Sharing Blog Comments

Thank you to everyone who regularly reads the blog “Welcome Home, PORSCHE,” and to those visiting for the first time. This blog regularly features comments from readers, and this is the seventh installment. As before, we have lightly edited the comments to include only necessary parts and to provide context for better understanding.

Comments from Readers

Apple CarPlay and Yahoo! Car Navigation

I recently switched to a MY2018 911 GTS and used Apple CarPlay for the first time. It seems that using Yahoo! Car Navigation via CarPlay imposes more functional restrictions compared to using it directly on a smartphone. You can’t scroll by swiping your finger like on a phone; it only allows screen movements like older navigation systems… I also own a ’69 Narrow, where I use the navigation directly on my phone, so compared to that, CarPlay cuts the good features of Yahoo! Navi in half, I feel. (tatata-san)

I use Apple CarPlay on my motorcycle. Since Zenrin and Google Maps parted ways, Yahoo! Navi is basically the top free option in terms of quality!♪ So far, there have been freezes and the music stops when launching the app, but I hope future updates will improve this. It would be even more convenient if highway junction illustrations were displayed. (mizu-san)

The reason why the Apple CarPlay version of Yahoo! Car Navigation has fewer usable features is largely due to restrictions on the CarPlay side. The app developers are working hard, so I’m hopeful for future improvements. As mizu-san mentioned, we really want highway junction illustration displays soon. Porsche is great in that it allows the car’s SIM to connect to Wi-Fi. The screen is a responsive touchscreen. I also drive an S63 Coupe, which supports CarPlay, but it doesn’t let individuals use the car’s SIM. If you want Wi-Fi in the car, you have to tether from your iPhone. Maybe because of that, Yahoo! Navi won’t even start unless Wi-Fi is off. BMW doesn’t use touchscreens, and they even charge a subscription fee for CarPlay use, so you could say it’s more of a “special” setup. (Sorry if this info is outdated) … So Porsche excels in unexpected ways. (HeartOfGlass-san)

I use “Yahoo! Car Navigation.” Not via CarPlay, but it works great in my 964. Yahoo! Navi has become more accurate and feature-rich than before. I even bought a “Navi Uma” steering wheel remote because I plan to keep using it for a while. Despite the name, it really helps with operations while driving. Best of all, it doesn’t require updates, so you always have the latest maps without extra fees. It even updated quickly for the highway extension in March. (Tetsu-san)

Tailgating and Being Tailgated

Tailgating is awful. The idea that “Porsches don’t get tailgated” doesn’t seem to hold true in the U.S. (crying emoji). Everyone drives fast, so if you’re in the passing lane going under 120 km/h, you’ll definitely have someone right on your bumper. It’s like “slow drivers are just a nuisance no matter what car they’re in.” When I was driving a Maserati and going leisurely (around 100 km/h), a female driver in a minivan gave me the middle finger as she passed from the driving lane. It was so infuriating I just laughed. (SN-san)

Recently, I was reported to the police for “provoking tailgating.” I was driving a company van at the time. I was driving normally, but about 30 minutes after returning to the office, the phone rang. It was the police saying, “We received a report that you were tailgated and the other driver was scared.” I didn’t recall anything unusual, but I did remember a small car driving 40 km/h on a 50 km/h limit national road. I explained, “I didn’t flash my lights, honk, or shake my car. I tried to let the car pass by taking a side road, but the other car followed the same route and kept driving at 40 km/h, so I overtook when the no-passing zone ended and returned to the office.” The officer seemed to accept my explanation and said, “There are slow drivers, and people who report immediately, so please be careful.” That was the end of the call. The next day, a young acquaintance told me, “That’s provoking tailgating! Someone who just installed a dashcam deliberately lets cars get close behind and reports them to the police for fun!” After hearing that, I understood why the officer was so understanding. Everyone, please be careful of both tailgating and provoking tailgating. (Kasamachi Chikara-san)

Since getting into circuit driving recently, I try to keep up with traffic flow on public roads. It’s different from tailgating, but honestly, it’s scary compared to the circuit. The circuit drivers are mostly gentlemen, after all. (cara-san)

