A Long-Awaited Drive in the Porsche 911

A few days ago, I wrote an article titled, “Why I Don’t Feel Like Driving the Porsche 911 or Boxster We Have at Home.”

At home, we have Porsches that my husband purchased, but since he cherishes these cars deeply, I felt hesitant to drive them.

Then, just recently, when I was going to renew my driver’s license,

my husband said, “Since it’s a special occasion, why not go in the 911 GTS?”

Of course, I had planned to go in my own beloved Swift Sport, so I initially declined, saying, “It’s a place I only visit once every few years and I’m not familiar with it, so I’m scared something might happen. I’ll pass.”

But my husband reassured me,

“It’ll be fine. The parking lot near the license center is easy to park in, so you’ll have no trouble. Since it’s a special occasion, why not take a little detour, drive on the highway, and try it out in Sport mode?”

So I took him up on his offer and decided to drive it after a long time.

The Amazing Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS

That day, it had been several months since I last drove the 911 Carrera 4 GTS, and it was truly incredible. Within two seconds of getting in, I found myself smiling and thinking, “This is amazing…” (laughs).

Because it had been a while, I could really appreciate how remarkable this car is, so today I want to share some thoughts about it.

First and foremost, what stood out was the “sense of security.”

The feeling of being “protected by the car” was strong, and I felt genuinely safe while driving.

I’m not sure if it’s due to the strong road grip, the solid suspension, the rigidity, the all-wheel drive, the precise handling… or the overall balance of all these factors, but the fact that you can immediately feel safe and confident behind the wheel is truly impressive.

In the past, we had a sports car from another manufacturer, and when I drove it on highways and regular roads, I felt more on edge than reassured.

That car was also high-performance, with even more precise handling than the early 991 Carrera 4 GTS and a well-built body, but it came with a sense of “you have to drive with tension…” which was a bit intimidating.

But with Porsche, no matter which model I drive, I feel safe despite the high performance. The feeling I had when I first test-drove a Porsche (the 970 Panamera Edition) was similar.

It might be partly because I’ve driven Porsches more often and am more familiar with them than other sports cars, but it’s not just that… I truly believe Porsche has something that perfectly fits human senses.

Next, I noticed the “importance of the engine sound.”

Once on the highway and switching to Sport mode, the revs climb sharply, and the engine sound rises with them. The acceleration merging onto the highway is powerful and smooth, and the lively engine roar from behind was absolutely thrilling.

Unlike the GT3’s roar beyond 4,000 rpm, which sounds like a “sleeping lion awakening,” this engine sound feels more natural… as if the car is being freed and rejoicing, with a smooth, soaring tone.

Even if the acceleration and performance were the same, without that engine sound, I doubt I would feel this exhilaration.

Of course, engine sound preference varies greatly from person to person, and the early 991’s engine note isn’t the purely mechanical sound of an air-cooled Porsche, but I love the naturally aspirated engine sound of the early 991.

Porsche, to me, is truly a car you experience with all five senses.

And thirdly, I felt that “switching to Sport mode changes the driving enjoyment.”

You can cruise comfortably in Normal mode around town, but when you want to accelerate on the highway, switching modes delivers incredible power. If your car has the Sport Chrono Package, switching to Sport Plus mode and driving on winding roads is both thrilling and fun.

With these mode changes, you get to enjoy different driving experiences depending on the road, making it feel like two cars in one.

It’s really well thought out.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the license center.

On the way back, there was lane restriction due to highway construction, so I was crawling along… but after enjoying the 911’s driving again after so long, I was very satisfied.

Now I really want my own Porsche—time to work hard!