Three Boxster GTS (981) Cars

Owning multiple Porsches and often switching between them weekly, as well as frequently test-driving the latest models, I still have my number one Porsche in my heart: the 981 Boxster GTS.

Especially when it comes to touring, I often debate whether to take the 964 or the 981, but usually end up choosing the Boxster. The reason is clear: it has the smoothest engine, an incredibly sensual exhaust note, supple suspension, and power that invites you to rev and really push the car.

Recently, TAKURO-san, who has appeared on the blog a few times, has sold his GT3 and is now completely hooked on the 981 Boxster GTS. We had long planned to drive the wide-area farm roads of Okayama together, and this time, we finally made it happen.

We met at 8:00 AM at the Higashi Rokko Observatory on the Royu Driveway. Whenever we tour with multiple people, for some reason, we always gather at Royu.

Almost simultaneously, two Boxster GTS cars arrived.

Even though we had gathered at the observatory, I noticed the sole of my driving shoe was peeling off. So, they kindly accompanied me back to my home to change shoes, and we ended up starting the trip from my house (laughs).

We drove steadily on the morning Sanyo Expressway, matching the pace of surrounding cars.

After a short break, we arrived at the meeting point in Okayama in just over two hours. There, we met the other participant, Tomozō-san.

Tomozō-san is also a blog reader and one of the people who got their 981 Boxster GTS after reading the blog. He also loves and cherishes his 981 deeply.

At the meeting point, Tomozō-san’s Boxster GTS was already parked. All three cars share the same white body color, but his interior is red leather with ventilation seats and even Adaptive Cruise Control—a fully optioned, ultra-rare model.

Starting from Hoshinosato Kaidō

After brief greetings, we confirmed today’s route.

First, we decided to head north on Hoshinosato Kaidō and then loop clockwise through the wide-area farm roads.

Once past the Ibara City Bisei Direct Plaza, traffic thinned dramatically. The exhaust notes of the three Boxsters rose in unison. We sped north along the undulating Hoshinosato Kaidō, spreading a symphony of thrilling sounds. Although we got a bit confused at the K294 junction, we continued on Route 313 to have lunch at the Japanese restaurant Asahido.

After a hearty lunch, we headed north on K33 and then turned left onto K438.

From here, a genuine mountain winding road stretches for a while. The three Boxsters seemed to relish the pleasant curves, occasionally passing through small villages.

Leading the pack, I carefully watched for blind corners and oncoming traffic, maintaining a comfortable pace. However, my tires were nearly worn down to the slip indicators, making me a bit uneasy. I eased on the throttle at corner exits as we made our way to Yumesuki Park, famous for its parent-child-grandchild waterwheel.

We took a short break here, then headed south on K441. This is another fast road with exhilarating uphill winding sections. The rear tires occasionally squealed, and the PSM intervention light flickered on the dashboard.

But none of that stopped us from wanting to push harder on this road.

The Famous Kagura Kaidō

We returned to K33 and headed south on this quiet country road. Then, we turned left onto the day’s main destination: Kagura Kaidō.

Personally, I consider Kagura Kaidō one of Okayama’s three great roads, alongside Mimasaka Yamanami Kaidō and Oku Kibi Kaidō. It’s a legendary route that every Porsche owner should experience at least once.

The western end of Kagura Kaidō starts with a large-scale switchback winding section that is incredibly satisfying. The mix of moderately steep hairpins and medium-speed corners seems to say, “Enjoy the mid-engine dynamics of your Boxster.”

This alone is enough to fill you up, but the road continues for about 27 km of exquisite winding. Kagura Kaidō truly is a magnificent road.

As the elevation rises, the curves become gentler and stretch on endlessly. Traffic is light, with only occasional local kei trucks. You can easily overtake or pull over to maintain spacing.

The combined 18-cylinder GTS sound echoes through the mountains. With the roofs down, you can hear not only your own car but also the other two, creating an overwhelming symphony.

We stopped for a break at Kirinoumi Observatory Hill, a spot with panoramic views of Okayama’s mountains and stunning sky gradients, especially at sunset.

From here, we headed to a nearby highway interchange and parted ways with Tomozō-san. Then, TAKURO-san and I went to Tsuyama city, where we spent nearly three hours chatting about cars over dinner, wrapping up day one of the tour.

Day Two: From Large-Scale Main Forest Roads to Mt. Daisen

The next day, we considered driving the usual Mimasaka Yamanami Kaidō, but decided to head toward Mt. Daisen instead. Tsuyama city was shrouded in thick fog, and the Boxster roofs were frosted white.

