About Cali Porsche Gil
I grew up alpine skiing in Colorado and started competing in downhill ski races at an early age. This difficult sport brought out a fierce competitive drive and taught me grit, resilience, a love for speed and technical analysis. I skied throughout high school and competed in world class FIS events. Although I didn't grow up around sports cars, I have always enjoyed driving. My first car was a manual five-speed Toyota 4Runner Sport that I thoroughly enjoyed driving in the mountains of Colorado. I gained critical driving skills and learned the limits of that particular vehicle off road, drifting on snow and ice, and navigating gravel mountain roads. Indoor karting was my first experience on the track and that experience changed everything. It combined all the elements I lived as a ski racer — knowing your turn apex, finding the racing line, maintaining speed — and the race karts provided their own motor. Today driving sports cars on the road and track is my passion. I enjoy the high performance element of these cars. I got my SCCA racing license, raced for a season with an endurance team in seven and twelve hour WRL races, and I spend time at the track as often as possible. Driving is my ultimate thrill, my opportunity to recharge, and simply me time. I look forward to every time I get to turn the key and drive!
What are your current cars?
Porsche 911 S | Porsche 718 Cayman S | Audi R8 | Range Rover Sport
What is your dream car?
Porsche 930 Turbo for the road and GT4 Clubsport for the track
What is your go-to mod?
My go to modification is performance exhaust. Whether on my cars or motorcycles, it's the first thing, and often the only thing I upgrade. I like the raw engine sound and increased performance.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Scotch & Cigars
What is your advice to any young car enthusiast?
My first tip is to drive anything you can get your hands on and build a broad experience base. Get comfortable with cars of different sizes, front / mid / rear engine placement, manual and standard transmission. The second tip is to drive in lots of conditions and find ways to safely test the limits, i.e. the track or skid pad. I don't feel like I really know a car until I've broken it loose