Riding in the Air-Cooled 911 with Our Family of Four

The other day, we took the air-cooled 911 (964 C2) and headed to my husband’s parents’ house with our family of four. It takes about three hours round trip on the highway from our home to their place. That morning, I was excited, thinking, “It’s our first time going out with the whole family in the air-cooled 911!” I eagerly packed souvenirs and other things into the 911’s trunk, but there was no room left for the kids’ diapers and change of clothes bag… so I thought, “Okay, I’ll put it at the kids’ feet in the back seat!” but in reality, there wasn’t even space for that.

With no other choice, I stacked those bags at the front passenger’s feet, which meant I had to sit cross-legged or in a tucked position the whole way (laughs).

That’s the air-cooled 911 for you. If it’s like this in the 964, the narrow-body Porsches must be even tighter.

At first, the girls were happily sitting in the back, but soon enough, little quarrels started… and before long, both were crying and throwing tantrums. So, we took a short break at a parking area, and after that, I sat in the back seat.

The rear seats of the 911 (964 C2) are much smaller than I expected, or rather, very low… my head was completely touching the car’s ceiling. Not just barely, but firmly pressing against it, so much so that I even thought, “If only I could blast the roof off with my head, sitting would be easier…” (lol).

After all that, we finally arrived safely at my parents’ house. But since I’m used to medium-distance trips in the Panamera, traveling with four people in the 911 (964 C2) was much tougher and more tiring than I imagined.

Driving the 911 on the Way Home

After finishing our errands, I drove the 911 home. It had been a while since I last drove the 911 (964 C2), and even though it was my first time driving it at night, my impression had changed a lot since the last time.

Originally, I didn’t have a very good image of the 911 (964 C2) — I thought it was a “beat-up car that might break down” (sorry!) — so the first time I drove it, I was amazed by its performance and impressed that it was made over 30 years ago.

That feeling hasn’t changed at all, but I no longer felt “driving is fun!” as much as before. In fact, there were many moments when I felt “driving is difficult.”

Usually, when I drive on the highway, I’m in the 971 Panamera Turbo, which can handle itself pretty well even if the driver’s skills aren’t perfect. On the uphill curves of the Chugoku Expressway, thanks to its stability, power, acceleration, and easy steering, I can just push through the curves at high speed without much thought.

In fact, I’ve gotten into the habit of accelerating a bit while turning because I want to go even faster through the curves (which, hey, isn’t exactly good driving basics!).

But with the 964, it’s different. It really demands solid fundamental driving skills… Of course, it’s fine for normal driving, but to truly unleash the Porsche’s “drive, corner, stop” capabilities, the driver needs basic driving ability. It felt like the 911 (964 C2) was constantly asking me,

Are you really a Porsche driver?

and testing me.

When cornering, braking before the corner, accelerating out of it, and in many other situations, I found myself overly cautious and tense. Also, unlike the Panamera’s latest LED headlights that illuminate far ahead with precision, (the Chugoku Expressway is dark at night) visibility was limited, which made me even more nervous.

Because of this, I ended up driving with my shoulders tense, teeth clenched, and completely stiff (laughs).

The Road to Becoming a True Porsche Driver Is Long

My husband, seeing this, said “What’s wrong? You’re so tense! Relax more!” but I replied, “No way! I can’t just relax like that!” and argued back…

Also, when I checked the rearview mirror of the 911 (964 C2), the cars behind felt unnervingly close (the left side near the driver felt close, but the right side was normal). When a regular Japanese car approached from behind, I immediately said,

“Oh no! They’re tailgating me!”

and quickly gave way, but my husband told me,

No, no, they’re not tailgating at all. It might feel close, but they’re actually quite far back. And since we’re definitely faster, just keep your pace. Your mental state is showing way too much in your driving. Try to stay calm!

That’s how it went. After about an hour and a half, we finally got home, but it was a completely different experience from driving the Panamera on the highway.

It’s not that the 911 (964 C2) is bad — on the contrary, it’s an incredibly fun car if you can master it. It responds faithfully to the driver’s intentions and inputs, offering a true sense of unity between man and machine. But I realized once again that it will take me quite some time to get there.

Meanwhile, my husband has recently been having a blast with the 911 (964 C2), saying things like,

This is crazy fun! Next holiday, I think I’ll just spend the whole day driving the 911 around the country roads in Sanda.

I envy him… The road to becoming a true Porsche driver still seems long for me.