Romp the throttle at mid-rpm in third gear and you'll get a huge, hydraulic shove in the back, like God has hit you with a water balloon.

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In 2008, prior to the credit crisis that kicked into high gear after the fall of Lehman Brothers in mid-September, the Central Bank responded to small business and individual demand to send capital abroad.

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With the car transferring power to the ground through a single-clutch mid-rear transaxle, the Vanquish doesn't cycle through gear ratios with quite as much impact as a car with a dual-clutch automatic manual transmission, the Ferrari V12, for instance, which also enjoys a 165-hp advantage.

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No longer just designing technical gear for his pals, and hoping to fund his own climbing expeditions, by the mid-1980s Chouinard found himself helming a red-hot, rapidly expanding, internationally known fashion brand.

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