I like cars. I didn't grow up in a family that liked cars, in fact, all of my relatives drive very practical vehicles (if they drive at all). One of my uncles owned a '68 Corvette Stringray, but he sold it. After my parents retired they got themselves a truly exciting car--a Volkswagen Cabrio. To each his own. My interest is not genetic, but it's there. Take this into consideration as you evaluate my progress through the years.

1977 Volkswagen Van (white), 1989-1990 I learned to drive a manual transmission in the "Porsche of Vans." I also spent a lot of my childhood freezing during long trips thanks to the air-cooled engine. It was more aptly called "the bus," not because it was powerful like Jerome Bettis but because it drove like a bus. I think my parents sold it to some relatives.

1985 Volkswagen Vanagon (blue), 1990-1991 The car I drove to school when I first got my license. It was a real performance machine (or not--it once placed dead last in Car & Driver's year-end performance review for 0-60 time). Everyone called it the party van, but it was potential more than reality. I did manage to fool a very gullible friend (who later wound up at MIT) into thinking I had installed a big-block Chevy V-8 once when the muffler broke. In retrospect, a car with a built-in mattress should be a pretty exciting thing for a young guy, but what do you want, I was a nerd. I'm not sure what became of this one.

1988 Volkswagen Golf (gold), 1991-1996 One of my parent's old cars, which I drove now and then in school and then drove to work when I graduated. I had a 40-mile commute (one way) so I contributed in no small way to the car's eventual death by charitable donation. It was faster than the vanagon, but that's about all that can be said for it.

1996 Mazda Miata (brilliant black), 1996-2000 My first car purchase. Made me a sports-car driver forever. It was an amazing little car and I had a lot of fun over the course of almost 5 years and more than 50,000 miles. A totally reliable convertible with train-track handling and a short-shift gearbox. The power left something to be desired (133 hp 4-cylinder) and the refinement wasn't up there, but it was a great little car. The last time I ever saw it was at a car dealership in Delaware when I traded it in.

R.I.P.

1999 Toyota RAV4 L (forest green), 1999- About two years ago I realized that I got lucky in the Miata with the mild winters, and that there was no way a serious sports car would be able to handle most mid-Atlantic winters. So I got the RAV4 to haul things and people, drive through snow and mud, and in general be the "beater" car. Of all the SUVs I tried, this one had the best transmission, handling, and steering response. It's like a Miata, but big. And slow. And a bit more prone to rollovers.

2001 Porsche Boxster (silver, blue interior), 2001- Now THIS is a CAR!! Say what you want about it not being the fastest (yes I test-drove a Corvette once, couldn't stand it), it has handling to die for, refinement that leaves the competition in the dust, and an engine that whines and roars like nothing else out there. And that is with the top UP. I guess this makes me a "Porsche guy" and that means I will never be a "vette guy" or a "BMW guy" or among the "Ferraristi." Well... about that last one... we'll see.