It’s 7:30 am when I hear the passing drone of a sports car outside my kitchen window. I glance at the street, excited, and see my neighbor Eddie slinking by in his midnight blue 1997 Porsche 911 (993) Turbo. Normally, spotting a car this rare would be the peak of my morning’s excitement, but not… Continue reading Test Drive: 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo is the Final Chapter
So far, my morning is going swell because I'm getting lots of seat time and the 2024 Porsche 911 Targa 4S. Lots of seat time—but no drive time—because I'm waiting for the Porsche chaperon to start our tour of Monterey. I don't mind much because my time behind the static wheel of the 911 Targa… Continue reading Test Drive: 2024 Porsche 911 Targa 4S Shake ‘N Bake
Having previously sampled the fantastically lithe but sadly underpowered 981-generation Cayman S and Cayman GTS, I’m excited for today’s test drive of the 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4. The GT4 will cap my exploration of the excellent, but so far imperfect, 981 Cayman range. I hope the GT4’s additional horsepower will make it fast and fun… Continue reading Test Drive: 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 Proves Every Cayman is Different
Out of necessity, my size-13 shoes cover all three pedals of the Porsche 356. My left foot fully depresses the clutch, while my right foot firmly holds the brake and feathers the gas. This silly little dance keeps the engine from stalling while I wait for my break in traffic. "Damn," I think, "what am… Continue reading Comparison: 1963 Porsche 356 B Cabriolet S and 2021 Mazda Miata ND are Truffles and Tripe
I haven’t been this excited to test a new car in a long time. Why? Because the new metal is a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4. When it was released, the GT4 brought lustful tears of gratitude to the eyes of journalists. Now it’s my turn to drive the legend. So please hide my checkbook and… Continue reading Comparison: 2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S are Complementary Sports Cars
The car is beat up. Its headlights have gone hazy, the black paint has lost its gloss, and the interior is ragged, with the door panels and console nicked and peeling. It seems someone loved this car and used it hard. Actually, did they love it at all? I twist the key, and the 2011… Continue reading Test Drive: 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera S vs 2011 BMW M3
Two weeks ago, I theorized the spec of my perfect 981 Cayman. For analog driving fun, I'd take the bigger 3.4L engine from the Cayman S or GTS and the 6-speed manual transmission. For hoonability, I'd want the LSD from the Porsche Torque Vectoring package. Finally, for daily comfort, I'd fit the softer PASM suspension… Continue reading Test Drive: 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS PDK and 6MT
This is the cheapest Porsche 911 GT3 on Autotrader. Its $73k asking price is commensurate to its 85k miles clocked. The price also reflects an off-road excursion that managed to damage three sides of the car in one incident! What did the previous owner do? Spin the car into a tire barrier? With curiosity—and suspicion—I… Continue reading Test Drive: 2007 Porsche 911 GT3
Seeing is believing. Or, when it comes to cars, driving is believing. I bring this up because the 2014 Porsche Cayman S is precisely as the journalists describe it: the most amazingly balanced, infallibly-agile Porsche that sings God’s own music but needs another 75 hp or a close-ratio gearbox. Yet, I had to drive it… Continue reading Review: 2014 Porsche Cayman S
What’s that sound? That four-cylinder lub-lub-lub? Oh, that’s the sound of Porsche flushing Boxster and Cayman sales down the toilet. It’s a Sunday afternoon, and I’m sitting astonished in an idling $85k Porsche 718 Cayman GTS. Long-forgotten memories of my grandmother’s Kubota tractor are stirred by the 718’s four-pot putt-putt-putt exhaust note. I love my… Continue reading Test Drive: 2019 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS
Mike's Steering Column 