Following the recent article, 2000km Year-End Touring with Porsche Boxster 【Day 1】, my husband has written about 【Day 2】. Please take a look if you’re interested.

Boxster Touring

At 7:00 AM, after quickly grabbing breakfast at the hotel, we prepared to depart. Today, we decided to explore the Hiroshima to Yamaguchi area, though we had almost no plan. Having been to the Shimanami Kaido many times, we thought it would be nice to try somewhere different this time, so we headed first toward Suo-Oshima (Yashiro Island).

We started by driving along the coast, but traffic was moderate and the road wasn’t particularly enjoyable. Then, we discovered a road called Oshima Orange Road in the mountains, so we decided to try driving there first.

Although the fallen leaves made driving a bit tricky at this time of year, the road offered a series of tight winding curves. Traffic was almost nonexistent except for a few local kei trucks—essentially a private run with no one else on the road.

Cruising along the coast with the roof down is nice, but after all, the Boxster is a car made for cornering. We enjoyed the rhythmic dance through the corners, kicking up leaves as we sped through Yashiro Island in the busy end-of-year season.

Unfortunately, the cloudy sky limited the views, but the Seto Inland Sea still felt somehow nostalgic.

Heading to Akiyoshidai in Yamaguchi with the Boxster

After a short break, we planned the next route. Since we were in Yamaguchi, we definitely wanted to visit Akiyoshidai and Tsunoshima Bridge, so we headed toward Akiyoshidai first.

We exited the highway at Ogori IC and made a direct run to Akiyoshidai.
The Karst Road is superb, but the R435 leading there is also wonderful. The road is fairly wide and is one of the famous routes.
The Boxster quickly climbed in elevation, revealing the karst landscape—a fantastic road and scenery.

It somewhat resembles the Milk Road around Aso but in a more compact form.

While parked on the shoulder taking photos, a local motorcyclist touring nearby kindly pointed out some great photo spots. These encounters are part of the fun of touring.

When we visited before, the area felt crowded with tourists, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Akiyoshidai observation deck was almost empty, with very few visitors. The gloomy weather actually matched the karst plateau’s atmosphere quite well.

After a break, we headed north toward the Sea of Japan side and aimed for Tsunoshima Bridge. The last time I came here was in an E36 BMW 318is. This is another highly recommended drive with spectacular views. Although the weather wasn’t perfect, the warm sea breeze was refreshing.

Driving across Tsunoshima Bridge in an open car is simply the best. The wind, light, and scent of the sea all speak to your senses. It’s a moment that truly makes you appreciate having an open-top car.

Once on Tsunoshima, there are roadside stations and restaurants, but since time was tight, we pressed on. We had to reach Kyushu by the end of the day.

While heading south on R191, we noticed a strange noise coming from the right air intake while stopped at a traffic light. It sounded like something was rubbing.
We guessed that the leaves we picked up on the winding roads full of fallen leaves on Suo-Oshima had been sucked in, so we rushed to a home center we spotted along the way.

Looking into the air intake in the parking lot, sure enough, leaves were rubbing against the fan, causing the noise. This is a common issue with Boxster and Cayman models—when driving through areas with many fallen leaves, they almost always suck some in. It would be great if Porsche could design some kind of protective net to prevent debris from entering, but for now, we have to manage as best we can.

Incidentally, for the 718 Boxster and Cayman, there was a service campaign in 2018 to install an improved protective grill after it was found that discarded cigarette leaves could enter here and potentially ignite the leaves inside.

We bought a wire hanger at the home center, dismantled it, hooked the leaves, and managed to remove them before setting off again.

The weather, which had been holding up until then, started to drizzle. Crossing the Kanmon Strait and driving on the Kyushu Expressway, the rain intensified and water began pooling on the road. If we were running GT3 cup tires, we’d have to be very cautious, but the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires on the Boxster provide real confidence even on wet roads.

It really makes you think that for touring, it’s better not to use cup tires.

For now, we stayed overnight in Yanagawa City. Tomorrow, we plan to extend our trip around Aso and cross Kyushu from north to south before going to sleep.