Reviews & Test Drives

2025.09.17Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

BMW M3 E46 Tuning Review: The Truth Behind a Custom Build with CSL-Level Refinement

A Legendary Engine That Still Impresses After 150,000 Kilometers It’s been a while since our last tuned-car review, but today we’re getting behind the wheel of a BMW M3 E46—and this turned out to be an exceptionally well-sorted custom build. Back in August 2024, we reviewed the M3 CSL, a rare model with only around 150 examples imported to Japan. The CSL was a special edition developed to reduce weight and sharpen performance, and we...

2025.09.17Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

Live Streaming

2024.08.19Live Streaming

[Livestream Highlights] Vol. 46: The Appeal of the 986 Boxster, BMW M3 CSL Test Drive, Te...

Here’s a recap of our latest livestream for *Welcome Home, PORSCHE*. Whether you’re commuting, heading to school, or out for a drive in your Porsche, we hope you’ll enjoy listening along. If you enjoy the show, please give us a thumbs-up and subscribe to the channel! Topics and Highlights 1. What Makes the 986 Boxster Special [01:54] My wife is planning to test-drive a manual 986 Boxster. This particularly well-preserved example has a rare full-leather...

2024.08.19Live Streaming

Reviews & Test Drives

2024.08.13Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

BMW M3 CSL (E46) Review: Driving a Rare SMG-to-Manual Conversion

Meeting a Legendary M3 CSL Converted to a Manual This time, I’m stepping away from Porsche to review a BMW M3 CSL I had the chance to drive. And this was no ordinary M3 CSL. It was a 2003 E46 M3 CSL, one of only around 150 imported to Japan—and an exceptionally rare example converted to a manual transmission. BMW has always held a special place in my heart. I once owned an E36 318is,...

2024.08.13Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

Reviews & Test Drives

2023.11.01Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

BMW M8 Gran Coupe Review: How Does It Compare with the 840i and Porsche Panamera?

BMW M8 Gran Coupe Competition I recently had the chance to drive the BMW M8 Gran Coupe, and I’d like to share my impressions. I’ve written many times on this blog about how much I like BMW. I’m especially fond of the M3 (and M4), and the M badge has always held a special appeal for me. It represents one of the three cars I’ve dreamed of owning at least once in my life: a...

2023.11.01Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.09.29Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

MINI JCW (MINI John Cooper Works) Review: A Spirited Test Drive

MINI John Cooper Works A friend recently bought a BMW MINI JCW (John Cooper Works) and kindly let me take it for a drive. I wanted to review it without any preconceptions, so I did no research beforehand and simply waited for the day of the test drive. Seeing the JCW for the first time, I was struck by how different it looked from a regular MINI. The first things to catch my eye were...

2022.09.29Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

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

2021.10.29Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

Test-Driving the BMW ALPINA D5 S: What Was My First ALPINA Like?

The ALPINA D5 S I’ve mentioned in previous articles that BMW is one of my favorite carmakers. Ever since owning an E36 318is, I’ve loved the way BMWs drive and the fun they deliver. Even now, BMW remains one of the brands I’d love to own again if the opportunity came along. Within BMW’s lineup, the name that stands shoulder to shoulder with M as a maker of high-performance cars is ALPINA. I’d always wanted...

2021.10.29Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.10.14Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé (840i) Review: How Does It Compare with the Panamera?

I recently had the chance to test-drive the current-generation BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé, and I’d like to share my impressions. As usual, rather than getting into every little feature, I’ll focus on how it drives and how it compares with the Porsche Panamera I used to own. The BMW 8 Series The BMW 8 Series has been one of my dream cars since I was a kid. Looking back, I remember the day an...

2021.10.14Reviews & Test Drives, BMW

How to Buy a Porsche

2021.06.12How to Buy a Porsche

To Wives Who Oppose Their Husbands Buying a Sports Car or Luxury Car: Let Them Enjoy the ...

A Wife Opposes Her Husband Buying a Lexus The other day, I came across an interesting article that someone had shared on Twitter. “My husband earns ¥12 million a year and wants to buy an ¥8 million Lexus. Should I let him?” A stay-at-home mom asks for advice—and gets a chilly response. The family consists of a 47-year-old husband, a 42-year-old wife, and a child in second grade, so I assume it’s a family of...

2021.06.12How to Buy a Porsche

How to Buy a Porsche

2021.05.17How to Buy a Porsche

2 Things to Consider Before Asking Your Wife to Let You Buy a Sports Car

For Husbands Who Want a Sports Car The other day, while browsing the internet for car-life advice, I came across several articles about how married men with children can persuade their wives to let them buy a sports car. I’d seen plenty of people asking the same question on Yahoo! Chiebukuro, Japan’s Q&A site, and thought, “So there are quite a few husbands out there dealing with this.” In fact, posts about persuading your wife...

2021.05.17How to Buy a Porsche