David Newton

David Newton is an active board member of the Riesentöter region of the Porsche Club of America (PCA) and a regular contributor and columnist to their newsletter Der Gasser. He doesn't race and is not a mechanic or an engineer, but he draws from his unique perspective as an enthusiast who loves everything and anything connected with exceptional cars.

Articles by David Newton

• The thrill behind the wheel: A lifelong inventory of automotive ownership

  Monday, July 19, 2021

  Taste in vehicles is subjective and thus lands automotive purchases all over the proverbial map. Whether it's a muscle car with brutish authority, a sports car with amazing grip and power, or a minivan packed with responsibility and safety, all automobiles bring something to the table. Yet, even though contentment, perspective and interests fluctuate over the years, there is always one common thread – a bond that ties together all automotive acquisitions. It is the fundamental thrill of getting behind the wheel and pointing it down the road for the next adventure.

• A German car heritage, now electrified

  Wednesday, May 19, 2021

  If you traced the family tree on my mother’s side, you would find only Irish decedents. There are virtually no citizens from other countries (that any of her family will admit to). On my father’s side there’s far more diversity — though that may just prove that I’m a mutt. On this list are random nationalities such as Swedish and French-Canadian, but most definitely German. Although by definition I am only fractionally so, I believe that I can claim in a court of law that I am German by birthright. Because like DNA, a smidgen of ancestral evidence is all I need to prove my case. And if lifetime percentage of vehicle ownership means anything to anyone, I am fully one-third German.

• Is the BMW M440i the best possible coupe?

  Tuesday, January 26, 2021

  Several months ago, I asked myself this question — is the 2021 BMW M440i the best coupe for the money? I was in the market to replace my warranty-expiring 718 Cayman, and I had to be able to at least pretend the replacement was worth the tradeoff regarding performance, comfort and a great design. Now before you brand me a lunatic, I am aware these two cars are in somewhat different solar systems. But that was actually the point when I flipped the Cayman, our Honda HRV and a small chunk of savings for this surprisingly delightful sports coupe. I wanted the best blend of features in a single vehicle.

• Buying a new car in a COVID environment

  Monday, December 21, 2020

  If you appreciate an interesting predicament (or read my earlier article), I have been struggling with what to do when the warranty expires on my 2017 718 Cayman in July. I can’t possibly chance an uncovered Porsche, as the potential consequences can be fiscally catastrophic. So, I’ve been accustomed to flipping for a new one when it gets too close. I’ve been leaning strongly toward the 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 — with that insanely delightful flat-six powerhouse producing nearly 400 ponies. I was raised on muscle cars, so I was also intrigued by the release of the mid-engine Corvette C8. And it wasn’t long before I was obsessed. But only one of these beauties could fit in my garage, or in my wallet. Well, that all went sideways when the coronavirus arrived.

• Practicing social distancing in my car

  Friday, April 17, 2020

  Like many of you, I'm in my fifth week of working from home, and the fourth week into the stay-at-home order directive in my state. As the coronavirus evolves, we can expect more restrictions on our movements and social behavior to protect humanity from the insidious spread of the virus throughout the country. For the very lucky ones like me who have so far been only mildly inconvenienced by the stay-at-home order, keeping busy has been challenging. I have consequently spent my discretionary hours in the garage.

• What makes a car popular?

  Thursday, March 05, 2020

  Like many of you, I prefer to own and drive cars that others will notice for the right reason — but since popularity tends to be subjective, I have to wonder if they would agree with my eclectic automotive preferences. So, I decided to do my own research with the first step of defining the word popularity. If you Google the most popular cars, you’ll get a variety of results depending on the search phrases you use, along with a very loose description of the word popular. I used several search strings and received as many categorizations, ranging from purely the most sold to the "most loved or treasured."

• The latest in mid-engine sports cars: Would you choose foreign or domestic?

  Thursday, February 13, 2020

  Like wine and cheese, we are often asked if we prefer foreign or domestic when it comes to our automobile preferences. I have normally favored products made here in America to support the national economy, yet 21 of the 28 cars I’ve owned in my lifetime originate from outside our borders. And today I find myself with a challenging quandary. To fully appreciate my dilemma, you’d need to know a little more about my automotive upbringing. I was raised in the sixties on muscle cars — Ford, Chevy, AMC and Mopar —with big V8 engines, steamroller tires, Holley four-barrel carburetors and Hurst shifters.

• Changing your tune: Upgrading the 718 exhaust

  Monday, April 30, 2018

  Earlier this year, I reported my impressions of the first six months with my new 718 Cayman — mostly complimentary as I struggle finding fault with any of the three Porsches I’ve owned. But if I’m entirely honest, I’ve spent the last several months making excuses for what I feel is a lack of proper tonality for a car of this caliber. To a Porsche enthusiast, sound plays an important role in the overall experience of any vehicle, but especially in one that evokes such a raw emotion from the driver.

• Living with the 718 Cayman: The first 6 months

  Monday, February 19, 2018

  I took delivery on my 718 Cayman on July 1, a little more than six months ago. The next weekend, I drove 150 miles to Monticello Motor Club for the Stuttgart Challenge in a monsoon. Within weeks, the Northeast was hit by two successive heat waves of nearly 100 degrees, and now more recently we've seen as many subzero cold fronts.

