By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(August 28, 2016) These are two Audis I love. Which is a little funny when you consider that one is a VW Golf hatchback reconstituted as a four-door sedan, and which hews more closely to the Audi ethos than many of the brand’s higher priced offerings. But is it better than the Golf on which it is based? Let’s find out.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(August 22, 2016) When I was growing up, gas-powered go karts were all the rage; their single-cylinder Briggs and Stratton engines chugging away behind your head, and a rudimentary steel tube frame tying everything together. Against the clock they weren’t quick, nor did they have a high top speed, but they felt like rockets as you skimmed along the ground imaging yourself to be Jim Clark or a young Mario Andretti.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(August 13, 2016) “The everyday driver is an accidental performance driver.” It was one of those statements that sticks in your mind because it strikes a chord of truth. How often, if ever, do most drivers get a chance to push their vehicle hard enough to see what it will do, and do so in a controlled setting?

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(August 4, 2016) The 1984 movie Dune cost an estimated $40 million to make, and grossed $27 million in the U.S. It took more than six years to bring to the screen, and is a film both director David Lynch and actor Kyle MacLachlan (among many, many others) probably would like to forget.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(July 30, 2016) Audi’s 2017 A4 allroad is sort of the Subaru Outback of the German luxury set. Quattro all-wheel drive with “ultra” technology is standard, as are adaptive dampers and a redesigned five-link suspension. Power is supplied by an updated 2.0-liter turbocharged four with 252 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft. of torque. It is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, and capable of propelling the allroad from 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(July 25, 2016) About 10 years ago, Audi was launching the then-new TT near Napa, Calif., and chose the highest, most sinuous trails it could find to show off the car’s dynamic capabilities. Co-driver and friend Tom Lankard took the first turn behind the wheel, and attacked the roads with gusto. But it didn’t take long before he grew bored by the confined nature of the roads (seemingly there were no sweepers or straights of any note), and aware that I was looking greener by the second as I fought motion sickness.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(July 20, 2016) The BMW 650i went back at the end of a week in my care, and left a number of conflicting feelings. A beautiful design (much better looking than its droopy eyed immediate predecessor), the big coupe exudes status and power, luxury and wealth, and reinforces these impressions with an anal-retentive attention to detail that is uniquely German.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(July 18, 2016) Big news. GM is adding Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) and full LED front lighting to the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka. “The what?,” you say. The Mokka. Or as we call it in the U.S., the Buick Encore small crossover. This is great news, especially in light of the recent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) study that showed just how pathetic new car headlights can be.

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(July 15, 2016) If you haven’t ordered your 2017 Ford GT yet, you might want to consider the limited-edition ’66 Heritage Edition that pays homage to the 1966 race-winning Ford GT Mk. II driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon. But hurry. This particular model will be offered only during the 2017 model year.