Porsche and Life

I’m just a young guy entering my second year as a working adult, but somehow my loan got approved and yesterday I took delivery of a 981 Cayman MT. I devoured blogs by foreign sports car owners and stumbled upon this blog and what I assume is the husband’s blog, which gave me the push to take action. Before getting my license, I wasn’t that interested in cars and got an AT-only license. I discovered the fun of cars with our family’s E46 BMW, and recently I removed the AT restriction to buy a Porsche. Mina-san also drove a Boxster after removing her AT restriction, but it’s tough… you only get to drive manual cars a little with that. The clutch was heavy, so the dealer’s rep practiced with me and followed me home. I’ll steadily work on improving my driving skills. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for the unintentional push. (Takemaru-san)

I vowed to buy a Porsche someday and have been reading Mina’s blog daily, learning from her husband’s comments and about Porsches. I always keep Porsche images in my head and phone, imagining them daily. Finally, I was able to order a 718 Cayman GTS with all the options I wanted without compromise in the July production slot. Thank you so much. It really shows that if you work hard and don’t give up, dreams come true. This blog reminded me of when I was 24, driving a Honda Integra TYPE-R on the Royu Driveway every week with my girlfriend to practice driving and see the night view. I’m looking forward to driving the Royu Driveway again after delivery. I feel like I’m about to have the best 40th birthday ever (laugh). (TAKURO-san)

I’ve always loved cars and driving, mostly with turbo and manual cars, but as I reached the age to think about marriage and having kids, I recently switched to an SUV. When it was finally delivered, I drove it excitedly but felt no joy and was disappointed. I even stayed home on weekends instead of going out. However, recently I had the chance to drive a current WRX STI, and it was so much fun I drove 500 km in half a day. I felt alive and thought, “There’s such a fun car in the world, I want to drive this all the time.” Since then, I’ve been thinking about how to get a WRX STI, but when I talk about it, I get criticized (laugh). My parents say, “Save money after marriage,” and girls I dated said things like “That spoiler is a turn-off,” “I don’t like the yellow calipers,” “Your current car is more popular with girls,” etc. But I believe that doing what you love gives you energy and leads you to your ideal life. Having a partner and friends who support that lifestyle is very lucky. I also plan to get a Porsche 911 Turbo someday (laugh). (Shunta-san)

I also became a Porsche owner this spring, my dream come true, and noticed I have the same model as Mina-san and her husband: 981 Boxster GTS. I feel a special connection (laugh). Driving my Porsche in the spring sunshine makes me happy every day. No matter how many times I drive, the moment I go see my car and start the engine is the most exciting. I also visit the Royu Driveway, so if we meet there, please say hi. (Aki-san)

About Porsche

Just a passing Porsche enthusiast here. The Panamera is indeed a great car. But I think Mercedes is still the better car for the masses. When you plot performance, ride comfort, usability, style, etc., on a hexagonal graph, Mercedes tends to have a larger overall area than its rivals. Porsche excels in driving performance, but in other areas, while high-level, it doesn’t quite match Mercedes. Mercedes cars don’t usually impress or excite you when you test drive or own them—they’re just very normal. But truly normal cars are rare. Usually, there’s some small annoyance like “good sportiness but poor ride,” “cheap interior,” “noise issues,” or “tight turning radius.” Mercedes works hard to eliminate these small stresses. Mercedes is the ultimate high-level normal car. That’s why you don’t get excited when you buy one, but you realize its greatness when you switch to another car. I’ve driven many Carreras, but my daily driver changes often. What I’ve learned from driving many cars is how amazing Mercedes is. I love the Panamera, but like the blog owner, knowing many cars might deepen your appreciation for the Panamera or change your perspective on other cars. (Passing Porsche Lover-san)

I always enjoy reading the blog. Recently, I took my elderly mother (68 years old) for the first time in my 991 early Carrera 4S on a one-and-a-half-hour trip to Haneda Airport. She’s not interested in cars at all, but surprisingly said at the end, “My body didn’t hurt at all, which was amazing! Porsche is really something!” If that’s true for the 911, the latest Panamera must be even more comfortable and wonderful. (Ao-san)

