About the Blog Update Frequency

Thank you always for reading the blog. It’s nothing major, but today I have an announcement for everyone. From now on, I’ve decided to “slow down the pace of blog updates a bit.” Actually, last weekend, I caught a cold from my daughter when I was already tired, and I ended up down for the first time in years. (Thankfully, I’m fully recovered now.)

About five years ago, I also crashed from fatigue, but back then I was aware I was pushing myself too hard, so I thought, “Well, no wonder!” and reflected on it. This time, however, I had no sense of overdoing it at all. In fact, I was quite energetic despite some sleep deprivation, so I told my husband, “Why did I crash over something so minor?” Then he said:

“Mina, you’ve always been too intense. You should live more flexibly. Some days slack off, some days push hard, some days rest… it’s important to have that range and rhythm.”

Thinking about it, with daily childcare, school runs, housework, work, and blog updates, weekdays and weekends alike, I never really had a moment to relax. Maybe I was indeed overdoing it.

I love writing this blog, and the comments I receive from you all make me very happy. I still have so much I want to write—“I want to write this! I want to write that! If only I had more time, I’d be blogging all day!”—that feeling hasn’t changed. But well, I’m 36 now, approaching my forties, so I’ve decided to slow down the update frequency going forward. (That said, I still think I’ll post about 3 to 4 articles a week, haha.)

This blog is set to publish articles between 6 and 7 a.m., so if you notice no new post after that time, please consider it as “no new article today,” and feel free to browse past posts. (There are about 400 articles anyway.)

Also, from reading comments, it seems many readers’ wives are strong, hardworking, and cool personalities, so please watch over them so they don’t overdo it and crash like me (laughs).

Introducing Comments We Received

So today, I’d like to share some comments from readers. I’ve introduced reader comments before here, which received quite a response. The blog comments contain many valuable, firsthand voices of Porsche owners that are very insightful, but usually readers don’t check the comment section, so I decided to share some here. (Comments have been partially edited for context. Sorry we can’t include all of them.)

[The low-speed grinding noise from Porsche tires is not a defect]
I’m from Kyushu and suddenly caught the Porsche bug two years ago (lol). My car history is air-cooled 964 → Cayman GT4 → 718 Boxster GTS → waiting for 991 GTS delivery, with no practical use at all. The air-cooled 964 is fine as long as it runs, so I don’t worry about defects (casual). Both the GT4 and Boxster make cracking noises (lol). Incidentally, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio did the same. Maybe it’s a badge of honor for sports cars? (Runrun Rumba-san)

[About the inner garage: from IshiB to cara]
I commented after seeing cara’s inner garage in the Porsche Owners File. I’m currently building a garage and considering flooring and lighting. I want tile flooring like a showroom, but daily use would mean frequent cleaning of tire marks and dirt to keep the tiles looking good. So I’m thinking maybe concrete, accepting some dirt. From the photos, cara’s tiled floor looks very well maintained—do you clean it often? Also, if there were any other details you focused on or things you wish you’d done differently after completion, I’d love to hear. (IshiB-san)

[About the inner garage: from cara to IshiB]
Our garage tiles are 30cm squares. At first, we considered painted concrete like showrooms or dealer workshops, but since older cars, especially Italian ones, often leaked oil and other fluids, we looked for a material that wouldn’t absorb them. Large tiles tend to crack because garages aren’t perfectly flat, and bigger surfaces crack more easily with daily use. We ended up choosing tiles that allow gentle slopes and have decent grip to prevent slipping. The advantage of tiles is they don’t wear down like concrete. There’s no fine concrete dust inside, and we hardly clean the garage. Occasionally, I vacuum leaves and debris with a dedicated vacuum (just a regular household vacuum, haha) about every 4 to 6 months. Sometimes small stones from tires appear but they don’t bother me at all. (cara)

[About the air-cooled 911 964]
Your husband chose a 964 C2, right? Judging by the mirror shape, it’s a post-1992 model. I used to own a 964, and although I often see online complaints about the air conditioning not working, if there’s no gas leak, it actually cools quite well. If your husband thoroughly restored the car before buying used, the AC would have been addressed, so no worries. (^^) (shinomiyajp)

[Shock of driving a kei car as a loaner instead of Porsche]
I currently drive a 991, but when I left my car for protection film installation, the loaner was a Nissan Dayz kei car. I’d never driven a kei car before and thought it might be fun to try something so different, but driving home, the acceleration was so weak and the brakes felt soft, making right turns at intersections and highway merges really scary. On the highway, I didn’t dare use the passing lane and stayed in the slow lane, but still got tailgated. Every time a Benz or BMW zoomed past in the passing lane, I felt a huge gust of wind, like a mouse or hamster thrown into a pack of wild beasts. Honestly, it was a firsthand lesson in highway social hierarchy, and it made me want to be extra careful with driving manners even in a Porsche. When I picked up the 991 a week later, I thought, “Was the steering and brakes always this heavy?” and it reminded me how amazing the 991 really is. (Masayan)

