It's not the most pretty of convertibles, but it is certainly quite imposing. This car screams, "I'm rich. Get out of the way."
Rolls-Royce has been the last word in high-end luxury automobiles since its inception before World War I. I’ve always gone beserk upon laying eyes on anything they’ve made, from the breathtaking Silver Cloud to the modern, yet still classic Phantom sedan. But, I never knew that I would have an opportunity to drive one, let alone two, until I went to Monterey for the Concours last month. I have seen the light, and it is bright and shining. Continue reading Test Driven: Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead, Al’s Take→
I’m not normally the guy who will say that a car is completely faultless in the way that it drives. I like to pick things apart, try to find a flaw, no matter how hard it may be to do so. I do it because I know nothing’s perfect and I’d rather not blow sunshine up anything’s rear end without reservation. But, Porsche’s Boxster Spyder was so good, that I gave up looking. Continue reading Test Driven: Porsche Boxster Spyder PDK→
Of the six cars I drove on the Gotham tour the one I would want in my driveway has to be the Gallardo LP-560 Spyder. It offers all of that supercar feel, speed, performance, and image, but with none of the drawbacks of the Murcielago. Although because it lacks some of that outrageous idiocy, it is very different than its bigger brother for better and worse in various ways, but as a car, that will be driven in the imperfect and chaotic world, it is far better. Continue reading Test Driven: Lamborghini Gallardo LP-560 Spyder→
It is interesting how the supercar experience really boils down to two things, the drive itself and being the star of your own parade. In many cases, seeing people’s reactions is almost as fun as driving the car fast, there is a sense of occasion that a supercar brings and this Ferrari no exception. Continue reading Test Driven: Ferrari F430 Spider→
I’m going to start by listing all of the awful things about the Murcielago. It is hard to get in and out of, the driver position is awkward and not straight, the seat pokes you in many places and isn’t very comfortable, it has a small trunk that is almost useless, The steering is really heavy, the car feels absurdly huge, you have to avoid every pothole (expensive fix if you don’t), you have to be careful not to cut turns because you may scrape the car (like in a box truck), the car is cramped, there are blind spots everywhere except directly in front of you, its offensively impractical and vulgarly ostentatious, Its wider than the lane, rearview mirror is useless and only show you the engine, the side mirrors are useless and only show you the intakes for the engine, it is terrible on gas, nothing on the car is conventional or easy, no part of the car is socially acceptable, and because of the money at stake and the blindness, it is a terrifying car to drive and extremely stressful. So what is the appeal then? Continue reading Test Driven: Lamborghini Murcielago LP-640→
The Lamborghini Gallardo is a fantastic, well-executed supercar for the street. Like most cars in this sector, it is still impractical in many regards, but nowhere near to the degree of the Murcielago. Overall though, it can be quite useable as a second car, that you drive for fun on nice days, because it is practical enough for most basic tasks, and a lot more fun than your other car would be.
The way to describe the Bentley Continental is “solid”. The car is extremely overbuilt and it has such a feel of presence and occasion to it on the road. It is extremely refined and relaxed about everything it does whether you are just cruising or charging full steam ahead. The way it retains this laid back feel in all situations really sets it apart from any other car I have experienced. The Continental is a serious Grand Touring car to be sure. Continue reading Test Driven: Bentley Continental GTC→
Mind Over Motor 