History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek February 1, 1999; republished by the author Like a persistent back-seat driver, the 2.0-liter V8 yammers incessantly. Sucking air and high test spritzed into the velocity stacks I can see in the rear-view mirror, it nags “Faster, faster,” and my right foot is all too ready to comply. The […]
1975 Ferrari 308GT4: The new Ferrari designed for a new era
History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek November 7, 1994; republished by the author I have a secret, but I’ll tell you because we’re old friends and I know I can trust you. Ready? O.K. The Ferrari 308GT4 is a great car. Really. Yeah, I know you’ve read otherwise, but bear with us and I’ll explain. […]
1985 Maserati Quattroporte: Italian definition of a four-door makes a statement
History/driving impression originally published in AutoWeek November 12, 1990; republished by the author English is an efficient and purposeful language, but Italian is more exquisite and elegant. Consider the descriptive and direct term “four-door.” Then consider the Italian equipment: “Quattroporte.” Say it Italian-style, pronouncing the final “e” (as a long “a”), and you can barely […]
1997 Acura NSX
Originally published in The Complete Road & Track ’97 Car Buyer’s Guide; republished by the author Back in the mid-60’s, a serious sports car had to have its engine in the middle. Lots of reasons were cited for this, things like weight distribution and polar moment of inertia. Mostly it was because race cars were […]
1968 Lamborgini Islero: Unloved styling marked “The Forgotten Lamborghini”
History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek October 23, 1989; republished by the author The Lamborghini Islero has been called “The Forgotten Lamborghini,” which shouldn’t particularly surprise anyone. For it went mostly unnoticed when it was new. Born in the shadow of the Espada and sharing the showroom floor with it and the fabulous Miura, it’s […]
The De Tomaso Mangusta: The best car in the world, the worst car in the world
History/driving impressions originally published AutoWeek October 26, 1988; republished by the author The De Tomaso Mangusta. All the visual impact of the wrong end of Dirty Harry’s gun. Organic as a cat, fluid as a crayon on the sidewalk on August 15. Slick in the dorsal region and thick in the haunches. Colored Revlon’s best […]
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