It has been four years since I last took my 2011 BMW M3 to the track. I remembered that my M3 was good on the track, but I forgot exactly how good it is. The track is truly the M3’s spiritual home. Today’s track day was at Thunderhill on the 3-mile track (CCW with the… Continue reading Long Term Update: 2011 BMW M3 at Thunderhill
I am the antepenultimate driver. I qualified for BMW’s 2018 Ultimate Driver Competition by turning the fastest autocross lap at the San Francisco stop of BMW’s 2018 Ultimate Driver Tour. Me and 14 other drivers from the other cities on the 2018 tour and from BMW’s 2018 M Schools were flown to Palm Springs in… Continue reading BMW Ultimate Driver Competition 2018
The M3 is BMW’s star sports car and the workhorse of BMW’s Performance Center West driving school. Paying patrons flock to the school to learn how to drive these icons as they deserve to be driven: Through twists, around tracks, and in smokey skids. Robust, agile, and comfortable for four, the M3 is the perfect… Continue reading Review: 2018 BMW M3 Competition and M2
BMW’s Performance Center West in Thermal, California offers many different driving classes for clients interested in defensive driving, performance driving, BMWs, M cars, and more. The PCW, as it is known internally, also benefits from its location on the campus of the Thermal Club, a three race-track country club for well-heeled gentlemen in Piloti shoes.… Continue reading Private Instruction at BMW’s Performance Center West
My $55,000 purchase of a performance station wagon was made on 9/10ths emotion and 1/10th logic. The emotional draw is obvious: A supercharged, Corvette-derived V8 spins—and I do mean spins!—the rear wheels of the most distinctive and attractive vehicle to ever come out of Cadillac. The logic is tenuous: “Honey, there’s seating for the whole… Continue reading Long Term: 2014 Cadillac CTS-V Sports Wagon
I have been thinking about selling the Focus RS for nearly a year. In April 2017, I got a quote from CarMax to purchase the vehicle. They offered $33k, and I thought I could do a little better. But life intervened, and I did not post my car for sale until April 2018. My car… Continue reading Long Term: 2016 Ford Focus RS
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
Up until recently, if you wanted a performance wagon in America, you had two choices: the Cadillac CTS-V and the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. I love the CTS-V wagon; it was the first review I ever wrote, and it has been turning my head ever since. The E63 wagon has always been cool in my eyes,… Continue reading Test Drive: 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 S AMG 4MATIC
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
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
Mike's Steering Column 