My husband recently took his GT3 on a drive to Wakayama and wrote about the trip. We hope you enjoy reading about it!

Heading to Wakayama in a 911 GT3

We haven’t managed many long-distance drives lately, so I decided to head out on a short day trip.

My companion for the day was a 911 GT3 with the Touring Package.

It has now covered more than 5,500 km, and lately the engine and transmission have been feeling wonderfully smooth and supple. The car seems lighter on its feet than ever.

I decided to head toward Wakayama. Personally, I’m not a fan of the divided but single-lane-in-each-direction expressway in Wakayama, so I didn’t want to venture too far south. Instead, I set my sights on the Koyaryujin Skyline.

Most drivers coming from Osaka approach from Hashimoto City, typically using Route 480 and other roads. But that route is busy, narrow, and not much fun, so I chose to approach from the south, via Arida City. It’s a much longer way around, but for a driving enthusiast, the longer the route, the better.

More importantly, I wanted to avoid roads that aren’t fun to drive.

I left home at 8:00 a.m. and took the Hanshin Expressway Bayshore Route, then the Hanwa Expressway. The climb through the mountains from around Hannan Interchange was where the GT3 really came alive. It charged effortlessly up the sweeping, uphill bends.

And it did so with incredible composure, carving through the corners as if glued to the road. This is the GT3 at its best.

I exited at Arida Interchange and headed toward Koyasan on Route 424. After stopping for a break at Roadside Station Shirama no Sato, I waited for a gap in traffic before setting off again. The roads around here make for a wonderfully flowing drive.

I put the GT3 in second and third gear and cruised along the country roads, letting its glorious exhaust note echo through the mountains.

Honestly, below 4,000 rpm, the GT3’s exhaust and engine don’t sound all that special. At low speeds, the 981 Boxster GTS sounds far better. But with the Sports Exhaust switched on, the valves open as the engine approaches 4,000 rpm, and the sound changes unmistakably. That’s when the truly thrilling soundtrack kicks in.

The volume and intensity are in a different league from the Boxster. There’s no embellishment or artificial drama—just the raw sound of an engine that could have come straight from a race car.

Crawling Along in the GT3

I’d planned to stop at Roadside Station Ryujin, but it was unbelievably crowded, so I kept going toward the Koyaryujin Skyline. From around here, the slow-motion misery began.

I’d underestimated how busy the Koyaryujin Skyline would be on a weekend so close to peak fall foliage season.

A long line of family cars and minivans was heading for the summit. Caught in the middle of it, the GT3 was forced to climb at around 30–35 km/h—slower than pit-lane speed. It felt like being stuck behind a little train.

On steeper sections, the pace often dropped even further. At times, I wondered if the car in front was about to stop altogether.

There was absolutely no need to drive fast, but I wish people would at least press the accelerator a little more on the uphill sections and drive with a bit more rhythm. Crawling along like this can actually be more dangerous.

This is one area where I think Japanese drivers differ considerably from European drivers. In Europe, people tend to use the accelerator and brakes decisively, even in family cars and minivans. Perhaps this is a side effect of Japanese driver education, where the emphasis seems to be on not speeding under any circumstances.

Even so, driving the GT3 in these conditions was more uncomfortable than I’d expected. At a decent pace, it feels remarkably flat and planted, with a very comfortable ride. But on a winding road at these speeds, the short-travel suspension lets bumps and dips in the road jostle the body around. It felt like the car was constantly rocking from side to side.

The saving grace is that, despite its short travel, the suspension has little friction and does a great job absorbing vibrations, so the car doesn’t continue to bounce. Still, in conditions like these, the Boxster is far more comfortable and less tiring to drive.

A Chance Encounter Thanks to the GT3

By the time I reached Gomayama Sky Tower, the other cars were streaming into the packed parking lot. That gave me a chance to find a clear stretch of road, and the GT3 could finally return to its normal pace. I dropped it into second gear, and the engine seemed to take a deep breath, vigorously clearing out the sluggishness that had built up at low revs.

At last, I could enjoy the Koyaryujin Skyline, with its gentle elevation changes and succession of medium-speed corners. If traffic is light, it’s hands down one of the best driving roads in the Kansai region, where truly great routes are few and far between. It reminded me a lot of the Ashinoko Skyline, and at more than 40 km long, it offers plenty of road to enjoy.

The GT3 continued to tear through the corners. Even as the driver, I was amazed by how gracefully it handled them. Unlike an air-cooled 911, it doesn’t take a great deal of skill to drive. Simply turn the wheel, and almost anyone can make good progress.

But it’s even more fun when you pay attention to throttle control and weight transfer. There’s something special about the rear-engine 911.

I stopped for a break in the parking lot at the Hanazono Local Products Shop. I’d parked in a spot away from the others, but a large van pulled in right beside me. “Here we go again—another person who parks right next to you,” I thought. As soon as I got out, the van’s driver stepped out too and called over:

“This is Crayon, right? And it’s a six-speed manual, isn’t it?”

Apparently, the Porsche GT3 had always been a dream car for him, and he was especially fond of the GT3 in Crayon. “I’ve been looking it up online all the time, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen one in person,” he told me. We soon got talking about all things Porsche: how to buy one, how to order a GT3, its engine and displacement, and what it feels like to drive. After a good chat, I was on my way again.

I decided not to continue any farther along the Koyaryujin Skyline and turned back.

This time, I took Prefectural Route 26 and then headed for Shirasaki Ocean Park. The park had been badly damaged by a typhoon last year and was completely closed for a time, but some areas have now reopened. It’s a beautiful spot, and an ideal place to photograph a car.

Prefectural Route 26 is a pleasant drive. From there, I went through Gobo City and continued toward the coast in the GT3. The scenery along the shoreline was lovely, but the skies were overcast and the sea looked almost leaden. Yet in photos, the colors of the sea and sky, the surrounding rock and concrete, and the GT3’s Crayon paint seemed to complement one another perfectly.

The restaurant and parking lot at Shirasaki Ocean Park had reopened, but some areas were still off-limits, so I couldn’t drive to the best spot for photos. Even so, the view of the Kii Channel was magnificent. I’d love to come back on a sunny day.

I headed home, joining the expressway once again. The GT3 is remarkably comfortable on the highway. The ride is surprisingly smooth, and on the expressway alone, I think it’s less tiring than the Boxster. That may be down to the more flexible seating position, exceptionally composed ride, and outstanding high-speed stability. The faster you go, the more firmly it feels planted to the road.

The front end feels especially planted—even more so than the Boxster, despite the GT3’s rear-engine layout. And this is the Touring Package without a rear wing. I imagine the regular GT3 and GT3 RS, with their wings, feel even more stable thanks to the extra downforce.

Here are the figures from this short tour:

Total driving time: 8 hr 25 min
Total distance: 458.7 km
Average fuel consumption: 10.6 L/100 km (approximately 9.4 km/L)
Average speed: 57 km/h

I still haven’t had my fill of driving, so I’d love to take a longer trip with a few overnight stays—something I haven’t done in quite a while.