Reviews & Test Drives

2022.02.21Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911

Test Drive: Porsche 911 Carrera 4S (991 Early Model) – A Fully Loaded Masterpiece

The Early 991 Carrera 4S Lately, many people around me have been buying early 991 models. What everyone consistently praises is the NA engine’s sound and rev feel. While Porsche may still produce NA 911s in the future, this generation represents the last NA engine 911s from an era before stricter noise regulations and without GPFs. That makes many eager to get their hands on one now. I’m one of them, having purchased an early...

2022.02.21Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.02.03Reviews & Test Drives, Volkswagen

Test Driving the Volkswagen Golf R (Golf 7): What Sets It Apart from the Standard Golf?

Volkswagen Golf There’s a car we once had at home that I deeply regretted letting go. Even now, my wife and I often say, “That car was really well made, wasn’t it?” That car was the Volkswagen Golf. Back then, I drove the Golf 7 Early Model ALLSTAR, a special edition that was a slightly upgraded version of the 1.2 base grade. It was an incredibly versatile car, perfect for everything from daily commuting and...

2022.02.03Reviews & Test Drives, Volkswagen

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.01.19Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911

Test Drive: Porsche 964 Carrera RS (Touring) – What Sets It Apart from the Standard Carrera?

Porsche 911 Carrera RS (964 Model) It’s been about three and a half years since the air-cooled Porsche 911 (964 model) Carrera 2 came to our home. Captivated by the analog feel that modern Porsches no longer have, and the handling that directly reflects driving skill, I still find the 964 endlessly fresh and enjoyable to drive. It’s a car that’s fun even without pushing it hard, enjoyable at any speed or situation—from city streets...

2022.01.19Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.01.07Reviews & Test Drives, Touring Reports, Porsche 911

GTS Trio of 981 and Early 991! An Exhilarating Touring Day in Okayama

The other day, my friend Tomozō-san took delivery of his 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet (early 991), so the three of us—TAKURO’s 981 Boxster GTS, my Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, and Tomozō’s car—headed out for a day trip touring the usual wide-area Okayama farm roads. This time, I’d like to share a report on that tour and my impressions of the Carrera GTS Cabriolet. AM 7:30 I met up with TAKURO at a convenience store, and...

2022.01.07Reviews & Test Drives, Touring Reports, Porsche 911

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.12.29Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Panamera

Test Drive of the Panamera GTS (Late 970): What Only the 970 Has, What Only the GTS Has

This blog was started by my wife, inspired by the arrival of our 970 Panamera Edition (base model). She was deeply impressed by its driving, and almost every day she would tell me about the Panamera’s charms. Naturally, I also really liked the 970 Panamera, and especially the Edition was a wonderfully balanced car that made driving truly enjoyable. This time, I had the opportunity to test drive the GTS, so I’d like to share...

2021.12.29Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Panamera

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.12.24Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

The Supreme V10 Engine! Test Driving the BMW M5 (E60)

BMW M5 I’ve written several times before about my love for BMW, but among them, there was one car I admired deeply in the past. That is the E60 M5. Back then, whenever I spotted an M5 or M6 on the streets, which was quite rare, I remember thinking, “How on earth could someone ever own a car like that?” It was such a distant dream for me, a flower on a high peak I...

2021.12.24Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.12.22Reviews & Test Drives, How to Buy a Porsche, Porsche Cayman

What’s the Difference Between the 981 Cayman and 718 Cayman? Which One Suits You?

The other day, I had the chance to borrow a base model 718 Cayman as a loaner. And just about a month ago, I also happened to drive a base model 981 Cayman. This time, rather than a test drive report or review, I want to focus on the characteristics I feel these two 98x-series cars have, and what exactly sets them apart. The 718 and 981 Caymans To be precise, 718 is the model...

2021.12.22Reviews & Test Drives, How to Buy a Porsche, Porsche Cayman

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.12.17Reviews & Test Drives, Suzuki

Fitting SWK Lowering Springs on the Swift Sport (ZC33S): How Did the Driving and Ride Com...

Recently, I wrote a review of the Swift Sport in its completely stock condition. Since then, I customized it by installing SWK’s lowering sport spring set, so this time I’d like to share my review and impressions. SWK Lowering Sport Spring Set (ZC33S) The springs I installed this time are sold by SWK (Suzuki Works Kurume), a dealer operating Suzuki Arena Kurume West. When deciding on lowering, I focused on the following points: Since my...

2021.12.17Reviews & Test Drives, Suzuki

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.12.11Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Cayman

Long-Awaited 718 Cayman GT4 Test Drive Review: How Does It Differ from the Spider?

For some reason, this is actually my first time writing a test drive article on the GT4. This time, I drove the 718 Cayman GT4. I’ve driven the sibling 718 Spider several times, so I’d like to focus on the differences between the two in this review. 718 Cayman GT4 The GT4 is a grade developed by Porsche’s GT division, so its origins differ somewhat from the regular models. Equipped with exclusive features like Adaptive...

2021.12.11Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Cayman

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.12.05Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911

Test Drive: Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (991.1) – How Different Is It from the Co...

911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet This time, I had the chance to test drive the 991.1 (early 991) Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet. The name is a bit of a mouthful, but to sum it up, it’s the all-wheel-drive GTS model in an open-top version—basically the convertible counterpart to my own Carrera 4 GTS coupe. It’s an extremely rare model. Just the Carrera 4 GTS and the AWD GTS are already scarce, but add the convertible...

2021.12.05Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911