Test Drive Reviews

So far, I have had the privilege of test driving some of my blog readers’ cars and writing several test drive reviews as articles. Normally, you’d have to visit a dealer or use a car-sharing service to test drive a car, but thanks to the kindness of readers, I’ve been warmly allowed to drive their cherished vehicles, and I’m truly grateful.

As a way to express that gratitude—though it might sound a bit grandiose—I make it a point to write a test drive review from both my husband’s and my perspective about the car we drove.

Recently, after publishing an article about test driving an S660, the owner left this comment:

I was really impressed by how clear and accurate the review was, especially given the short test drive. You wrote about things I had only vaguely remembered, things I’d forgotten, and things I didn’t know, so reading it was helpful and interesting for me too (laughs). Mina’s expressive skills, combined with my husband’s sensitivity, analytical ability, and curiosity about cars—and above all, your shared love for Porsche—is unbeatable. I’m not good at writing, so I envy and appreciate how well you convey what you want to share.

No, no, the thanks should really be coming from us.

ホンダ S660に試乗。ボクスターで走るいつもの道で試してみた。

But I think it’s wonderful that we get joy from being able to test drive the cars, and the owners feel happy that their beloved cars become the subject of an article—a mutually rewarding exchange of value.

That said, I still don’t know much about cars, so I can only express myself with sensory impressions like “Compared to XX, it felt like this” or “I felt this way.” Meanwhile, my husband can pick up on and analyze even the smallest details of a car during just a 10-minute test drive, and every time I read his reviews, I honestly think, “Wow, that’s amazing.”

Once, I asked him, “How do you understand so much from just about 10 minutes of driving?”

“No, no, why wouldn’t I?”

And that ended the conversation (-_-)

Since my husband writes thorough reviews, I realized that my role is to write purely from a wife’s perspective, as an amateur who isn’t an expert, simply sharing what I feel.

Porsche Owners File

Thinking about it, the Porsche Owners File project I’ve been running since last year might be similar. This project started with the idea of sharing real voices of Porsche owners on this blog, and over 20 people have already contributed.

They write their responses based on questions I send them in advance, and I edit and publish their submissions. Everyone takes time out of their busy schedules to write. And when their stories go live on the blog, many say things like:

“I’m happy to have the chance to share the charm of my beloved car with many people.” “I’m glad to be able to convey the honest voice that comes from owning the car.”

I’m truly grateful.

I once told my husband, “If everyone can write reviews this well, they could just start their own blogs instead of posting on ‘Welcome Home, PORSCHE.’”

“That’s true, but writing one article is one thing; updating a blog regularly is tough. Also, a newly started blog often doesn’t get many readers even if you write a lot. Having your own media is actually quite challenging. In that sense, contributing to this already established Porsche blog probably offers benefits to everyone.”

Running a Porsche Blog

On a personal note, for 15 years after becoming a working adult, I think I worked hard to fulfill responsibilities and meet others’ expectations. Of course, those 15 years were fulfilling, but I always felt some discomfort deep down, thinking, “I probably won’t succeed if I keep going like this,” and the harder I tried, the more exhausted I became.

Then last year,

I decided to put an end to “doing things to meet someone else’s expectations” or “doing things because I have to,” and for the next 10 years, I would do what I truly want to do.

That’s how this blog began.

At first, there were no visitors at all, but gradually the numbers grew, and now, as I wrote at the start of this article, test driving readers’ cars and writing articles about them brings joy to everyone involved. This development hasn’t felt forced; it’s been a very natural progression for me (sorry for dragging my husband into it so much… lol), and I sometimes think, “Deciding to do what I want to do and moving forward wasn’t a mistake.”

That said, since I’ve posted so many test drive reviews regardless of manufacturer, I do sometimes think, “It would be nice if manufacturers or dealers started sending us test drive opportunities soon” (laughs).