Taking the GT3 and Boxster

Now that I was finally able to drive my manual-transmission Boxster GTS, we decided to take the kids to the Royu Driveway last Sunday in both the GT3 and the Boxster. When we visited the Royu lookout in July, I’d forgotten to put on sunscreen and got a nasty sunburn on my arms and décolletage—(like this↓)

This time, I slathered on sunscreen—“and then some!”—over my face, arms, neck, and décolletage. I also bought a proper, heavy-duty straw hat for farm work at a home improvement store, so I was fully prepared. (At this point, I wasn’t worried about looking stylish.)

This was actually my first time driving the Boxster all the way from home to the Royu Driveway entirely on my own. I figured I’d manage as long as my husband followed behind in the GT3.

But the exit from our home parking area is on a slight slope. The Auto Hold didn’t engage, and when I took my foot off the brake, the car rolled back farther than I expected. My husband, watching from outside, told me:

“You were this close to hitting the block behind you! (ﾟдﾟ)!”

Not exactly the best start… I was relieved I hadn’t hit anything, but set off feeling pretty nervous.

Still, I was already used to driving a manual, so I got on with it surprisingly well. No stalls, no sweaty-palmed moments—and we made it safely to the Royu lookout. What a relief! ε-(´∀｀*)

Someone had posted on Twitter that the parking lot was already full at 7 a.m., so we worried there’d be nowhere to park when we arrived after 8. As it turned out, a spot opened up at just the right time.

That day brought both happy reunions and plenty of new faces: an owner who had once given me a ride in his Mazda Roadster, some of my Twitter followers, and followers of my husband on Instagram. One person even said:

“I saw on Twitter yesterday that you’d be coming up to Royu in the Boxster and GT3, so I thought I’d come by and be here for the momentous occasion of your first time arriving in two cars!”

That made me laugh—and I was genuinely grateful.

We also had the chance to meet a well-known air-cooled Porsche owner who had been featured in 911DAYS. I’d heard about him from various people, and he told me he’d been reading my blog for some time. It really felt like, “We finally meet!”

What Makes the Royu Driveway Special

It really struck me again: Royu is full of such nice people. A while back, a reader left this comment about the Royu Driveway:

“The road is fun to drive. Motorcycles aren’t allowed on Sundays, which makes it safer. Before around 11 a.m., there aren’t many sightseeing cars heading through to Arima yet, so traffic is light.
It’s also a relatively expensive toll road, which keeps traffic down. All of that makes it an ideal place for a drive. And because of that, a lot of people who come here are genuine car enthusiasts who are here to drive (that’s important! lol).
When you get together with people who treat their cars as fashion accessories or just want to show off, you don’t have much in common. The regulars at Royu really do love driving and cars, so people of all ages and with all kinds of cars can enjoy talking together—and everyone makes you feel welcome. lol
That’s the kind of place it is, haha.”

Exactly! Absolutely!

What a spot-on description. There’s nothing wrong with owning a car as a style statement, of course; car enthusiasts simply come in all kinds. But at Royu, you meet people who are considerate, know how to behave, and genuinely love cars and driving. That’s why it’s so easy to connect—and why the place feels so welcoming.

Next page → A Boxster and GT3 photo shoot—and even a Boxster Spyder joins in!