Everyone has a type. That doesn’t just apply to romantic partners. It applies to cars, too. Some people like their exotics to be “Garage Queens” – fast, gorgeous ladies hidden away in temperature-controlled environments to age as slowly as possible. Others prefer to drive their high-end machines, such as the 991 Porsche 911 GT3.
Youtuber Mr JWW is one of the latter types of people – so much so that he put 18,000 miles on his GT3 in nine months. That kind of mileage – especially in such a short period of time – is almost unheard of when it comes to cars of the GT3’s ilk. Mr JWW takes his 911 everywhere – to the grocery store, on road trips, to track days. Although he upgraded the exhaust system and gave his car a custom wrap, Mr JWW‘s Porsche has never worn a crown. His GT3 has been a working girl, even in bad weather.
Speaking of bad weather, there was a storm of controversy over the GT3’s PDK-only transmission setup when it first came out. Mr JWW understands the desire for a three-pedal arrangement, yet defends the presence of the PDK, praising it for its quickness, brilliance, and, of course, convenience in everyday driving situations. When it comes to those, the special and focused Porsche 911 GT3 is just his type of car.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
