There Is A Bit Of Mercedes
The KIA Stinger finally here ladies and gentlemen! I had been following this model from its conceptual design in 2013 to full production model as seen here! This is KIA take to compete with the BMW 4 Series. Just look at it! My jaw literally dropped when I saw the video on Youtube. If you didn't know I am a big fans of KIA models. I really love their take on design to compete with the top. If you look at it the car also screams tons of design cue from the Germans. There is a bit of Mercedes, BMW and Porsche in it. The interior at one glance you would had thought it is a Mercedes Benz model interior. There are two engine choices, a 255hp 2.0litre 4 bangers and the almighty 3.3 V6 with 365hp that sprint from nor to 62mph (100km/hr) in 5.1 sec! That is the same time as my Porsche Boxster S! So the big question here is, will it come to Brunei? I certainly hope so but there are several models from KIA which are not sold in Brunei. Hopefully KIA Brunei will see the potential of this model and bring in to compete with the Germans. As for the price I am guessing around BND50K to BND60K.
Practically drives itself. I'm still getting used to the weight in the middle, instead of the rear, which I had perfected! Next month I will have owned her for one year and still don't know a lot of the details. I bought two car seats for the nanny kids and grandkids. One from Porsche and one from Recaro. Expensive, but both fit like gloves. Sitting in the front has been an adventure for the kids, since their usual view is the back of a front seat. The car feels like 65 at 95 mph. When you ride in it, or drive it (ed.:!!!), you will see what is to love. I feel like a princess while driving her. I love the looks from people. I just LOVE my car! Q. People often think of Caymans as Boxsters with hardtops. On the other hand, I've also heard that Porsche had to dial back the Cayman's capabilities so that it did not directly compete against the 911. How do you respond? If people think the Cayman is a Boxster with a hardtop, they need to drive both and see. They are not the same car at all.
The Cayman is much faster and seems more luxurious to me. I have heard the 911 story also. Plenty of Caymans beat the 911s. Of course it's all in the driver. Q. Tell us about your week with the 959. How did you get the opportunity? What was it like on the Silverstone circuit ? What was it like driving on the streets? I had been collecting 959 "anythings". There was an ad in Panorama (Porsche Club of America's monthly magazine) from a man in England, that not only had stuff for me to purchase, but also owned the real thing. At the time they were not allowed in the U.S., except to show. We corresponded for months and I finally went to England to drive the car for a week. Silverstone was an amazing experience. I lost control on the first turn and laughed the whole way (my instructor was very understanding!).
On the streets, on the wrong side, was a huge challenge. The power was more than I was used to, so it took awhile. The old country roads were really fun. Interesting note at Silverstone: At the driver's meeting, I was leaning up against the wall next to another driver (I thought). We were chatting between the lectures and when finished, introduced myself, as did he: Derek Bell! Q. What is your favorite Porsche model? What is your least favorite Porsche model? I still have deep feelings for the 959, which used to be THE car in my eyes. However, the Cayman has replaced that. I so, so love my new-to-me car! The 914 is the least fave, just because it is so hard to drive. I鈥檝e driven many of them and never came away saying "that was easy!" NOT. I don't particularly like the 928 and 944s, just because they feel so big and have limited visibility.
Q. What do you think of non-traditional Porsches like the Cayenne and the Panamera? The Panamera is a fantastic car. I've driven one, and was extremely impressed. It fits the request perfectly for some, although I don't see many families in them. Probably the high price tag. The Cayenne is also amazing. I've driven many and find them to perform like a 911, except higher and bigger. I took turns fast, and it responded like a 911, not an SUV. I really want one! Both are great examples of Porsche machines. Q. What is the Porsche Club of America (PCA)? What does it do? What is your involvement/role in it? PCA is the Porsche Club of America. There are clubs everywhere. There is a saying: "Porsche, it's not just the car, it's the people" and it is very true. Most clubs in the Bay Area seem to have their own specialties. The Diablo Region serves all of the East Bay and we do a lot of social events and tours.