1985 Porsche 944 Coupe (USA) review from Netherlands

There's a list I made to keep track of all the little things. These include:

• The cruise control makes noises occasional

• There's some parking damage on the left door

• The paint has cracks all over (probably by sun heat)

• A little rust

• Speedometer isn't working.

And more stuff like that. This list will probably grow in time. Meanwhile I'm just taking it easy: I don't have the budget to fix it all in one run.

This is my first car, which means I'm quite green on the road. Nevertheless, this car doesn't mind much and forgives me most of my clumsy moves -- which must be pretty unique for a sports car.

On the other hand, it's a LUXURY sports car, and it handles surprisingly easy. Plus I have yet to discover which parts of the car are NOT electric and/or automatic.

The 944 I'm driving is a Type 1 US import from 1985, coloured black, with an off-white leather interior which has you sit low and comfortable. Eighties rules!

If you have a close look at it, you can see by the condition of the paint and the other little quirks it has that it's aging.

But once the engine's got its juices flowing like they should (usually takes a few minutes in the current Dutch fall climate) it becomes a fantastic car which by its looks alone gets respected by other drivers, who probably fear they'll end up driven over if they cut my path at the next roundabout. That's not an entirely realistic fear, but a fun thing to see.

The 944 offers impressive audio on the outside. When I drive up to my brother's house to pick him up, he says he can hear me coming two blocks away.

I've heard insurance companies not wanting to register my car, because it classifies as a 'fast car'. Which is odd, because the average SUV nowadays hits the 100 km/h before my 944 can, and has a higher top speed. Of course, the image of the car is indeed of another calibre.

Of course, you can apply it as a sports car. But you could also dive into the slow and crowded city traffic if you like, as long as you keep in mind that the car is longer and wider than most other cars, and it consumes a lot of fuel every time you accelerate. However, once you keep your speed at a steady level you can reach an average fuel consumption of around 11 kilometre per liter. This fact, combined with the comfortable interior, proves the car to be an excellent choice for long, relaxed highway journeys.

My conclusion: being somewhat of a sheep in wolf's clothing in racing terms, this car is actually still cool as ice. As long as I can keep it running, I will.