I’m seriously considering buying a Mission E. I recently paid my automobile tax early, and my My996, a 2000 model, is 19 years old, so I was charged about 66,700 yen with a 15% surcharge. The pamphlet attached to the tax notice confirmed how big the eco-car tax breaks are. The Mission E (Taycan) should also qualify for tax breaks. It’s said to have Porsche-like driving performance… maybe I’ll buy it. (shinomiyannjp-san)

Back Pain

I found this blog while searching for Boxster Spyder articles and have enjoyed reading from the start. I sit in front of a PC almost all day at work and have driven about 60,000 km per year for six years. I once injured my back and had to apply patches daily. I’d been going to a sports club for 20 years but had frequent back sprains. I heard that balancing abdominal and back muscles is important, so I started training on a back extension bench (about 45° inclined) regularly, and my back pain stopped completely. I think neglecting back muscles while training abs was part of the problem. As we age, back muscles weaken, so I strongly feel it’s important to train consciously. (Sakon-san)

Manual Transmission Cars

After much deliberation, I chose a WRX STI. I basically decided on it independently while my family was back in Japan. As expected, my impression after driving it was “You can’t drive this for long distances.” The suspension is stiff, but it’s fun, so I’m very satisfied. I’m enjoying heel & toe again. Subaru enthusiasts are called “Subarists,” and I understand why they love the boxer engine and the enthusiast car-making approach. It somehow reminds me of Porsche. Also, I test drove the Mazda3. The design and interior are top class, but the 2L Skyactiv-G engine felt underpowered, and the lightness of the doors made it feel less rigid, which was disappointing. The claim that it “surpasses the Golf” seems like puffery. (SN-san)

Though it’s mostly me and my son who handle cars in our family (we couldn’t part with our Golf, haha), I thought our car lineup was similar. I secretly hope to share some tips about manuals. I don’t think you need to overthink the clutch. It’s probably just a matter of whether it’s your clutch or someone else’s. I’ve commuted about 60,000 km in an Evo, and my GT3 has only 6,000 km, but the clutch is fine unless you make extreme shift mistakes. I look forward to seeing you skillfully driving a BMW manual on the Royu Driveway. (TONO-san)

It’s definitely cool when a woman drives a manual confidently! My recommendations are the same as the blog owner’s: a Golf GTI manual that’s not heavily modified and a BMW 3 Series FR manual to learn the basics. The Golf R also has a manual option. The recently released new BMW 3 Series E90 4-door manual might be good. Also, if you want a Porsche manual that seats four, the previous generation Cayenne late model (957) V6 base and GTS, and the previous generation Cayenne early model (958) V6 base had manual options! Even the previous Panamera (970) V6 base had one (laugh). (Ingenia-san)

With any car, it takes some effort to get good at smoothly engaging an unfamiliar clutch. I also stalled at intersections at first and felt embarrassed. My previous M5 had paddle shifters, and at home, the only manual I drove was a light truck. A female senior at university was in the car club and drove an MT Laurel (a favorite among street racers then) smoothly on the Rokko mountain roads at night. It was cool. Keep it up! (Kanou-san)

GT3

I took delivery early on April 27. I want to drive it every day, so I envy the wingless version. My garage has a slight step; the front lift works fine, but while the 997 3.8 GT3 RS had no issues, the 991’s rear diffuser scrapes. It’s probably unavoidable with this kind of car, but it bothers me every time. I’m thinking of removing it like I saw on another blog. Also, the clutch is very light and much quieter than the 997-1 GT3. It feels a bit lonely. (991-2 GT3 MT-san)

It seems like a supercar that could also be used for commuting. It’s breathtakingly wonderful. Simply removing the usual GT3 wing might upset balance at speed, but I guess the Touring model has some design tweaks to maintain balance even without the wing. This might be the last naturally aspirated MT combination in future successors, making it a truly precious car. Personally, I’m interested in the feel and durability of the PCCB brakes. I look forward to reading the blog owner’s review. (Ishi-san)

Tires

I drive a Macan, and before reading the article “The gritty noise from Porsche tires is not a defect,” I thought it was definitely a problem. Every morning when parking at work, I was nervous about the noise and steering resistance but was afraid to go to the dealer thinking it was a defect (laugh). I don’t know any other Porsche owners, so I really look forward to updates. (euukie-san)

