I do it to myself all the time, and I think I’ve done it again. I’ve convinced myself the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is the perfect car for me purely on the basis of written and video reviews. You’d think I learn, but it’s a hard habit to break. It’s not too hard to trace… Continue reading Test Drive: 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
I’d been planning this moment for months, scheming about my way into the driver’s seat of the McLaren 570GT. Thankfully my machinations just came to fruition. I am getting called off the waitlist for the McLaren test-drive experience at Monterey. McLaren is showing off its newly debuted 570S Spider, the roofless version of its Sports… Continue reading Test Drive: 2017 McLaren 570S Spider
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
There a handful of vehicles that are heralded as prime enthusiast metal yet linger forever on dealer lots. Unfortunately for GM, the Chevy SS is one of those models. How many manufacturers are making V8-powered RWD sedans? Not that many. How many manufacturers are selling that same car with a manual transmission and magnetic ride… Continue reading Test Drive: 2017 Chevrolet SS
Test drives of the Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang were unobtainium in the year following its launch, as the Ford dealers treated the car as if it was made of gold. (To be fair, many dealers did turn the car into gold.) But now, a wave of used GT350 Mustangs is starting to appear on used… Continue reading Test Drive: 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang
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
The BMW X3 revealed to me that my automotive passion extends to light off-roading, and ever since, I’ve been looking curiously at a sector of the automotive marketplace that I’ve long ignored. I’ve been pacing around Mazda CX-5s, swiveling my head at passing Mercedes GLCs, lusting after Porsche Macans, and I’ve been more generally aware… Continue reading Review: 2017 Audi Q5
My recent experience with the 2016 BMW X3 has piqued my interest in vehicle cargo capacity. The X3 had a spacious and easy to load truck which easily swallowed my family’s weekend luggage. Just how much of that gear would have fit into my M3 or Focus RS’s hold? Determined to find out, I filled… Continue reading Long Term Update: 2011 BMW M3 and 2016 Ford Focus RS
The utility of the M3 sedan has been questioned by the one person who has the ability to force a change in our family garage. “Buy an SUV!” is the refrain frequently whispered, recently with more emphasis, by my wife. After recent back-to-back trips to the far corners of SoCal and SoSoCal, I’m ready to… Continue reading Review: 2016 BMW X3 xDrive28i
Mike's Steering Column 