Heading to Hokuriku in a Porsche

This hardly ever happens, but about a year ago, I was assigned a business trip with an overnight stay in Hokuriku (Toyama and Kanazawa) this November. However, due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, many jobs were canceled one after another, so I thought this Hokuriku trip would probably be canceled too.

But just the other day, I received final confirmation from the client that the trip would proceed as planned, so I decided to take this opportunity to drive all the way to Hokuriku by car. (Normally, from Kansai, people would take the Thunderbird train, though, lol.)

Initially, I planned to go in my Note, but my husband said,

If you’re going to drive that far, why not take the Porsche?

So I decided to take the Boxster (981 GTS), which I hadn’t driven much lately.

Beforehand, I exchanged messages with the client saying, “The weather looks good next week, so that’s a relief.” Excited about my first business trip away from the kids in years, I was preparing happily. But the day before, my husband said,

The weather in Toyama and Ishikawa has changed to heavy rain just for the two days you’re going. Classic rain woman, huh?

I said, “What! Seriously? It was so sunny just yesterday!” and checked the forecast immediately. Sure enough, it had changed to heavy rain only for the two days I was going. And the high temperature was only 11°C… super cold.

Somehow, it felt like the weather changed the moment I decided to take the Boxster, but maybe I’m overthinking it… Well, having been a rain woman for years, this kind of thing is within expectations, lol.

Driving the Boxster on the Highway

On the first day, I had to drive from home to Toyama, which Google Maps said would take about 5 hours. Toyama was farther than I thought…

Google suggested a route via the Meishin Expressway and Hokuriku Expressway, but my husband advised,

Weekday mornings often get congested around Kyoto to Shiga on the Meishin, so it’s better to take the Chugoku Expressway to the Maizuru Expressway, then connect to the Hokuriku Expressway. It’s a longer distance, but the roads are clearer, more pleasant, and you’ll probably get there faster overall.

So I followed his advice. Indeed, I always imagine the Otsu, Kusatsu, and Kyoto Higashi interchanges on Meishin are crowded.

On the day, driving the Boxster after a while, I was grinning, thinking, “Sports cars really do lift your spirits.” But just after passing Maizuru, it started raining. So it came after all… and earlier than I expected. By the time I reached the Mikata Goko PA, fog had rolled in, and I couldn’t see any scenery at all.

I thought about how beautiful the view would have been if it were sunny, but I pressed on. After a few breaks, I planned to eat at Oyabegawa SA, but when I arrived, this was the scene.

I couldn’t get out of the car… (-_-)

Outside, the wind was strong, and even people holding umbrellas were getting soaked, so I gave up and headed straight to Toyama Station. Usually, when I eat at SAs, I’m mainly looking after the kids and don’t get to enjoy my meal, so I was really looking forward to having local food alone at the SA this time.

From there to Toyama, the rain was so heavy the wipers couldn’t keep up. On the way back from Kanazawa to home the next day, I was also caught in rain until around Fukuchiyama, but I managed to safely complete the 800km round trip all by myself.

The Charm of the Porsche Boxster

It was my first time driving the Boxster on the highway in such heavy rain, but before departure, my husband advised,

For the highway, stiffening just the suspension is just right. But in heavy rain, the normal suspension is more stable and safer.

So I followed that advice and was able to drive with peace of mind the whole time.

Sure, the Panamera I used to drive is heavier and all-wheel drive, so it felt rock-solid and confident gripping the road in heavy rain, but I felt the Boxster could also handle it without any worries.

It’s truly impressive.

And of course, the engine sound of this 981 Boxster GTS is just the best—really, the absolute best. (I always say the same thing, lol.)

I know it’s purely personal preference, but of all the cars we have at home, the 981 Boxster GTS has my favorite engine sound. Its sharp, high-pitched tone is a pure delight, and when you push it in 3rd or 4th gear, the engine note rises smoothly with the revs, giving me goosebumps every time I hear it.

Luckily, traffic was light that day, and there were many stretches with no cars ahead or behind, so in the Maizuru Expressway tunnels, I meaninglessly downshifted and accelerated just to enjoy the engine sound over and over (lol).

Also, being able to drive this car with a manual transmission was simply the best. Of course, the latest PDK transmissions are amazing, and paddle shifting is also a lot of fun.

But the thrill of pressing the clutch with your own foot, moving the gear lever with your hand, and rhythmically syncing with the car’s breathing—plus that engine sound—is just… unbeatable (I’m running out of words).

Compared to the latest Porsche models, the 981 Boxster still leaves room for human control in a good way… The clutch is heavy, and if you’re not careful at takeoff, it can stall, which is fun. My husband says,

You say that, but for air-cooled Porsche fans, the 981 is like a modern Porsche, lol. If you want driving fun, older Porsches are probably even more fun.

But very old ones don’t have auto-blipping features, and since I’m not an expert manual driver yet, I’ve never managed to blip the throttle myself. That’s why I like the 981, which only activates auto-blip when you press the Sport Plus button.

After the 992 was delivered, I drove the Boxster on the Royu Driveway for the first time in a while and honestly thought, “Huh, it’s not as thrilling as before… maybe because the 911’s performance is just amazing.”

But now I realize it wasn’t the Boxster’s fault; it’s just that I always drove the Boxster on the same Royu Driveway, so the route lost its freshness and excitement.

This time, driving many new roads in the Boxster, I truly understood how pleasant and fun this car is. The power feels just right, and it’s enjoyable on any road, including regular streets. It really feels like a trusty partner.

And the engine sound and manual driving—these two are the biggest charms of our Boxster, I realized once again.

It was so much fun that even though I was tired after work when I got home, adrenaline kept me awake, and I told my husband, “If I ever say I want to sell the Boxster, I’ll buy it myself! I’ll work hard for that!” He replied,

Why would you do that between spouses? What’s the point? lol

and teased me (lol).

Also, on this trip to Kanazawa, I tried Kanazawa oden for the first time, and it was incredibly delicious. I’m not much of a foodie and usually eat at convenience stores or chain restaurants wherever I go, but I thought it’s nice to try local specialties when visiting different places.

Next time, I want to drive Hokuriku on a sunny day (lol).