‘MY PORSCHE WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT’
Bobby Kerr is chairman and co-owner of Insomnia Coffee Company and presenter of Newstalk FM’s Down To Business and Bobby’s Late Breakfast on Sundays. He talks cars with Geraldine Herbert
Your current car: Love at first sight or just a means to get from A to B? A white 2015 Porsche Cayenne. It was love at first sight. I was going to buy another Range Rover (I have owned two previously) but Mark Tobin of Paul Tobin Motors convinced me to buy the Porsche that was just in. What does it say about you? That I never buy a new car and can be a little impulsive when buying a car. What’s under the bonnet? 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel. Petrol head or Sunday driver? Bit of both. I don’t drive fast but I do like a comfortable car. What was your first car? A bright yellow Citroen Dyane 600cc with a soft roof. I loved that car and drove it all across the country for three years. It ran on fresh air and never gave me a day’s trouble, but I’m sure it wasn’t the coolest car of its day. My kids recently saw a photo and burst out laughing. Dream drive in dream location? Miami to Key West in an opentop Corvette with the roof down and Pink Floyd playing very loud. What’s your favourite road? Kenmare to Killarney always takes my breath away. We live in a wonderful country. What would you do with your last litre of fuel? Drive to the nearest Insomnia coffee shop. Do you have a favourite car gadget? I like the cigarette lighter multiple charger as I always have a few devices charging at the same time. What is the fastest you have ever driven (legally)? 240kph, but it was on the track in Mondello. Who taught you to drive? No-one. I honedam completelymy driving self-taught;skills in Mount Juliet in Kilkenny in 1976. Whatin your cars euro would millionsbe parked garage? DS 5.5 and Litre a Ford classic Mustang,E-Type Jaguar. Citroen Who business?do you most admire in I he loveis a Michael straight O’Learytalker and becausehas a great sense of humour. I interviewed him earlier this year and he was great craic. I also admire Nevin Maguire — he’s an all-round good guy. What was your best career decision to date? Remortgaging my house in 1998 and leaving a secure job to open my first coffee shop in a basement on Grafton street. We now have 110 shops and a further 200 in-store coffee units with Spar and Mace. What is on your car stereo right now? Neil Young & crazy Horse – Decade. I love loud driving music. One item you couldn’t live without? My Garmin Quatix 3 watch, which is brilliant for mapping all my physical activities, which include swimming in the Forty Foot, running Dun Laoghaire piers and cycling around the south coast of Dublin. How do you relax? I try to run 40km a week in the early morning, which I find really clears my head. I am a competitive sailor and race twice a week out of Dun Laoghaire. I also enjoy a pint in my local pub, FitzGerald’s of Sandycove. Passenger you’d most like on a long journey? Neil Young or the late David Bowie. Passenger you’d least like? Francis Brennan. He only gave me three stars in my episode on TV3’s The Restaurant.