It’s been almost a month and a half since my wife bought a Taycan. We take it out on the Royu Driveway now and then, use it for commuting, and drive it on family outings. This time, I want to talk about what makes the Taycan such a joy to drive. I’ll cover what it’s like to live with as an EV in more detail another time. Our Taycan is a 4S Cross Turismo. It...
Picking up where Part 1 left off, this time I’ll focus on how the 718 Cayman T feels on winding roads and the highway. 718ケイマンTの納車から半年経過してどうだった？（前編） Mid-Engine Cornering at Its Best Our family has a 981 Boxster GTS and a 992, too, but the 718 Cayman T corners differently from both. Of course, with its mid-engine layout, it feels closer to the 981 Boxster GTS—but its dynamic performance is in a different league. Just as you’d...
It’s been about six months since our 718 Cayman T was delivered, and we’ve now driven it more than 2,000 km. It’s not quite through its running-in period yet, but we’ve taken it on several short tours. So this feels like a good time to share my impressions so far. The 718 Cayman T’s Appeal, Seen Through the Eyes of a Carrera T Owner The 718 Cayman T’s biggest strength is its beautifully judged chassis...
Back by popular demand (?)—it’s time to announce our Test Drive Car of the Year! In this article, I’m sharing my husband’s top three most memorable cars from the many he test-drove in 2023. He regularly gets the chance to drive cars owned by readers and friends, and these were the ones that left the biggest impression. That said, every car was excellent, so he found it difficult to rank them. Please keep in mind...
After driving the 987 Cayman, I had the chance to get behind the wheel of its contemporary, the 997-generation 911 Turbo. Here’s what the experience was like. The Porsche 911 Turbo (997) The 997-generation Porsche 911 marked a break from the 996’s “fried-egg” headlights, returning instead to the round headlights of the air-cooled era. I remember well when it first went on sale. Its design seemed like a further evolution of the 993, with just...
After mentioning on YouTube and on this blog that we had few test-drive reports covering generations such as the 987, 997, 986, and 996, I had the chance to get behind the wheel of a late-model 987 Cayman. Here’s my report. Late-Model 987 Cayman Base The car I’m test-driving this time is a late-model 987 Cayman. For the facelift, the engine grew from 2.7 liters to 2.9 liters, and output rose to 265 PS. One...
A Porsche-owning friend of mine was lucky enough to buy a GRMN Yaris, and he kindly let me take it for a drive. Here’s what I thought. What Does GRMN Mean? GRMN is a step beyond the regular “GR” badge, and the name holds an important place in Toyota’s motorsports world.Created by GAZOO Racing, these aren’t simply sporty models. The GRMN name is reserved for cars that have undergone rigorous testing and development, including work...
The New Cayenne S Coupe I recently had the chance to drive the new Porsche Cayenne S, and here’s my review. As always, this blog post is not sponsored, so you can read on with confidence. Our family used to own a Cayenne E-Hybrid. Drawing on that experience, I’ll also compare the new model with its predecessor. The latest Cayenne is a mid-cycle update.The exterior changes are subtle, though you’ll notice revisions to the front...
Following on from Part 1, here’s the second half of my review. Highway Performance: Confidence and Power Once I reached the highway, I gave the accelerator a gentle press after the tollbooth, keeping in mind that the car was still being run in. The Dakar is, after all, based on the GTS engine. At low revs, I’d actually found the Carrera more responsive and quicker, but once the revs climb, the surge of power and...
Taking Delivery of the 911 Dakar: Expectations vs. Reality My younger brother bought a Porsche 911 Dakar. I joined him at the dealership to take delivery, then rode along for a grand tour of about 900 km. Here’s what we discovered along the way. What comes to mind when you think of the Porsche 911 Dakar? To be honest, I hadn’t been particularly interested in it. I pictured it as a lifted 911 that could...
