Reviews & Test Drives

2022.01.07Reviews & Test Drives, Touring Reports, Porsche 911

981 and 991.1 GTS: An Okayama Road Trip in Three Porsche Soundtracks

My friend Tomozo recently took delivery of a 991.1 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet. To celebrate, TAKURO, in his 981 Boxster GTS, and I, in my Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, joined him for a day trip along one of our favorite routes through Okayama’s countryside. Here’s the story of our drive—and my impressions of the Carrera GTS Cabriolet. 7:30 a.m. I met TAKURO at a convenience store, and we set off for Okayama on the Chugoku...

2022.01.07Reviews & Test Drives, Touring Reports, Porsche 911

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.12.29Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Panamera

Test-Driving the Late 970 Porsche Panamera GTS: What Only the 970—and the GTS—Can Offer

The story behind this blog began when a 970 Panamera Edition (the base model) arrived at our home. My wife was captivated by the way it drove and talked to me about the Panamera’s virtues almost every day. I’ve always loved the 970 Panamera, too. The Edition, in particular, is a beautifully balanced car that makes driving a real pleasure. I recently had the chance to test-drive a Panamera GTS, and I’d like to share...

2021.12.29Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Panamera

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.12.24Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

A Sublime V10: Behind the Wheel of the BMW M5 (E60)

BMW M5 I’ve written before about my love of BMWs, but there’s one car in particular I used to dream about owning. The E60 M5. Back then, whenever I spotted an M5 or M6 on the road—which wasn’t often—I’d watch it go by and wonder, “What would it take to get behind the wheel of a car like that?” It seemed impossibly out of reach, and I admired it from afar. First Impressions I recently...

2021.12.24Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

Reviews & Test Drives

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

981 Cayman vs. 718 Cayman: What’s the Difference, and Which One Is Right for You?

Recently, I had a base-model 718 Cayman as a loaner. About a month earlier, I’d also had the chance to drive a base-model 981 Cayman. Rather than write a traditional test drive or review, I want to focus on what stands out to me about these two 98x-generation Caymans—and how they differ. The 718 and 981 Cayman: What’s the Difference? Strictly speaking, 718 is the model name, while 982 is the development code. So, 981...

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

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.12.17Reviews & Test Drives, Suzuki

SWK Lowering Springs on the Suzuki Swift Sport (ZC33S): How Did They Change the Handling ...

I recently wrote a review of the Suzuki Swift Sport in completely stock form. Since then, I’ve made a few changes and fitted SWK’s Lowering Sports Spring Set. Here are my impressions of how it’s changed the car. SWK Lowering Sports Spring Set (ZC33S) The springs I chose are sold by SWK (Suzuki Works Kurume), a Suzuki dealer that operates Suzuki Arena Kurume Nishi. When choosing a lowering setup, I had a few priorities: My...

2021.12.17Reviews & Test Drives, Suzuki

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.12.11Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Cayman

718 Cayman GT4 Review: How Does It Compare with the Spyder?

For some reason, this is actually my first time writing a test-drive review of a GT4. This time, I got behind the wheel of the 718 Cayman GT4. I’ve driven its sibling, the 718 Spyder, several times, so I’ll focus on how the two compare. 718 Cayman GT4 The GT4 is a model developed by Porsche’s GT department, giving it a slightly different pedigree from the regular lineup. It comes equipped with dedicated hardware such...

2021.12.11Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Cayman

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.12.05Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911

Test-Driving the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (991.1): How Different Is It from th...

911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet The car I got to test-drive this time was a 991.1 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet. It’s a bit of a mouthful, so to simplify: it’s an all-wheel-drive GTS with an open top—think of it as the convertible version of my own Carrera 4 GTS. It’s a rare model to begin with: the Carrera 4 GTS is uncommon, and the combination of all-wheel drive and a GTS badge makes it rarer...

2021.12.05Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.12.01Reviews & Test Drives, Suzuki

Suzuki Swift Sport ZC33S Review: How Does a Porsche Owner Find It?

It’s been nearly two months since the Suzuki Swift Sport joined our family. We recently fitted lowering springs, but before making any modifications, I asked my husband to share his impressions of the car in completely stock condition. Here’s what he had to say. Suzuki Swift Sport ZC33S Review: The Stock Car Suzuki doesn’t appear to prescribe an official break-in procedure, but the 1,000-km first inspection and oil change are behind us, and the engine...

2021.12.01Reviews & Test Drives, Suzuki

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.11.29Reviews & Test Drives

I Asked My Husband, Who Test-Drives a Different Porsche Almost Every Week, How He Approac...

My Husband Gets to Test-Drive a Porsche Almost Every Week My husband regularly gets to drive Porsches owned by people he knows, as well as cars from a variety of other manufacturers, on Royu Driveway. He later shares his impressions in test-drive reports on the blog. Each drive lasts only about 15 minutes, but owners often tell him, “I’m amazed you can write so much after such a short test drive.” I wondered whether he...

2021.11.29Reviews & Test Drives

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.11.26Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911

Test Drive: Porsche 911 Targa 4S (991.1)—Enjoy the Sublime Ride of PDCC

Porsche 911 Targa 4S Lately, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to drive early 991-generation 911s. Their owners are clearly smitten with the naturally aspirated engine, and they all say the same thing: its sound and feel make every drive special. This time, I got behind the wheel of an early 991 Targa 4S. The Targa was produced in lower numbers than the GT3 models, making it one of the rarest 911 variants. And this one...

2021.11.26Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911