2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350, 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S, 2014 Cadillac CTS-V wagon and 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 wagon. These four cars were my top contenders in my search for a Ford Focus RS replacement. Each car held the promise of being sonorous, tactile, and smooth: rewarding in ways the RS never was in the… Continue reading Review: 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
Given a choice between a Dacia Logan and a Renault Clio, I chose the Dacia. There are few logical reasons for you to do the same, but the Avis clerk assured me that the Dacia had the wider back seat, and I needed to move four adults and a toddler in a car seat around… Continue reading Review: 2016 Dacia Logan
The 2018 Ford Mustang GT received its mid-cycle refresh, and judging by its face, it’s not too happy about it. Its once handsome visage now wears a droopy pout. The 2018 GT is supposed to be renewed and ready to stand toe-to-toe with the rival Camaro SS, so is the car just sad about its… Continue reading Review: 2018 Ford Mustang GT
What do you expect of a Dodge Challenger? A loutish muscle car in the mold of muscle cars of yor? A machine for mulleted, knuckle draggers? These are some of the things I expected of the Dodge Challenger. Frankly, the Challenger is a car I overlook. My admiration goes to the Mustang and Camaro, muscle… Continue reading Review: 2017 Dodge Challenger R/T
An errant test drive of a Cayenne GTS piqued my interest in Porsche’s full-size SUV. Its V8 sang like one of the great tenors. Its chassis discussed the intricate details of handling and steering feel like a Roads Scholar. (You see what I did there?) Suddenly there seemed to be a have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too solution to the… Continue reading Review: 2014 Porsche Cayenne
America may or may not have invented the practice of speed trials on dry lakebeds, but we certainly popularized it and made it part of our identity. In the early 20th century, Southern California’s dry lakebeds were the epicenter of America’s land-speed record attempts until speeds increased so high that more real estate was needed.… Continue reading Review: 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS
I am in rural Sonoma County, a land of forests, farms, and hills. For the last few weeks, I’ve been exploring the area in my Ford Focus RS, and I’ve found the RS to be much better suited to country living than city duty. The roads up here are beat to smithereens, but they follow… Continue reading Review: 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata
When does a car become a classic car? I ask because I’ve driven the 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S less than a mile, and it already feels like a piece from a different era. Today’s cars are large, overpowered machines that cocoon their drivers deep inside, distancing them from external stimuli. The 911 stands in… Continue reading Review: 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S Makes Me a 911 Guy
The Ford Performance School at Utah Motorsports Campus (formerly Miller Motorsports Park) offers a wide array of courses meant to introduce Ford owners to their high-performance cars and everyone to high-performance track driving. As an optional add-on to my free day at the Focus RS Adrenaline Academy, I splurged ($1,495) on the one-day racing school… Continue reading Review: 2015 Ford Mustang GT at the Ford Performance School
The original purchaser of every Ford Performance vehicle—Focus RS, Focus ST, Fiesta ST, Mustang GT350, F 150 Raptor–receives complimentary tuition to the Ford Performance Racing School at Utah Motorsports Campus. Ford has tailored classes that honor the high-performance capability of each model and teach owners how to reach those limits safely. As the first-owner of… Continue reading Ford Performance Focus RS Adrenaline Academy
Mike's Steering Column 