A Sunday Morning Supercar Meet at Royu

Every Sunday, starting around 8 a.m., supercars gather at the lookout on Royu Driveway. “Meet” might be a bit formal—people seem to come and go as they please, take a drive, and head home whenever they like. It has a relaxed, informal feel.

I live nearby—about a 10-minute drive from Royu Driveway—but had never been before. I’d always assumed “there are probably a lot of people who come to show off their cars, and it might be a bit flashy—not really my scene.” Plus, with two young kids, getting them up and ready to go out early on a Sunday morning can be a bit of a challenge.

But this time, I’d decided to take the blog seriously, and I heard that H, a friend who’s been so kind to our family and owns a Lamborghini Huracán, would be coming with friends who own a Ferrari California and a 488 Spider. So I decided it was time to check it out for the first time.

Clear skies and perfect driving weather

Once the plan was set, I got up at 6:30 a.m. full of enthusiasm (there was no need to get up quite that early, lol) and we left home at 8.

My husband and our older daughter went in the Boxster, while my younger daughter and I headed over in the Panamera.

When we arrived at the lookout, H and the others were already there. They waved us over with a cheerful “Hey, over here!” and guided us into a spot beside them.

What a sight.

I got to sit in a Ferrari 488 Spider

S and his wife had arrived in their Ferrari 488 Spider. Even though we’d only just met, they were incredibly kind to my daughters. “Feel free to take as many photos as you like—and if you want, you can even take it for a drive!” they said. But if anything happened while I was driving, I’d have no choice but to die of shame… So I gratefully took them up on the offer to photograph the car instead.

A bright red Ferrari is such a photogenic sight. It was absolutely gorgeous, with beautiful lines.

S told me that he’d initially had little interest in Ferraris because he thought they were cars for people who liked to show off. But the moment he saw one at the dealership, he fell in love with its beautiful styling.

The Ferrari lettering on the brake caliper really stands out. The tires and wheels look incredibly expensive, too, lol.

“Since it’s a Spider, would you like to see the roof open?” S kindly offered, and I got to watch the convertible-top operation up close…!

Wow, so that’s how it works! The mechanism looked somewhat similar to the one on the Boxster GTS, but there were subtle differences. I guess every manufacturer has its own approach.

Then S said, “Since you’re here, why don’t you sit in the driver’s seat?” Wow… I was already taking full advantage of his kindness, so of course I said yes!

Here’s the view from the driver’s seat.

The red stitching gives the interior a stylish, sporty look. Unlike the Porsche, with its large navigation screen right in the middle, the Ferrari has a much simpler cabin. And that casually placed bright red key is just wonderful.

Naturally, I had to pretend to drive it. This is a supercar, after all—the seat sits so low that it must feel like you’re skimming along the ground. At around 1,950 mm wide, it’s about the same width as the Panamera, but the low seating position might make it feel tricky to drive until you get used to it.

And here’s another shot. I’ve always had a soft spot for close-ups of badges and lettering.

Next, I got to sit in a Lamborghini Huracán

And now, H’s Lamborghini Huracán! Its engine sounded absolutely ferocious—what an incredible presence.

H also said, “Go ahead and hop in!” Feeling emboldened after my Ferrari experience, I cheerfully walked up to the door—but then froze.

…

…Wait, how do I open this door…(-_-)/!?

I pressed something and a handle popped out, but I couldn’t figure out what to do next. H explained, “You pull the handle that popped out to open the door.”

Wow—that’s so cool, stylish, and clever! I wonder why they designed it this way. There must be a good reason behind every detail, even the door handle.

People apparently call the Lamborghini’s driver’s seat a “cockpit,” and

once you climb inside, you can see why. The high-tech controls are arranged simply, and the whole cabin looks fantastic. It really does feel like an airplane cockpit. (I actually took an aptitude test to become an airline pilot when I was job hunting, lol.)

Here are the accelerator and brake pedals.

That accelerator pedal is so long! ( ﾟ∀ﾟ)･∵. !!

Maybe it’s because people overseas have bigger feet… no, that can’t be it. The Lamborghini crest is embossed on the seat, too. Very cool!

A close-up of the badge. This is Lamborghini through and through.

I got to hold the steering wheel here, too. H is tall with long legs, so I couldn’t reach the accelerator at all. I ended up taking the photo in a rather awkward position, half sliding off the seat.

(Wait, was my hair really that intensely dyed brown…?)

My first Sunday morning at Royu: a few unexpected takeaways

After that, everyone headed out for a drive along Royu Driveway (I stayed at the lookout because my older daughter wanted to play), then we all had lunch at Rokko Garden Terrace. I was busy keeping an eye on the kids, so I didn’t get to talk with everyone at length, but the wives were warm, outgoing, and lovely people (and stylish and beautiful, too).

I couldn’t help wishing I hadn’t shown up dressed head to toe in Uniqlo. (But almost everything I own is from Uniqlo, so there wasn’t much I could do, lol.)

Before visiting Royu, I’d assumed I wouldn’t have much in common with the people there. I realized that was simply a misconception.

From listening to everyone, I could tell they were optimistic about life, full of ideas, and incredibly curious about the world around them. They weren’t constrained by what people think they “should” do; conversations like “Wouldn’t it be fun to try this?” and “I bet starting a business like that would be exciting!” were genuinely inspiring to hear.

More than anything, everyone seemed to be having a great time and living full, rewarding lives.

Lately, I’d been settling into my circumstances, and there was plenty I needed to reflect on. I’d also been telling myself, “I’m doing my best, so things will work out eventually.” But the path doesn’t open up just because you wait. You have to step up to the door, open it, and venture into the world beyond. Otherwise, you won’t grow or move on to the next stage.

From now on, I want to meet a wider range of people and take the plunge on things I’ve always thought weren’t for me. And I’ll definitely go back to Royu on a Sunday morning!

How fuel-efficient was the Panamera on this Royu drive?

I pushed the Panamera hard along Royu in Sport Plus mode, and its fuel economy was 8.3 km/L by the time I got home. It had been 9.1 km/L just before the final uphill stretch to my house, so it wasn’t as bad as I’d expected.

(After reading this, my husband pointed out, “Of course it got 9.1 km/L on the way back from Mount Rokko—it was mostly downhill.” Sorry, you’re right!) I’m planning to write a separate post about driving in Sport Plus mode.