The start of this comparison felt like we’d gotten away with something. Paul and I each flew into Los Angeles and went to different airport parking garages. He drove out with a $50,000 M235i, and I drove out with a $50,000 Audi S3. Neither of us paid a dime to have these cars, and we promptly used the provided tank of gas to drive two hours out of town to a moonscape area outside Palm Desert. This was one of those moments when the privilege of getting press cars was impos

The Volkswagen GTI was the original Hot Hatch, and still stands as a benchmark today. It comes up on our Podcast almost every single episode, and any time we drive one we’re stuck by how well sorted it is and capable of being one car for every kind of need and driver. But if you prefer a more hair-on-fire experience, then the GTI begins to lose ground to other cars more dedicated to fun and performance. Over the years Volkswagen has offered various other GTI variations, but

We’ve reviewed both these cars before and enjoy them for their attitude and history, but never gravitated toward them for a fun road. In truth, both platforms are a poor structure for making a world-beating car. The Dodge Challenger Hellcat (Muscle Kings Pt1) may be a two-door coupe, but at 4,500lbs it is as big and heavy as many seven seat SUVs. The Camaro isn’t a lightweight either, but its problems stem from poor visibility, tight headroom, and a car that always had mor

The bailout of General Motors and Chrysler stained both company’s reputations but also began a renaissance in American car performance. One look at the line up of either company reveals improved interiors, better styling, and more performance rear-wheel-drive monsters than we could have ever imagined a mere five years ago. To prove this point, look no further than the Challenger SRT Hellcat and the Camaro Z28. These are the kings of their respective line-ups and they offer

This was one of those days that make people insanely jealous: we gathered two GTRs and a Mitsubishi EVO X together for a drive on one of California’s great driving roads. Paul and I had been talking about this matchup since we first drove the GTR and EVO separately many years ago. Meanwhile, Gavin, one of cameramen, was so excited I actually thought he was going to strain something. Such is the power of the GTR. It’s the dream car of a generation, offering performance riva

We’ve always loved the “what-if” nature of car debates and started the show, in part, to illuminate the discussions car people get into when buying something new. In the real world of limited budgets, commutes, and kids, our cars have to do a lot more than just excite us. Thankfully, every now and then great cars face off at the same price-point. But rarely are they both from the same brand. Like many siblings, the new 2015 Subaru WRX and Subaru BRZ share parts and origin,

The reaction of random strangers quickly illustrated the problems and benefits of the new Chevy SS and the Dodge Charger SRT8. While driving the SRT on the freeway, I was surrounded by a group of sport bikers. Their leader tried to get my attention, and when I looked over he offered a long and sincere thumbs up at the car. Then when parking the Chevy SS, a man approached and asked what it was, if it was fast, and assumed it was a SS version of some other Chevy car, like the M