Picking Up Your New Porsche at the Factory If you buy a new Porsche, there’s a service that lets you travel to the factory in Germany and pick up your car in person. It’s called Factory Collection, and apparently around 15 customers use it each day. The program has been running for 65 years. That’s amazing. If you live in Europe, making the trip to collect your car sounds like a great idea. But traveling...
When Power Feels Mismatched The family car I used to drive was a regular-sized hatchback, but it had quite a bit of power. It climbed hills without a problem and accelerated well enough, yet something about it felt a little out of sync. I’m no expert on how cars are engineered, but even I felt that all that power came at the expense of high-speed stability. (It was, in fact, considered to have good high-speed...
Something I’ve Been Struggling With “Ever since I had my second child, I just can’t get back to my old weight or shape…” I tried doing sit-ups, bought a workout DVD by the popular trainer AYA, and even got on an exercise bike. I gave all sorts of things a go, but nothing ever stuck. I kept wondering, “I’m not eating all that much, and breastfeeding is supposed to help you lose weight—so why am...
A Relentless Mindset A mentor I deeply respect once told me, “The real test begins when you think you’ve reached your limit.” When I was 27, something happened that made me think, “I can’t go on.” I felt I’d run out of options. Looking back now, I realize I’d charged headfirst into a dead end and boxed myself in. Nearly eight years have passed since then. During that time, there have been plenty of moments...
I Walked Into a Couple’s Argument at a Coffee Shop The other day, I stopped by a neighborhood coffee shop to pick up some beans. There’s no parking lot nearby, so the only option is to parallel-park out back. When I got there, a Macan was already parked nearby. “Oh, there’s a Macan,” I thought casually as I walked into the shop—only to hear a woman’s shrill, furious voice ring through the room. How could...
A Three-Year-Old with a Sharp Eye Whenever my three-year-old daughter rides shotgun in our Panamera, she has plenty to say about my driving. She loves English, so at every traffic light she pipes up: “Green means go, and orange and red mean stop!” (I wonder why she speaks standard Japanese when she was born and raised in Kansai.) If I ever go through a yellow light, she’ll scold me: “Orange means stop! Σヽ(｀д´；)ﾉ” …Sorry! She...
Dream Big and Turn Ideals into Reality As I’ve written on the blog before, I love the words about the Panamera’s concept featured on Porsche Japan’s website. Dream big and turn ideals into reality. Don’t simply charge ahead along the path you’ve already chosen. Keep challenging yourself to rethink every approach—and do things differently from everyone else. Above all, what matters is courage. Break with convention. Stand firm with unwavering resolve. Shape a future that...
Carrera Panamericana Mexico I recently looked up the origin of the Panamera name online. Here’s what I found: “The Panamera’s name was inspired by the Carrera Panamericana Mexico, a road race held in Mexico in the early 1950s. The 911 Carrera also takes its name from the race, and in 1989 Porsche unveiled a concept car called the Panamericana.” *Source: Wikipedia, “Porsche Panamera” Well, there you go! The Carrera Panamericana Mexico was one of the...
Washing a Panamera Yesterday, I decided to take my Golf through an automatic car wash at a gas station before heading to my parents’ house. I usually use an automatic wash for the Golf, but when it comes to the Panamera, I’ve only ever opted for a hand wash at a gas station. I worry that I might scratch the paint if I wash it by hand without knowing what I’m doing—and the thought of...
Rear-Seat Monitors: Should We Add Them? When we were considering buying a Panamera, my husband casually asked: “Should we put monitors in the back so the kids can watch TV from the rear seats?” I answered without a moment’s hesitation: No way!! We shouldn’t spoil them like that. It’s not as if every rear seat comes with a monitor—this isn’t a seat on a super-comfortable Singapore Airlines flight. It’s better for them to face a...
