A Porsche Interview: We Went Behind the Scenes!

The other day, I visited a Kyoto-based company that sells, services, and repairs imported cars. Its inventory includes a wide range of marques—Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi—with everything from classic cars to the latest models.
I spoke with M, the founder’s son. (I plan to share more from the interview in a future article.)

What Car Does He Want Most?

M is also a former Super Taikyu endurance racer, so I asked him: “After seeing and driving so many different cars, which one do you want most right now?”

Without hesitation, M replied, “A Porsche 911.”

“Why Porsche instead of another brand?” I asked. Here’s what he had to say.

Porsche gets the balance of “go, stop, and turn” just right. With some cars from other manufacturers, the acceleration may be great, but the braking or handling falls short. Others are well-rounded, yet still don’t give you that feeling of being able to drive exactly as you intend. Porsche is different. You can drive it just the way you want, and there’s no other car that makes driving this much fun.

When I asked, “Why a 911 in particular?” he said, “Because the 911 is where Porsche’s sports-car DNA comes through most strongly.”

The Mission E Is on the Horizon

News that Porsche’s electric car, the Mission E, is finally starting to take shape has been making headlines lately…

Even as an electric car, can Porsche stay true to what makes it Porsche?

I’ve heard that when Porsche moved from air-cooled to water-cooled engines, many die-hard fans said, “If it’s not air-cooled, it’s not a Porsche.” And even now, as the lineup has largely shifted from naturally aspirated engines to turbos, plenty of people insist, “Naturally aspirated is definitely better than turbo!” My husband is one of them.

Now engines are set to give way to electric motors. I asked M how he felt about that, too.

As a car enthusiast, it’s a little sad to see the move to electric cars. Their acceleration is incredible, but it means losing the pleasure of that wonderful engine… Even plug-in hybrids can feel a little odd under braking.

What Shishimigi Had to Say

As I browsed the web, thinking, “That makes sense,” I came across this article:

Mynavi News: “The Age of Electrified Sports Cars Is Here—Can Porsche Stay True to Itself?”

This is clearly a big question for Porsche fans and car enthusiasts alike. The article quoted Porsche Japan President Shishimigi after he rode in a Mission E prototype.

According to Shishimigi, the Mission E is “unmistakably a Porsche.”

“You can change the car’s handling characteristics with a computer, and the control of the driven wheels feels more precise than in a combustion-engine car. But Porsche’s engineers say electrification isn’t about having the car control its own driving, as with autonomous driving. It’s technology designed to support the driver. They seem to be developing it on the principle that the driver should keep their hands on the steering wheel and feel the car go, turn, and stop just as they would in a combustion-engine car—even in an EV.
At Porsche AG in Germany, the guiding principle is that a sports car must be built around a sense of oneness between driver and machine, not simply showcase impressive control systems.”
＊Source: Mynavi News: “The Age of Electrified Sports Cars Is Here—Can Porsche Stay True to Itself?”

Wow… so that’s the idea! (ﾟ∀ﾟ) After reading that, I’m even more eager to take the Mission E for a test drive. It’ll probably be quite a while before it reaches Japan, though…

When it finally arrives, I’d love to visit a dealership and experience an electric car that stays true to the Porsche spirit!