PS4S is truly a great tire. But it’s so good that it can make you rely on the tire too much, so recently I like Conti and Eagle F1. Eagle F1 is amazing on wet roads; when I first got it, I was looking forward to rain (laugh). Conti SC5 also improved wet performance. Pirelli tires are weak on wet roads. They’re good on dry, but maybe because the sidewalls are softer, they feel different. Cup 2 tires, including those for GT3, feel off if you don’t warm them up properly. With PS4S out, the advantage of Cup 2 has diminished. That’s how versatile PS4S is. I personally like the sharp feel of Conti. Also, many used Ferraris have only 5,000 km in 2-3 years, so tires still have tread, and dealers say they’re fine, but tires that aren’t used harden, making ride quality poor and grip unsafe. For used cars, always replace tires and suspension bushes if the mileage is high. Otherwise, you can’t truly understand Porsche. Tires are really important. (Car Enthusiast-san)

Soft Top Care

There are many opinions on how to care for soft tops on convertibles. I live in an apartment and don’t have a good place to wash my car, so I usually have a professional service (Kee○er) do it. Watching their process, they wash the soft top the same way as the body, not with high-pressure water but with foam shampoo and rinse with water. After lightly drying, they open the Targa top and wipe water from the gaps. Finally, they use a lint roller to remove dust. Writing this, I think maybe just using the lint roller on the soft top might be enough (laugh). (Runrun Rumba-san)

Touring and Travel

I was looking forward to the touring report. This year’s Golden Week had bad weather in the first half, and I was caught in rain in the west, but I expect to see you with the top down speeding through the Tohoku area around Day 3. By the way, I’m just a regular middle-aged guy who loves driving, not a “touring master.” Please forgive me (sweat). (wata-san)

Nice to meet you. I had to comment when I saw the nearby Tateyama IC mentioned (laugh). I drive a Mazda Roadster and have no connection to Porsche, but I found this blog while searching for “open car family with two kids.” The Toyama wide-area farm road (called the Super Farm Road by everyone) around Tateyama to Kurobe has moderate traffic and signals but offers fun ups and downs and corners. If you pass through Toyama, please check it out. (yuke-san)

During Golden Week, while returning from Nagoya to Tokyo by Shinkansen, I was daydreaming about my next trip. It will probably be after my Panamera is delivered, so I want to go somewhere by car. Then I remembered the ferry! I googled “Panamera ferry” and your site came up first again! It turns out you can take a Panamera on a ferry. It looks a bit tight, but from Tokyo, you can go to Tokushima or Moji, so Kyushu sounds great! I especially want to visit Yufuin and Amakusa. The “Sky Ship” ferry looks nice. Thanks for the info! (J11050-san)

Other

Regarding other cars, the mechatronics trouble with our Golf basically requires an assembly replacement and is quite serious, costing around 800,000 yen without warranty. My brother had a Golf 6 final model, but just before hitting 100,000 km last month, it had a transmission failure requiring a full DSG replacement, so he switched to a popular Scandinavian brand. Dry DSG (ask the husband, haha) seems structurally challenging. In that sense, selling the Golf 8 before it arrives and while it still has value might be wise. We’re also choosing a next car for our eldest son’s first car (laugh). Car lovers know there’s nothing more unreliable than a car you want to keep forever. I look forward to updates. (nave-san)

I watched the recommended Grand Tour episode. It was interesting. Thanks for the recommendation. The three hosts and I are about the same age, so the 917 footage and sound have been in my head since I saw “Le Mans” in theaters. I saw Dickie Attwood’s (Richard sounds better though) driving for the first time. At 78, he’s still active and could enjoy racing for another 20 years. In the U.S., Mario Andretti (IndyCar 2-seater driver) and in Japan, Kunimitsu Takahashi are the same age. Helmut Marko (3rd in 1970 Le Mans with Porsche 908, winner in 1971 with 917) is a few years younger. (PorscheDreamer-san)

Porsche Life

At first, this blog received no comments, but now I receive messages like these daily, which encourages me greatly. I will continue sharing information about Porsche, cars, and car life, so please keep following along. Thank you very much.