January, 2007 • December, 2006 • November, 2006 • October 2006 • September, 2006 • August, 2006 • July, 2006 • June, 2006 • May, 2006 • April, 2006 • March, 2006 • February, 2006 • January, 2006 • December, 2005 • November, 2005 • October, 2005 • September, 2005 • August 2005 • July, 2005 • June, 2005 • May, 2005 • April, 2005 • March, 2005 • February, 2005 • January, 2005 • December, 2004 • November, 2004 • October, 2004 • September, 2004 • August, 2004 • July, 2004 • June, 2004 • May, 2004 • April, 2004 • March, 2004 • February, 2004 • January 2004 • |
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| No other firm in this industry expends as
much effort to satisfy their customers. We leave no stone
unturned to constantly improve our services. In addition to
constant surveys with those that utilize our services, we
train our personnel to offer that little extra touch. In
that way, we not only have happier customers, but they share
with us the things they would like to have offered to them.
This positive input of information enables us to
"keep-in-touch" with needs. |
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