By Shinoo Mapleton · July 14, 2026

🎧 You can also stream us on Apple Podcasts & Spotify!

I already loved Porsche 911s before I ever sat in one.

Like many enthusiasts growing up in the 1980s, I spent countless hours reading magazines, studying specifications, and staring at photographs of cars I could not afford. The Porsche 911 occupied a special place in that world. It was exotic without being unattainable, successful on the racetrack, and unlike anything else on the road.

Then, in the early 1990s, I got my first ride in one.

At the time, I was driving a 1993 BMW 325i and attending a BMW CCA driving event at Brainerd International Raceway. One of the instructors worked for Porsche’s advertising agency in Minneapolis and owned a Porsche 964 Carrera Cup car. The car itself had an interesting history. Porsche had planned to launch a Carrera Cup championship in North America for 1992, importing a limited number of race-prepared 964s for the series. When the championship was cancelled before it ever began, many of those cars found their way into private hands.

This was one of them.

At the time, none of that mattered very much to me. What mattered was that I was about to ride in the fastest, most capable sports car I had ever experienced.

The first surprise came before the engine even started. This was the first real race car I had ever been inside. Climbing over the cage, dropping into the seat, tightening the harnesses, and looking around a stripped interior made the experience feel completely different from any street car I had known. The car immediately communicated that it had been built for a purpose.

Then the engine fired.

What I remember most vividly was the sound. The flat-six was behind me rather than in front of me, and the mechanical noise filled the cabin in a way I had never experienced before. Every throttle input seemed to come directly through the seat and into my spine. It wasn’t merely loud. It felt alive.

As we rolled onto the track, the car quickly demonstrated another characteristic that would become synonymous with Porsche in my mind. It felt incredibly solid.

My BMW was a wonderful car and remains one of the great sport sedans of its era, but the Porsche felt as if it had been carved from a single piece of metal. Every control had a sense of precision and purpose. There was no slack, no hesitation, and no ambiguity in the way the car responded.

Then we reached Brainerd’s long front straight. For the first time, I experienced what a genuine race car felt like at speed. The acceleration was impressive, but what struck me most was the stability. As we approached the fast Turn 1 sweeper at the end of the straight, the Porsche felt planted and composed in a way that completely reset my understanding of what a performance car could do.

The speed wasn’t the revelation. The confidence was.

Looking back, that may have been the moment I truly understood why Porsche had built such a reputation among enthusiasts. The car wasn’t trying to impress with drama or intimidation. It simply felt capable, precise, and engineered to a standard that few manufacturers could match.

When the session ended, I climbed out of the car with a different perspective than the one I had carried in. I had climbed into the passenger seat expecting to learn something about driving. Instead, I learned what I wanted to own.

I began saving for a 911 almost immediately afterward.

Over the years I’ve driven many faster cars. I’ve driven cars with more horsepower, more grip, and more technology. Yet I still remember that first ride around Brainerd because it changed something fundamental. It transformed the Porsche 911 from an object of admiration into a goal.

Some cars impress you. A few alter your trajectory.

That Carrera Cup car did both.

— Shinoo Mapleton

InoKinetic Group, Inc. | Temecula, CA | inokinetic.com | drakancars.com

The official Full Throttle Talk merch store is now live.

Built for enthusiasts who appreciate performance, design, and the culture behind great cars, our merch collection brings the spirit of Full Throttle Talk beyond the podcast and into your everyday lifestyle.

Every purchase directly supports the show and helps us continue bringing you more conversations, stories, and automotive content each week.

👉 Explore the collection here: full-throttle-talk-shop.fourthwall.com

Drive inspired. Stay Full Throttle.

📩 Don’t keep Full Throttle Talk a secret—share it with a friend, family member, or colleague. Let’s spread the fun!

🧠 Got an article or market take? Send it in—we’ll feature our favorites in an upcoming issue.

💬 Want your question featured on the next show? DM us on Instagram or reply to this newsletter.