[A man who polishes his car also polishes himself]
Your husband loves washing the car, huh? I also hand wash whenever I have free time, summer or winter! Of course, I don’t do it when it’s below freezing because the water freezes before it dries, haha. If it’s sunny and the car is dirty, I go home during lunch break to wash it. (My workplace is close to home.) I started counting washes from January this year, and by the end of October, I’d done 74 washes total. (Not just one car, but multiple.) At this pace, I probably won’t hit 100 washes a year… (Indujinia)

[Hill start with Boxster GTS MT]
Regarding the article about failing hill starts with the Boxster GTS, if hill hold doesn’t activate automatically, just manually apply the parking brake. (Your husband probably already told you this.) If you put it in first gear and slowly release the clutch, the parking brake should release automatically. You can operate slowly without worrying about rolling back. I haven’t tested this on a 981, but if it has hill hold, it’s probably the same. (PorscheDreamer)

[Impressions of the Panamera]
Today I met an old senior colleague I’ve known for over 20 years. He’s a serious car enthusiast and has worked nearly 30 years with T company (Japan’s largest automaker), so he knows more than most critics. He apparently bought a Panamera about six months ago but couldn’t wait for delivery (he’s very impatient) and bought a base model new car at the dealer. He said, “It’s slow! The 4S or Turbo might be good, but the base model is slow. Also, it’s huge! I knew the size but it felt like driving a tank for a while.” (Just his personal opinion, lol.) He also said, “But buying without waiting for delivery was a mistake. I’m thinking about getting a 911. But then I can’t go golfing. Maybe I’ll upgrade to a Panamera Turbo after all.” He was just saying whatever he wanted, haha. (How to Support Life-san)

[Wife who bought a Cayenne on her own]
This article really resonates with me. I totally agree. I gave my wife a Cayenne as a reward for taking care of our young kids alone while pausing her career and work, but… like Yamaguchi Momoe’s “Playback,” she said, “Don’t underestimate me!!” and declared she would buy it herself. She suddenly started working hard again after mostly pausing, and her income jumped more than tenfold the month after buying the Cayenne, paying off the cost in less than a year. I think Porsche makes women stronger and cooler. Maybe strong, cool women want Porsches. After reading this blog, I’m even thinking about accepting Porsche purchase money from my wife to support “cool women.” (Buppa)

[Auto-blipping on Boxster MT]
Just to add, page 47 of the 718 catalog says, “When combined with the optional Sport Chrono Package (standard on GTS models) and selecting Sport or Sport Plus mode, dynamic control’s blipping function activates. It provides optimal engine revs on downshifts, a more emotional drive, and fantastic sound.” So at least for the 718, auto-blipping works in Sport mode. For the 981, I confirmed with Mina’s Boxster that auto-blipping is only in Sport Plus mode, so combining that with IshiB’s memory, it’s probably safe to say “auto-blipping in Sport mode started with the 718.” (PorscheDreamer)

[Panamera rear 2+1 seat option]
I bought a Panamera 4 E-Hybrid in the U.S. and added the rear 2+1 seat option—just over $1,000. It’s a must-have for my family of five! (SN)

[Panamera rear 2+1 seat option from mn1551mn to SN]
I see. I have a 2018 4 E-Hybrid, and if that option had been available, I definitely would have chosen it. This is my third Panamera, and since it’s usually just my wife and two kids, there are quite a few times I want to carry one more passenger! I’ve been disappointed many times. I wonder if they’ll ever offer it as an aftermarket option… (mn1551mn)

[Kazuyoshi Miura’s Porsche 964]
When Kazuyoshi Miura was in Kobe, he parked this air-cooled 964 in front of the Daimaru open café and played card games with friends. The scene with the cityscape, Kazu-san, and the car was so picturesque. Truly a star… It made me realize how cool Porsches are. I think the first Porsche I ever saw was Kazu-san’s car! Our Panamera has been delivered too! It’s so easy to drive, and unlike the 911, even someone like me who isn’t that skilled feels safe driving it! It’s awesome! (Gori)

[Watches that suit Porsche]
It has to be IWC, right! I’m a pretend Porsche owner, but my watch is the IWC Pilot Watch Mark 16 Japan Limited edition! I sweat a lot, so stainless steel bands limit my options. I really want a Portugieser Yacht Club or a leather band, but I’ve given up (sad). IWC collaborates with Mercedes and AMG, right? They’ve had collab models with the Ingenieur (anti-magnetic type) in the past, and recently the 150th anniversary model also collaborated with AMG. (Kaze no Sakamichi)

Everyone’s Love for Porsche

Every time I read your comments, your passion for Porsche is so strong that my husband often says, “There’s always someone better out there,” haha. Your honest impressions, unknown knowledge, and various perspectives teach me so much, so I hope you’ll continue to feel free to leave comments in the future.