Auto News 5

The David versus Goliath story and its multiple analogues have fascinated humanity for millennia, so it's no surprise that the schema was transposed to the automotive world almost as soon as there were cars. My first exposure to serious writing about cars was Ken Purdy's True magazine encomium to Ettore Bugatti, more than sixty years ago. The image of Bugatti's tiny cars flitting among and beating fourteen- and seventeen-liter racing cars at the beginning of the last century resonated with my barely teenage heart, and I've loved small cars ever since.

On paper, the Leaf and I are a perfect match; I drive 35 miles round trip to work; I have no children so my vehicle doesn't need to double as a shuttle service; and I'm a bit of a homebody, so most nights I eat in or go for dinner at a friend's house, most of whom live within a few miles. But I view a car not so much as transportation but as a source of entertainment, so I was skeptical of the Leaf. Would it be able to satisfy my enthusiast side, or is it little more than a tarted-up golf cart? I start the week with an open mind, but I'm prepared to be disappointed.