Fine Autos

Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

October - November 2011

A Sleek Screamer IN RECENT YEARS, Cadillac has moved away from the shrinking “land yacht-sized,” 4-door sedan market. Witness the Cadillac Escalade for the ultimate in oversized, flashy SUV and, more importantly, the less expensive CTS. When the first CTS 4-door hit the market in 2002, with its cutting edge styling, it was a hit….

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Luxury Asides

August - September 2011

‘Ewa to Downtown in 3 Minutes With some hypothetical coopera- tion from HPD and the closing of some O’ahu highways, your commute time at a top speed of 268 mph would certain- ly be substantially shortened. All you need is the fastest and most expen- sive sports car presently made-the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport….

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Bentley Continental GT

August - September 2011

THE DAYS OF THE SEDATE, British built Bentley cruisers are gone. Over the last decade, performance-in the form of massive horsepower gains with corresponding suspension and tire upgrades- have changed the Bentley image from reserved to powerful yet refined luxury automobiles. Carrying on this new tradition is the latest coupe- the 2012 Continental GT. Compared…

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Form and Function

June - July 2011

BMW X5 M Gives Drivers the Best of Both Worlds BMW X5 M: Engine: 4.4 liter, V-8, twin turbocharged, 555 horsepower, 500 pounds of torque Acceleration: 0-60: 4.5 seconds, top speed 155 mph Brakes: 15.6 inch front/15.2 inch rear wheel disc brakes Sound system: high fidelity 16 speakers with two subwoofers, 600 watts of power…

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Silent Power

April - May 2011

Lexus LS600 Redefines Smooth LEXUS LS600 SPECS: Engine: 438 hp, 5 liter V-8 with electric motor Acceleration: 0-60: 5.5 seconds Braking: 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, Emergency Brake Assist, Electric Parking Brake, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, 14 inch front rotors, 13.1 inch rear rotors Sound system: Mark Levinson stereo/CD system with 19 speakers and USB…

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Chrome Heart

February - March 2011

Crafting the Kingdom IT STARTS AS A SOLID SHEET OF STEEL. Then, more than 50 templates get cut by hand, each precision hammered and rolled on the English wheel until it’s perfectly smooth. Pieces are then fused together using intense heat and pressure… and the shape of a gas tank begins to emerge. This is…

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Big Cat on the Block

February - March 2011

MORE THAN 40 YEARS AGO, Jaguar introduced the first XJ 4-door sedan. Its relatively low stance, distinctive grill, soft lines and other telltale Jag clues were echoed through the XJ series for nearly half a century. Sure, the powertrains and suspensions were changed, the frame converted from steel to lightweight aluminum and other such modern…

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