Jake Thiewes

Fan of all things wheeled. Queso enthusiast. Will badger you to come to the track and get rides and/or HPDE seat time, because everyone deserves to be a slightly better driver.

Ford F-150 Lightning towing enclosed trailer

Towing With the Ford F-150 Lightning Was the Best Tow Experience I’ve Ever Had – Despite Limited Range and Annoying Charging Stations

Electric pickup trucks are not ready for long-distance towing. I say that after spending a week with a 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning and finding it an effortless, wildly good tow vehicle. Confused yet? Keep reading. ‘Normalcy’ is the F-150 Lightning’s big appeal. Where Rivian’s R1T reimagines the pickup truck, Ford’s approach focuses on people who …

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2022 Hyundai Elantra N & Hyundai Kona N

The 2022 Hyundai Elantra N and Kona N are Amusing, Attainable Performance Stars

I loved the Hyundai Veloster N. It was a funky, weird three-door hatchback with a killer drivetrain and honest performance at a reasonable price. On the surface, it seemed like the answer to what enthusiasts have been asking for. In reality, everyone clamoring for “something interesting” or “something weird” realizes their priorities are elsewhere and …

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2023 Genesis Electrified G80 matte white

2023 Genesis Electrified G80 Review: Stylish, Slippery Stunner of a Sedan

“What even IS that? I love it!” Charging an electric car, even at high speeds, means you have the opportunity to meet other EV drivers and occasionally have some brief conversation. John had pulled in right behind me to charge his Chevy Bolt, and had no idea what I was driving. The long, matte white …

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2022 Nissan Z Proto Spec

Four Hours with Mike & Martha: Sharing the 2023 Nissan Z with my First Grade Teacher and “Mr. Z” Himself

Heritage is an interesting concept in the automotive world. Some brands cling to it, specific models over the years have embraced it – well or to a fault – and other makes and models are all about looking ahead. The 2023 Nissan Z aims to fit squarely in the middle, with the press release claiming it’s …

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2023 Cadillac Escalade V with drag queens

2023 Cadillac Escalade V Review: Break ‘Em Off Something Proper Like a Real Show Stopper

There are certain cars in this business that come close to being perfect. This one is the perfect family crossover, that one is the perfect sport sedan. You know the type. And then there are others that are imperfect, sometimes in a bad way and sometimes in a this-has-an-abundance-of-character way. The 2023 Cadillac Escalade V …

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2022 Lexus LC 500 Convertible

2022 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Review: The Prettiest, Most Special Lexus They Sell

I’m staring at a rapidly-approaching weekend for the final road rally of our year and realizing that I haven’t yet written about the car I drove at the last road rally in September. Oops. Blame a non-stop calendar of events and fun cars, of which my “Six Red Flags” convertible was absolutely a part. By …

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2022 Acura Integra A-Spec

2022 Acura Integra A-Spec 6-Speed Review: The Haters Are Wrong

Everyone’s got opinions on the 2022 Acura Integra, and if you consult the internet at large, they’ll tell you that despite it being a fine car it’s somehow awful and a disgrace to the Integra heritage and so on. I spent a week with a 2022 Integra A-Spec with Technology package – with requisite six-speed manual …

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C8 Corvette Z06 Z07 on Track

First Drive: Chevy’s C8 Corvette Z06 is a Phenomenal Track-Oriented Street Car

IYKYK. Motorsports and driving enthusiasts can hear “Z06” on its own and know immediately that whoever said it is referring to the most track-oriented variant of Corvette sold by Chevrolet in a given generation. We see a decent number of them as NASA race cars and time trial cars, and we’re starting to see more …

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2022 Polestar 2

2022 Polestar 2 Single Motor Review: The Base Model is Refreshingly Good

Last fall, Polestar sent me a fully-loaded example of their electric sedan, the Polestar 2. Equipped with the Pilot, Plus, and Performance packages, I generally enjoyed the car but found the Öhlins performance suspension to ride far too rough on anything but perfect roads, and needlessly fussy to adjust with its manual knobs under the …

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2022 Mazda CX-9 Signature

2022 Mazda CX-9 Review: Focused on Driving and Luxury Over Outright Utility

Last year, I called the Mazda CX-9 the “Miata of three-row crossovers,” in that it didn’t really have drive modes or fancy shocks or anything for the driver to fuss with. It was just a solid, well-tuned big crossover for people who care about things like steering feel. My parents recently moved, and I took …

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