My husband recently went touring around Shikoku and the Chugoku region in an air-cooled Porsche 911 (964 C2), and he has written the follow-up article. Please have a look if you’re interested.

Riding the Air-Cooled Porsche 911 (964)

The morning we woke up in Fukuyama was unfortunately gloomy. The sky was overcast. The forecast predicted heavy rain, but at the moment, it wasn’t raining yet.

As soon as we finished the hotel buffet, we got ready and set off before the rain started.

Today, we first head toward the Daisen area via Route 182. This R182 is quite a famous road. Traffic is light, the pavement and road width are good, and the ups and downs are just right, making it very enjoyable to drive.

Along the way, the rain intensified, with large drops hitting the windshield. Here, without worrying about fuel economy, the Tiptronic is fixed in 3rd gear. At my own pace, I steadily head north on this exquisite country road in heavy rain.

From around Tojo IC, the route follows the Chugoku Expressway, which is also a great driving road. Turning left onto K8, traffic almost disappears, and it feels like having the road all to myself.

This road is also a wonderful winding route.

I shift the Tiptronic frequently as if driving a manual, but the Tiptronic is very well made. For an automatic transmission of this era, it’s remarkably durable, and the shift shocks are minimal.

While the shift speed can’t match modern automatics, there’s hardly any power loss felt. I’ve also driven the 964 manual before, and the difference in 0-100 km/h times shown in the specs isn’t really noticeable in real driving.

That’s probably true because even manual owners say they don’t really feel a difference in power delivery.

From K8, turn right onto K210. This is another fantastic road. It feels like a great driving road you’d find in Gifu or Nagano, and I’d love to drive it in a Boxster on a sunny day. We stopped for a break at a wide parking area. The rain was getting heavier, turning the parking lot into a puddle.

Of course, with such heavy rain, there was no one else around.

Wet Performance of the Air-Cooled Porsche 911 (964)

Here, a question popped into my mind. The 964 has been running steadily through heavy rain, but just how early does the 964 start to slide?

In an empty spot, I fixed the Tiptronic in 1st gear and lightly accelerated while turning. I’ve done this a few times in the Boxster and 992, but this was my first time trying it in a 964 without PSM or traction control.

In the Boxster and 992, turning off PSM and opening the throttle causes oversteer and spins at a certain point, but I expected the 964 to spin even earlier.

However, the 964 was different.

It actually grips better than the Boxster or 992. I thought the rear would come out early and be hard to control with oversteer, but that wasn’t the case. The rear does slide, but it doesn’t swing around sideways, making it very controllable.

This was surprising.

At first, as speed gradually increases, the front starts to slide, causing understeer. Then, lightly lifting off the throttle puts weight on the front, and the car begins to turn sharply. The heavy rear might want to swing out on this very wet surface, but it doesn’t happen easily.

I tried various things, but getting the car to face completely sideways was very difficult. Even when it starts to slide, pressing the accelerator stabilizes it, and if left alone, it rarely spins.

The stability and controllability without PSM or traction control are astonishing. Now I understand why it ran so confidently in such heavy rain.

By the way, the tires were 16-inch Michelin Pilot Exalto2 (Porsche-approved) with about 50-60% tread remaining. The suspension was almost completely replaced, so it’s close to new condition. No lowering was done; this is the stock setup as specified by Porsche’s Weissach Development Center.

Air-Cooled Porsche 911 (964) Heading to Hiruzen

Next, we joined Route 180 along the Hino River, passing the Hakubi Line, continuing the enjoyable drive. There are so many great driving roads around here; every road is truly easy and wonderful to drive. Feeling impressed, we headed north until we reached the Daisen Ring Road.

On a usual weekend, this road would be crowded with tourists, making it hard to drive properly, but apparently, no one is crazy enough to drive in such heavy rain. So, I enjoyed it as if it were a private road.

I always thought, “If only there were fewer cars, this would be a fun road,” and now that wish came true. Driving in heavy rain isn’t so bad after all.

First, I drove clockwise around Daisen. The uphill-dominant, exquisite winding road stretched endlessly, with the air-cooled flat-six roaring through the mountains. I even took some side roads, trying to circle Daisen completely, but unfortunately, part of the road was closed for winter. I had no choice but to turn back and then started driving counterclockwise on the way back.

Next, I headed toward Hiruzen Plateau, driving south on the Hiruzen Daisen Skyline. The empty sky road was incredibly refreshing. When you have it all to yourself like this, even the rain is enjoyable.

Even in this heavy rain, the Michelin Pilot Exalto2 tires offer excellent wet grip. With the power of the 964, the tires completely dominate, allowing strong traction and fast cornering with great confidence.

Previously, the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 tires on the Boxster GTS also had amazing wet grip, but these are just as good.

After a break at Hiruzen Plateau Center, I headed south on K58, aiming for the Oku-Kibi Highway. K58 has sections newly paved and widened, but also narrow stretches. The new parts are superb driving roads, but in the mountains, the road narrows to 1 to 1.5 lanes, and oncoming traffic is surprisingly frequent, so caution is needed. If you’re not used to narrow roads, it’s better to avoid them.

By the way, since conquering Kyushu’s most notorious narrow and hazardous road (R265) at the end of last year, I seem to have developed a strong mental toughness and am no longer fazed by narrow or difficult roads (laughs).

Okayama has many wonderful wide agricultural roads. Among them, “Mimasaka Yamanami Kaido,” “Oku-Kibi Kaido,” and “Kagura Kaido” are the best examples. Because these are such fantastic driving routes, wata’s blog calls them the “Ascension Roads.”

The level of these roads is incredible, definitely ranking among the best in western Japan, or even nationwide. In Kansai, the Nara Nürburgring is somewhat similar in atmosphere, but honestly, it’s on a different level. That’s how good these roads are.

Oku-Kibi Kaido runs from point H to point I on the map below. Traffic is almost nonexistent here. Even if there are cars, overtaking is easy, so you can maintain your pace without disruption. The road mainly features ups and downs and medium-speed corners, with excellent pavement.

Moreover, the distance is so long that you’ll find yourself wondering, “Is this road still going on?” The 964 is mostly fixed in 3rd gear, occasionally dropping to 2nd, as it speeds through the mountains.

It goes without saying, but driving a Porsche is truly fun. Especially on such exquisite roads, the Porsche’s qualities really shine. The world’s best brakes that are easy to control, the wonderful engine sound, and the driving characteristics that reflect your skill perfectly make it incredibly enjoyable.

After enjoying Oku-Kibi Kaido, I took Route 484 and headed toward the Mimasaka Yamanami Kaido. I introduced this road in the previous Boxster touring article as well, and it’s an amazing road. This one is a bit more straight and fast, making it very easy to drive.

Here, I didn’t push the pace but cruised gently, carefully feeling the Porsche’s behavior. I aimed to steer smoothly and quickly, fully enjoying the last great road of the tour.

From Tsuyama IC, we headed home. After passing Kasai IC, the sun peeked through the clouds. The 964, nearly 30 years old, completed about 1100 km without a single trouble.

I think Porsche is a car very well suited for traveling. It’s super high-performance yet offers comfort and ride quality, with plenty of luggage space. It’s like a GT car, but once you attack the corners, it delivers top-class cornering. Of course, you can also relax and cruise, letting the car do the work. It moves faithfully like an extension of your limbs, and every movement feels great.

And after driving long distances, you realize that you’re not just traveling in a Porsche, but traveling with a Porsche. That’s what traveling with a Porsche means, I believe.

The total distance this time was 1110.9 km, the average speed was 58 km/h, and fuel consumption was 11.5 L/100 km (about 8.7 km/L).