• Let it snow: Winter shoes for your Porsche

  Wednesday, December 20, 2017

  Every self-respecting Porsche enthusiast should be educated on the fundamentals and importance of using quality snow tires. I bought my 2009 Cayman in the summer, and I was in awe of the superior handling delivered by an incredible mid-engine design coupled with extraordinary performance from the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2.

• Speed kills — or does it?

  Monday, November 06, 2017

  Tens of thousands of Americans die every year on our highways, and a large percentage of those tragedies are blamed on the relative speed of the vehicles involved. The greater the speed, the more likely an accident could end in serious injury or fatality — or so the thinking goes. But is this accurate?

• Ceramic coating: An investment in your Porsche

  Monday, October 23, 2017

  My first Porsche was a 2009 Cayman dressed in Midnight Blue Metallic — dark as a starless sky and absolutely stunning on delivery. I never thought a car could look that good, but keeping it that way presented a real challenge. I barely got my new car home from the dealer and into the garage before dust and dirt began to accumulate on every surface.

• Porsche weekend detail clinic

  Monday, August 28, 2017

  I've always taken great pride in how my cars look, particularly my Porsches. But I also have a lot going on in my life, so I can't focus on detailing details as other enthusiasts might expect. There's a point of diminishing returns when it comes to getting a showroom look, but you will never find a Q-tip or extension mirror anywhere near my car.

• Economies of scale: Learning from the past and planning for the future

  Friday, June 30, 2017

  I just returned from an aggressive tour of Germany — a weeklong trip from Berlin to Munich with several stops along the way. Much of the journey was spent getting to the next place on the schedule — trailing the Alps alongside the Autobahn where the mountains were perpetually attached to the horizon.

• Milestones of a Cayman odometer

  Monday, April 03, 2017

  In my line of work as a project manager, milestones are noteworthy and consequential points in the lifetime of an event or process. They are indicators of significance used to measure or mark project status. But milestones are also gauges of important life events.

• My favorite mechanic

  Friday, February 17, 2017

  "You really have to see my doctor, he’s the best." The reason we feel free to endorse our physicians is that we have faith in in their competence. After all, if we did not, it might call our personal judgment into question. Think about that the next time you ask for a recommendation for a medical professional. I think this applies to the mechanics we choose as well.

• Is the Porsche Macan a practical vehicle?

  Monday, December 12, 2016

  If I've learned anything as the owner of more than two dozen cars in my lifetime, it's that every household needs a practical car. You can own all the garage charms you want, but at the end of the day at least one of them has to be a reliable mode of functional transportation.

• Waiting in line for my next Porsche: The 718 Cayman

  Monday, October 10, 2016

  Last summer, I traded my 2009 Midnight Blue Cayman for a 2016 Macan S, with the self-imposed understanding that I would someday end up in another Cayman — perhaps a GTS or even the GT4. I'm not so sure I could have ultimately pulled the trigger on the Macan otherwise.

• You are what you drive

  Monday, July 25, 2016

  I largely agree with the adage "You are what you drive." While I don't claim the axiom is bulletproof, there are endless examples that support the theory — from the successful lawyer in a stately German sedan, to a general contractor with a tool-ridden F-250. I fell hard for the Porsche Cayman when it first appeared (nearly 10 years ago now), but it took me more than three years to acquire my 2009. Though far more practical, my second Porsche (a 2016 Macan S) shares a familiar driving spirit with the Cayman.

• Change is inevitable — even for Porsche

  Friday, May 06, 2016

  When the rumors first flashed that Porsche's new Boxster and Cayman would be powered by a four-cylinder turbocharged engine, I confess it set off something short of a panic — I wasn't planning for my next Cayman until well after these would ship.

• Home for the holidays — and waiting for driving season

  Tuesday, January 05, 2016

  As the holiday season came to a close, I pushed back from my dinner and reflected on Porsche-related activities I attended or was involved in over the past 12 months, and finally considered the celebration of events that traditionally close out the year.

• Music to my ears: The attraction of a car’s sound

  Friday, October 30, 2015

  As a consequence of my venture into the world of writing, I've had the pleasure of interviewing a varied mix of personalities over the years. They've included a wide range of auto enthusiasts — from weekend racers and driving instructors to automotive vendors and car show junkies.

• The 2-finger salute to my Porsche family

  Friday, September 04, 2015

  I was driving my Cayman with an associate who was getting one of her rare trips in my Porsche — rare because she does not share the same level of affection I do for my car. Understanding the mindset of someone who loves everything associated with exceptional design and engineering is completely beyond her reasoning, so I don't often feel compelled to invite her along.

• In the rearview mirror: A Father’s Day tribute

  Friday, June 12, 2015

  Looking in the rearview mirror, I'm not sure I would have bought a Porsche if it weren't for my father. The impact he had in developing my interest for exceptional cars was undeniable. There's a lot about my dad I don't recall clearly, but then other memories are as vivid as imagination.

• Porsche GT3: Conception to delivery

  Monday, February 16, 2015

  ​I first met my good friend Bryan on an excursion sponsored by the Porsche Club of America just weeks after he bought his 2011 Porsche 997 GTS. At the time I didn't think I had ever encountered anyone quite as passionate about cars, with such a particular allegiance to the brand.

• Temptation and allure of the Cayman GTS

  Monday, October 27, 2014

  My obsession with Porsche began in the early '70s when the two partners of my father's firm would occasionally grace our driveway with a 1972 Carrera Targa and a 1974 914. Though completely captivated, I had zero expectations of ever being an owner — the reality of a kid growing up in a blue-collar suburb where muscle cars reigned.