Test Drive Lincoln Navigator since 2006 SUV
Rutter Dream
My buddy, working in the Volkswagen dealership, arranging his own wedding, did not think for a long time. Just invited the VW Beetle club enthusiasts to the celebration - and received a wonderful cavalcade headed by a golden cabriolet with your submissive servant behind the wheel. Now imagine the wedding of the jeeper ...Ask any driver of a tourist bus, which is how to drive him in the center of Moscow. Approximately the same expressions describes their impressions of piloting Lincoln Navigator Stretch Limousine in the area of \u200b\u200bthe pipe area, his driver is Sergey. Since then, I have to take a look at the request of journalists to take a look at alert, "he comments on our offers to go somewhere for filming. It can be understood - to control 13 meters of bad iron is not so simple. Although looking at Sergey at work, you might think that there is nothing easier. True, it is necessary to take more often than usual and with parking boots. This process is a little resembling Jeep-trial: drove up, I looked at, tried out, I passed my back, I turned out, I was still back, I also turned out - ahead, ready!
To limousines of different brands, from ZAZ-965L to Cadillac Fleetwood Formal Limouzine, in Moscow are already accustomed to and relate calmly, especially if such is moving in a festive cavalcade, decorated with ribbons, rings and balls. And yet, when such a thing is sweeping along Nicoloyamsk in proud loneliness, many still have a desire to look for toned tightly glass: interesting, who is there. I at least sitting on the ghenykhovsky spot - at the rear door, caught a lot of interested views of the neighbors in motion. So it was drawn to open the window and could not wave ... But I did not succumb to a non-democratic impulse. By the way, to limousines, even to such as ours, that is, SUVs, not all road participants relate with due respect. Stupid, they simply do not understand, substituting the side that such a Dooland, despite the powerful 5.4-liter motor and disc brakes, accelerates, slows down and maneuvers is not as good as an out of all the holes of the chisel.
Motherland Stretch SUVs is ... Well, of course, America! Where else could such cars be born? In Belgium? In short, when there is some elevat-end-shifty from Las Vegas, Nevada, tired of building a big-foot three-meter height, he, looking out from under Stolston to the next eight meter new-yorker passing along the strip, thought: Why not? And went, went ...
The schematic diagram of the transformation of a conventional SUV in a long time is not long. A standard car is cut (in our case, this is dorestayling Lincoln Navigator). In the resulting opening, reinforced frames are boiled, the cardan shaft is lengthened by an intermediate shaft, becoming two- or three-way depending on the length of the welded part. The body is made mainly of plastic, decoration of the cabin - to taste the customer, that is, any. By the way, the SUVs during the construction of a limousine have a certain advantage over the passenger cars - frame design. This means that by making a strong frame, the body can be constructed easier and technological, for example, fiberglass. The most advanced stretch-makers modify the brakes, conduct chip-tuning engine, enhance the suspension. However, the reserve of the strength of the SUVs, which are taken as a construction platform, and this, in addition to the already mentioned Lincoln Navigator, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, Ford Expedition and the Grand Excursion, and without that pretty great.
Salon Machines - This Cave of the Hedonist, Mobile Nightclub, Bar and Chic Cabin Company at the same time - requires a separate description. The interior project is laid, as a rule, in the initial sketches of the new limousine. Log in it can almost all - from the site for planting a toy helicopter to the jacuzzi. About such trifles as highlighting, sofas, built-in video audio, mini-bar, refrigerator, and the like, should not even mention. For limousine, this is so to speak, standard equipment. However, it all depends on style. If the alleged car becomes an edible comfortable office on wheels, then they will equip it, respectively: faxes, computers, satellite communications, tables, coffee maker, even the video projector and the presentation screen can be installed, the benefits of the interior dimensions allow. And what? Very comfortably! As long as you drive from the airport of expensive partners, you stand in traffic jam, you can immediately and present the presentation of the new product. What is in vain time to lose?
We have limousines, including on the basis of SUVs, are rented more and more for holidays. And here the use options may be set. Someone retireed - and take home with honor, husband's husband will order his husband for a birthday, some new year celebrate, knees with friends in Moscow. By the way, in the winter to drive a stretch-SUV, as Sergey told us, not many more difficult than the standard car. The main thing is not to do sharp movements, and so nothing special. In addition, the presence of a complete drive is healthy. Usually, limousines are not very like a slippery road, but Navigator has an AUTOAWD mode, which makes it great to cope with the wet winter messen.
What we never decided to do is to arrange a limousine off-road test. It is not necessary to be an expert off-Round to understand what will happen to him at least some kind of relief. And, most importantly, his tractor is exactly possible in half to break, what are the jokes here ... But otherwise, in addition to geometric passivity, weight and maneuverability, our limousine is the most common SUV. Only oh-oh-very long.
Igor Gubar
A source: 4x4 magazine [12/2004]