Chase Bierenkoven
58 ARTICLES
He's been getting paid to write about cars for several years now, but only after deciding that law school could wait and power slides couldn't.
When Chase isn't writing about cars or talking about them to a camera, he's out enjoying Colorado's great outdoors in a broken German sports car of some variety. Occasionally, there may be a mountain bike or some skis strapped to the back of it.
Ridden: Ride1Up's CF Racer1 Is Pure Speed, but at What Cost?
31 Mar 2024, 10:01 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / Carbon fiber is an expensive, fickle material. It takes a lot of effort to produce, but the strength-to-weight ratio is something that’s hard to ignore- especially in the cycling world. E-bikes are, typically, pretty heavy, and the material i...
Driven: 2023 Acura Integra Type S – Getting Out What You Put In
17 Nov 2023, 15:38 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / Wanna know the secret to a great driver’s car? A few brands do. Mazda, for one. So does Porsche. Acura does, too, and the new Integra Type S proves it. The single thing that unites cars from these great, if very different brands, is input...
Ridden: Ride1Up Prodigy V2 - Commuting With A Twist
20 Nov 2023, 16:40 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / The Ride1Up Prodigy V2 is (pretty obviously) the second revision of the brand’s light commuter e-bike. There’s an all-new frame design, front air suspension, and an integrated rear rack with fenders included. The latter two items can al...
Driven: 2023 Lexus LC500 – V8 Star Power
19 Nov 2023, 08:20 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / The Lexus LC500 sounds good. Like, rev-it-in-the-parking-garage-every-time good. So good, you’ll find yourself defending nearly any critique leveled at it. Really, the LC500 makes you ask yourself just what you’re willing to do without ...
Driven: The 2023 Lexus IS 500 Will Turn You Into an Accountant
18 Nov 2023, 07:34 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / For automakers, getting you, the paying customer, into the seat of a vehicle is what it’s all about. Having a buyer sit there and really picture themselves owning a car is half the battle. It works on nearly everyone, and the Lexus IS 500 is ...
Driven: 2023 Toyota Supra MT - The Little Things
17 Nov 2023, 01:48 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / Often, the little things are everything, especially in sports cars. Take the way one looks. An errant line can ruin an entire car’s best features. Or, an ergonomics error can totally compromise your driving. These little things must add up to...
Driven: The 2023 Ford Bronco Sport Heritage Is Nostalgia Done Right
17 Sep 2023, 05:14 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / It’s dizzying to look at all the SUV you can buy for $45,000 or so. At just a hair over the average price of a new car, the smallish SUV segment is brimming with challengers, from larger Jeep Wranglers and Ford Broncos, to more lax-yet-off-ro...
Driven: 2023 Subaru WRX – Still a "Gateway Drug"
16 Sep 2023, 10:50 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / My first car was a 2003 Volkswagen Passat. It was, without a doubt, an irredeemable heap of crap. But it was also a gateway drug. With a torquey turbocharged engine and a manual transmission, I can’t help but think of my first dose of turboch...
Driven: The 2023 Mazda Miata Club Is the World's Smallest Yardstick
30 Aug 2023, 16:38 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / In the last two years, I have driven the new BMW M2, the Toyota GR86, the Nissan Z, the Toyota GR Corolla, the Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works, the Mercedes-AMG A35, the BMW M240i, the Honda Civic Si, an Audi RS6 Avant, and my own 986 Porsche Boxst...
Driven: 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Is All About Compromise
11 Aug 2023, 16:58 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / The 2023 GR Corolla is about compromise. Which is odd. A stick-shift hot hatch with all-wheel drive doesn’t sound like very much of one, especially to an enthusiast. Especially when the driveline whispers “WRC.” But compromise is ...
Driven: 2023 Land Rover Defender Is All The SUV Anyone Needs
8 Aug 2023, 21:57 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / I’ve got to admit, I didn’t love the Land Rover Defender when it came out. I tested one years ago, and without context, having driven exactly zero of its competitors- I struggled. It didn’t help that the Defender left me somewhat ...
Ridden: The Ride1UP Rift Is A Budget Fat Tire E-Bike With Premium Vibes
2 Aug 2023, 07:58 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / The look and feel of the Ride1Up Rift e-bike isn’t anything new. Fat tire electric bikes are becoming a norm in the cycling world, and with good reason. Especially across sandy beaches, those fat tires generate a lot of grip. Their wide natur...
Driven: 2023 BMW M2: Why Not Take the Sports Car Camping?
22 Jun 2023, 08:07 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / I feel very torn about the new BMW M2. I’ve driven it twice, in effect. The first time around, I drove the new and ever so controversial sports car on a 900-odd-mile road trip through the American Southwest- and took it camping while there to...
Bugatti and Le Mans: A History of Molsheim and Endurance Racing
10 Jun 2023, 08:36 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / Le Mans is celebrating its 100th anniversary, if you haven’t heard, and almost no one has been with the race for as long as Bugatti. Ettore’s brand is inextricably linked to Le Mans, going back to the first-ever running of the race back...
How Does No One Have an Answer for the Volvo EX30?
9 Jun 2023, 07:08 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / Volvo debuted its smallest and cheapest car yet. In fitting with the company’s focus on sustainability, Volvo has actually chosen to buck a few EV trends. First of all, the new Volvo EX30 will be affordable. A rear-wheel-drive Single Motor Ex...
It Doesn't Matter if Its 2003 or 2023, the BMW Coupe Formula Is Undefeated
7 Jun 2023, 09:30 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / This is a reflection on what BMW does best. It’s a particular recipe, and testing some BMWs from across the decades has made me realize that everyone’s favorite recipe from Munich is the best one. I’m talking, of course, about the...
A Look Back at the Very Best of the Chevrolet Camaro
7 Jun 2023, 07:37 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / The Chevy Camaro is a long-standing piece of Americana. Its existence is fused with American culture in a way that’s hard to separate. In much the same way as the Camaro is inextricably linked to its rivals, the Mustang and the Challenger, it...
A Brief History of Toyota Racing Development (TRD)
2 Jun 2023, 08:27 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / Last month, Toyota revealed its new Tacoma, a new take on a long-standing nameplate for the brand. With that came a number of trims, including a rugged, overland-focused Trailhunter trim. As ever, a new TRD Pro trim was unveiled as well. Now, the n...
Everything I Loved and Hated About the 2023 Ford Expedition Timberline
25 May 2023, 12:47 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / Here's some journalist inside baseball: lots of stuff I want to talk about gets left out of reviews I publish. It happens every time. So, I think it's best to take a moment after reviewing a car to step back and revisit some of the things...
Driven: 2023 Ford Expedition Timberline – Anyone, Anywhere
25 May 2023, 11:55 UTC · By: Chase Bierenkoven / Taking anyone anywhere is the founding principle on which Ford has based this year’s Expedition Timberline. The rough-n-ready off-road trim of Ford’s long-standing people hauler has to do that – in addition to just about anything ...