Goddamn, Porsche has won my heart again. Here I was, being a complete snob about the 718 Cayman because of its unsightly—unsoundly?—four-cylinder engine, and then I drove one. It turns out it drives so right! Who knew the 718 Cayman chassis was my soulmate! (Too bad I can’t say the same about the engine.) Porsche crafts cars… Continue reading Test Drive: 2019 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS
Found at CarMax is the most outlandishly optioned car I’ve ever seen. It is nautically themed—fit for the yacht club—with blue leather on the dash and steering wheel, wood accent trim, white leather seats and white carpet. Is this automotive equivalent of a sports coat and khakis? Whatever it is, I admire the original owner’s… Continue reading Test Drive: 2010 Porsche Panamera 4S
I’ve got a Porsche crush after my 911 drive, but since the (997) 911 seems a stretch as far as practicality is concerned, I have been exploring Porsche’s five-door models. The Macan has always appeared to me to be too small to be family practical, but I thought I’d give it a closer look anyway.… Continue reading Test Drive: 2015 Porsche Macan S
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
SUVs are the plan B—plan C?—in my garage filling schemes; I gravitate first towards cars from manufacturer skunkworks like BMW’s M and Mercedes’ AMG. And if the cars are too small, I start scheming about station wagons and Thule cargo pods. But SUVs have something even the larger wagons can’t provide: width. If comfortable rear… Continue reading Test Drive: 2014 Porsche Cayenne GTS (and Diesel, Base, S)
I recently fell in love with a 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S. The car was flawed in many ways, but it was much, much, much more right than wrong, and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since. More than anything else, I’ve been yearning to learn how the 911 changed after its… Continue reading Test Drive: 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera
I am sitting in a brand new 2017 Porsche Panamera Turbo that has unfortunately been optioned in retiree spec. Brown exterior paint is accompanied by tan leather and a wood-trimmed dash. The color and material choices are out-of-sync with my preferences, but the refreshed design pleases me. The updated exterior is much sleeker than before,… Continue reading Test Drive: 2017 Porsche Panamera Turbo
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
Some of my happiest days have been those at driving events where amateurs like me burn fuel and rubber on the racetrack as we imagine screaming down the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans. Hang out at enough of these events, and you’ll soon realize that the Porsche 911 GT3 is the top dog of track… Continue reading Review: 2015 Porsche 911 GT3
I expected to be wowed by the power, but the steering impressed me the most. Every so often, in what I presume are moments of boredom, my wife Kay reads my car magazines. From her fleeting explorations of my world, she has learned that the 911 Turbo is the best car in the world, bar… Continue reading Review: 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo
Mike's Steering Column 