Heading north on Route 179, the skies cleared. This road has relatively light traffic and is a pleasant fast road. We avoided the tunnel on Route 482 at Ningyō Pass and took the old road instead. This became the large-scale main forest road Mimasaka North No. 2 Line, a narrow but passable 1.5-lane road with occasional pullouts, so it wasn’t too difficult.

However, the massive amount of fallen leaves this season made it hard to pick up speed. Leading the group, I proceeded cautiously.

The road features many consecutive curves, like a slalom course with cones, requiring repeated right and left steering inputs. It’s a tiring stretch but excellent practice for weight transfer and steering smoothness—perfect for honing your driving skills.

We planned to rejoin Route 482 but found a road closure. We detoured via K283, which was also a narrow, moss-covered road with fallen branches and stones scattered about.

At one point, a fairly large stone lay in the middle of the road. I slowed down, confident the Boxster’s ground clearance was enough to pass over it.

Suddenly, from behind came a loud “GAGAGAGA!”

Looking back, TAKURO-san’s Boxster had caught the stone underneath and dragged it for about 10 meters.

We hurried out to check underneath the car. Fortunately, no major damage was visible at first glance.

The reason only TAKURO-san’s Boxster caught the stone was because his Boxster GTS is equipped with the Sports Chassis, which lowers the ride height by about 1 cm according to the catalog. That 1 cm made all the difference.

I, leading the group, had forgotten about the Sports Chassis and passed over the stone without issue, so I felt sorry about that.

Afterward, we continued via Route 482 to the Hiruzen Kogen Center Joyful Park, famous for Hiruzen MT, where we had lunch. After a break, we drove up the Hiruzen-Daisen Skyline toward Mt. Daisen. Unfortunately, the day was cloudy, so we couldn’t fully enjoy the majestic view of Mt. Daisen. We took a clockwise loop around the mountain.

We were occasionally held up by very slow cars, making this route tricky even on a weekday during the autumn foliage season.

From Route 482 to Route 29

While driving on K34, we encountered a road closure and decided it was too difficult to complete the Mt. Daisen loop. We changed course and descended via a wide-area farm road leading to the Sea of Japan side.

We then headed south on Route 179 and back to Route 482. This time, we drove the best fast section of Route 482, the border between Tottori and Hyogo prefectures, heading east.

I introduced this road briefly in a previous article about the 992. It’s a fantastic fast road, one of the so-called “Ascension Roads.” Traffic is light, and it offers everything: straights, ups and downs, mountain passes, and riverside winding. Route 482 is a well-rounded, high-performance fast road that covers all bases.

As the sun set and darkness fell, the two Boxsters continued east and onto Route 29. The border section between Tottori and Hyogo on Route 29 features wide, high-speed corners that can be challenging. With light traffic, it’s easy to get carried away, so caution is necessary.

We blasted through the Togura Pass tunnel with roaring GTS sound, passing the pitch-black Otomizu Lake and hurrying onward.

A Challenging Late-Night Mountain Pass

Entering Ichinomiya Town, famous for Iwa Shrine, we stopped at a roadside station to review the route. We debated whether to head to the Yamazaki IC and take the highway home or enjoy the winding K8 road and exit at Fukusaki IC.

In the end, both of us still wanted to drive more, so we decided to tackle the mountain pass on K8 in the pitch-black night.

K8 is one of Hyogo Prefecture’s famous roads. I personally love it. Being local, I’ve driven it many times since my youth. The section from Shiso City Ichinomiya to Kanzaki District Kankō Town is an ultra-demanding winding section.

Starting from the Shiso City side, there’s a narrow section near the mountain entrance, but once past that, a challenging winding section awaits that any driving enthusiast would cry tears of joy over.

With consecutive hairpins and steep gradients, it demands power and skill to drive well. And in the pitch-black darkness with no streetlights, the two Boxsters hammered their tires against the asphalt as they climbed the pass.

After crossing the mountain, a long straight fast section follows. We cooled down the warmed-up Boxsters as we headed into Kankō Town.

Then, we headed south on the Bantan Expressway and arrived in Fukusaki Town. Over ramen at Zundōya, a Himeji specialty, we chatted about cars for another two hours. And so, the tour of these middle-aged guys came to a close.

Thank you, TAKURO-san and Tomozō-san. Let’s go again!

Route Map for This Trip