A Long-Awaited Ride in the Air-Cooled Porsche 911 (964)

The other day, I took my family of four on a visit to both sides of our family graves in our air-cooled Porsche 911 (964). It had been over a year and a half since we last took a mid-distance drive with all four of us in the air-cooled Porsche.

The last time we all rode together in the air-cooled Porsche, the kids were fighting in the back seat, so our eldest daughter moved to the passenger seat. That meant I had to sit in the back, where my head kept hitting the ceiling during the highway drive—it was really tough…

Because of that experience, I haven’t had the best impression of riding with four people in an air-cooled Porsche, but this time we thought, “the kids have gotten more well-behaved, so it should be fine.”

It was a beautiful day—perfect for a drive. However, the kids complained about the direct sunlight streaming in from above being unbearably hot, and when I looked, both of their faces were bright red. Air-cooled Porsches really are much hotter inside compared to modern Porsches…

The kids took off their clothes and socks, and we turned on the air conditioning, but they still said, “It’s way too hot in the back…” Their irritation hit the max (the front seats were comfortably cool). We tried to calm them down as we kept pushing forward on the highway.

Meanwhile, I was stuck holding bags at my feet and cream puffs from a nearby cake shop on my lap, unable to move at all. By the way, here’s what the passenger seat looked like last time we rode as a family (laughs).

Also, I think it was partly because I’m currently pregnant (already seven months along), but the amount of information coming through from the road was overwhelming (sweat).

It’s not that the ride is uncomfortable, but you can feel the road surface conditions clearly through your seat and belly, and the highway road noise is quite loud, so compared to a modern Porsche, I got pretty exhausted.

For the driver, this flood of information from the air-cooled Porsche is probably a plus, but for someone just sitting quietly in the cramped passenger seat, it’s a bit too much… Eventually, I found myself saying,

Driving a mid-distance trip with the family in an air-cooled Porsche is really tough… I’ll just imagine the Panamera’s comfort and try to endure this… (-_-)

My spirits sank, and my husband said,

Driving alone and driving with four people are totally different. When I’m driving solo, the car feels much sharper…

But despite everything, we managed to reach our destination.

Is the Air-Cooled Porsche Best for Solo Drives?

After getting out of the car, I took another look at the 964 and was amazed at how compact it was—”It’s incredible that four people could fit in such a small car.”

A photo taken previously with the Panamera and 964 side by side

Solo Drives Are Best in an Air-Cooled Porsche

On the way back, it was nighttime and a bit chilly. When we got back in the car, the kids, worn out from playing, quickly fell asleep. Unlike the daytime drive, the passenger seat of the air-cooled Porsche on the night highway was wonderfully comfortable.

At night, there’s less visual information coming in, and the orange-lit dashboard gave off a magical atmosphere that was just perfect.

My husband also remarked again,

The 964 really handles beautifully. Especially the gentle curves on the highway are amazing. You can feel exactly what the tires are doing. And lane changes feel incredibly smooth—like a water strider. It’s amazing that a car made 30 years ago can be this fast and handle so well. If we refreshed the suspension and parts, it would feel like new.

After riding with the family in the air-cooled Porsche this time, I once again felt, “Air-cooled Porsches are really best for solo drives. They’re cars meant for the driver and machine to enjoy as a team.”

Even though the 911 is a 2+2 seater, it’s still a sports car. Well, I’m also a heavily pregnant woman, so maybe I get tired more easily than usual.

Thinking about that, I’m reminded how much modern 911s have evolved to be comfortable even for passengers. Once things settle down, I want to go for a solo drive again!