Retro Reviews
Ever wanted to read a modern drive review of a 1908 Columbia Electric Victoria Phaeton? How about a millennial trans woman's opinion on the original Viper that debuted before her birth? Classic car reviews are my favorite stories to write; examining a car not just as a vehicle but as a cultural touchpoint for the era and circumstances it was released in is a unique joy. Plus, who says no to driving an E-Type?
Renault Twingo Road Trip @ The Autopian
The best car on Earth is the one that you drive.
1986 Yugo GV @ Jalopnik
How Tito's Yugoslavia came so close to delivering the future of affordable transport, only for the forces of geopolitics to smother its success.
1987 Toyota 4Runner @ The Drive
One of the earliest crossovers presented a future in harmony with nature, rather than in opposition to it.
2000 BMW M5 @ The Drive
The indisputably prominent peak of the super-sedan wars, discovered on an evening drive up Nevada's Mount Rose.
1977 Honda Accord CVCC @ The Drive
1974 Honda Civic CVCC @ The Drive
1986 Acura Integra @ The Drive
1976 Porsche 912E @ The Drive
199X Toyota MR-2 @ The Drive
1995 Toyota Century @ The Drive
Toyota's magnum opus of luxury was never a Lexus - it was the pin-drop-quiet Century. We never got it, because we wouldn't get it.
1908 Columbia Electric Victoria Phaeton @ The Drive
What, exactly, is an electric carriage from the turn of the 19th century like to drive today, and how did it become a footnote of history?
1966 Jaguar E-Type @ The Drive
The E Type is inescapably Hollywood, but how did a Le Mans-based tourer become the car de jour for anyone who was anyone?
1992 Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II @ The Drive
Lancia's rally-dominating machine in its final evolution is the best car I've ever driven, bar none.
1994 Dodge Viper RT/10 @ The Drive
Trans woman meets masculinity personified, and wonders how to grapple with the frat-bro pinnacle of muscle cars. (Still my favorite review.)
1988 Toyota Supra Turbo A @ The Drive
Toyota's ultimate edition of the Supra was no flashy MKIV; it was a stealth-fighter MKIII meant to dominate tracks - and the Wangan.
1980 Renault 5 Turbo @ The Drive
The Renault Turbo 5 offers absurdly flashy style, an unconventional drive layout, and a great pedigree. Too bad it's a dreadful bore.
1986 Maserati Biturbo EV Swap @ Jalopnik
Adding more wiring to a Maserati is a strange move, but this EV-swapped Biturbo is more fun - and reliable - than it was as an ICE.
2006 Pontiac GTO @ The Drive
Pontiac took the power of a Corvette, slapped it in the body of a Grand Prix, and offered it at half-off. We had it so good, man.
1972 George Barris Bugazzi @ The Drive
"They call me Big Dick because I have a big dick" on wire wheels with marble door panels. I love it.
1976 Honda Lady Concept @ The Drive
Honda's first concept car illustrated its future. Impossibly, it lives on as more than a monument - it's an example of enthusiasm at its finest.
1980 Porsche 911 S/C @ The Drive
Begrudgingly, I admit that the unbearable hype of the Porsche world is correct - an air-cooled 911 is one of life's true joys.
2003 Lexus IS430 Concept @ Hemmings
A Lexus SEMA build with a V8 is both a fun time capsule of early-aughts tuning and a shockingly prescient predictor of the F cars to come.