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Author

Richard Porter

Richard has written more than 15 books about various automotive subjects, is the brain behind satirical motoring website sniffpetrol.com and was the script editor on Top Gear TV throughout the Clarkson/Hammond/May era. But far more significantly than all of those, he is also evo’s longest-serving columnist, having shared his unique take on all things four-wheeled in every issue since 2003. He owns a 2010 Range Rover that he swears hasn’t broken down yet. Not properly, anyway.

Opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
News

Opinion - Richard Porter

Supercars no longer put the fear of god into their owners. Porter advises remedial action
20 Sep 2018
Opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Opinion - Richard Porter

Finding a carefully stored old car part in his father’s garage has got Porter feeling nostalgic for simpler, more resourceful times
4 Sep 2018
Opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
News

Opinion - Richard Porter

The French are good at being French, the same can’t be said for French cars which often display an identity crisis, says Porter.
7 Aug 2018
Opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Opinion - Richard Porter

Supercars no longer put the fear of god into their owners. Porter advises remedial action
10 Jul 2018
'The Land Rover Defender is a rewarding drivers' car'
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

'The Land Rover Defender is a rewarding drivers' car'

Is there an ‘evo’ defence for the Land Rover Defender? As an owner of one one, Porter believes there is
3 Jul 2018
Opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Opinion - Richard Porter

The treatment of fine supercars as static investments is a crime, says Porter, this is why...
21 Jun 2018
Opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Opinion - Richard Porter

After considerable efforts to control his pedantic rage, Porter is taking the high ground and not correcting his son's Porsche faux pas
5 Jun 2018
Opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Opinion - Richard Porter

Sport modes are everywhere… It’s a shame most have the subtlety of a sledgehammer, says Porter
22 May 2018
'The hardest thing to engineer into a car is niceness'
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

'The hardest thing to engineer into a car is niceness'

When you’ve got to live with a car, there’s a lot to be said for niceness, reckons Porter.
15 May 2018
Opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Opinion - Richard Porter

Porter ruminates over that intangible quality that makes some cars so much more pleasing than those without: niceness
9 May 2018
Richard Porter opinion
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Richard Porter opinion

It may not be the quickest north-south route, but its ability to surprise, entertain and even disgust makes the A1 the natural choice
24 Apr 2018
‘A stranger tainted my car and it’ll never be the same’
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

‘A stranger tainted my car and it’ll never be the same’

Mrs Porter’s car has been damaged in the street. Mr Porter isn’t taking it well...
3 Apr 2018
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Opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Opinion - Richard Porter

Treating cars as investments is nothing short of wrong-headed, reckons Porter
21 Mar 2018
Richard Porter opinion
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Richard Porter opinion

Where will you find the most sophisticated four-wheel-drive system available? Look no further than man’s best friend, says Porter
27 Feb 2018
'POA should be banned from classic car ads'
Richard Porter opinion
News

'POA should be banned from classic car ads'

Few things infuriate Porter more than ‘POA’ on classic car ads, so it’s a term he’ll swiftly outlaw once he becomes dictator.
13 Feb 2018
The art of disguising a car – what’s happened to it?
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

The art of disguising a car – what’s happened to it?

Manufacturers used to exhibit extraordinary creativity in disguising their prototypes. Porter laments the loss of these pantomime cars
23 Jan 2018
Richard Porter on Jaguar
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Richard Porter on Jaguar

There’s a stale attitude pervading the internet forums, and revitalised Jaguar is the victim. Porter takes aim at the naysayers.
9 Jan 2018
Porter Opinion
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Porter Opinion

Admire a car that’s fit for purpose? Then if you do most of your driving in an urban environment, Porter reckons you need a Nissan Leaf
19 Dec 2017
Opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Opinion - Richard Porter

If supercars sit at the top of the automotive tree, what are their absolute polar opposites? Porter thinks he’s nailed it
5 Dec 2017
Opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Opinion - Richard Porter

Take dignity, and discard. Then add smugness and blend with no logic whatsoever. Yes, it’s Porter’s recipe for a truly silly car
21 Nov 2017
Richard Porter – Opinion
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Richard Porter – Opinion

Richard Porter has his say on carbonfibre as an aesthetic addition to the car.
7 Nov 2017
Richard Porter - opinion
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Richard Porter - opinion

The choice of paint colours car makers currently offer is unspeakably dull. Porter reckons he knows why
24 Oct 2017
Richard Porter Porsche 911 GT2 RS rant
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

Richard Porter Porsche 911 GT2 RS rant

“A stiffened, steroid-injected 911 just isn’t fulfilling its main role in the automotive animal kingdom”
10 Oct 2017
evo - Opinion
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

evo - Opinion

"There are things we Brits do very well, but getting behind our sportspeople is not one of them" says Porter
26 Sep 2017
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"Don't be a hero" - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

"Don't be a hero" - Richard Porter

Richard Porter rallies against the misplaced machismo of performance cars and urges us not to be a hero.
15 Sep 2017
evo Opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

evo Opinion - Richard Porter

Porter suggests that the mass proliferation of automatic gearboxes doesn’t mean our left legs should become redundant
29 Aug 2017
evo Opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

evo Opinion - Richard Porter

The worst engine layout ever to grace an engine bay? Porter has a convincing argument for a perhaps unexpected choice
15 Aug 2017
The Portuguese are good at overtaking
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

The Portuguese are good at overtaking

Porter ponders on the miserable - not to mention dangerous - inclinations of many people we share our roads with
1 Aug 2017
evo opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

evo opinion - Richard Porter

Manufacturers used to exhibit extraordinary creativity in disguising their prototypes. Porter laments the loss of these pantomime cars
18 Jul 2017
evo opinion - Richard Porter
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

evo opinion - Richard Porter

Rusting bodywork is largely a thing of the past, but it’s unlikely car makers will address other failing components, reckons Porter
4 Jul 2017
"Cars are often nicer if you don't try to be such a hero"
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

"Cars are often nicer if you don't try to be such a hero"

Didn't go for air-con? You'll only notice when you're sweating rivers, says Porter, who doesn't buy into all this options-list machismo
20 Jun 2017
"The A1 is consistently confusing"
Richard Porter opinion
Opinion

"The A1 is consistently confusing"

It may not be the quickest route, but its ability to surprise, entertain and even disgust makes the A1 the natural choice, says Porter
6 Jun 2017
Mercedes-Benz E500 Coupe
Mercedes-Benz E500 Coupe
Long term tests

Mercedes-Benz E500 Coupe

M3 too hardcore? Merc's E500 Coupe might just fit the bill
8 Dec 2009
Ron Dennis
Ron Dennis from McLaren Automotive
Features

Ron Dennis

We met Ron Dennis to ask about his new role, the new car and the company’s ambitious plans
27 Oct 2009