Cars Are Unnecessary in Life

Before I met my husband, I thought, “Cars are completely unnecessary for living.” So I was absolutely sure I would never own a car in my life.

I grew up in the countryside where my family relied on cars, but since I got my driver’s license in my first year of university, I’ve been a paper driver, using bicycles, buses, and trains for transportation.

After I started living alone, I lived in a condo near the station in the city, and I got used to the convenience of “trains coming every few minutes, reliably taking me anywhere on time,” so I never once wanted a car.

Back then, I couldn’t understand people who owned cars and thought, “Why waste so much money on something like that? Renting a car occasionally is enough.”

But about 10 years ago, I met my husband, got married, and now we have six cars at home.

Now, when my husband says things like, “I’m going for a quick drive to Kagoshima,” “I’m driving to a business trip in Tokyo,” or “I just drove 2,000 km but still want to drive more,” it no longer feels strange. When he says, “Every car is so appealing, I can’t let any go,” I find myself replying, “I get it… they’re all great cars,” haha.

Of course, having three kids now and living in the suburbs has changed our situation since my single days, but I’m still surprised at how “people’s way of thinking can completely change 180 degrees.”

Well, you could say I was “skillfully brainwashed by my husband”… (-_-)

That said, it’s true that in recent years, my “values about cars have changed.”

I used to think “cars are just a means of transportation,” so spending money on them was a waste. But after meeting my husband and experiencing life with cars, I gradually came to believe that “cars enrich life.”

Also, I learned that “my husband values not just the car itself, but the excitement and experiences that come through the car” and that’s why he owns them.

Today, I want to organize my thoughts a bit on this topic.

What Cars Bring to Life

Travel Time Becomes “Enjoyable Time”

Driving a sports car like a Porsche simply makes you happy and joyful. I used to think “long hours of driving are tiring,” but when I drive a Porsche,

“I can’t believe I’m already home… I want to keep driving…”

That’s how I feel.

For example, when I drove about 1,000 km round-trip alone from home to Fuji Speedway in a Panamera, or when I drove 800 km round-trip to Hokuriku in an MT Boxster, as I got closer to home,

“I can’t believe this fun time is ending… I feel kind of sad.”

Handling, acceleration, lane changes, braking, high-speed stability, engine sound — just driving amazes and moves me in many ways, so even long drives don’t feel like “just moving,” but like enjoying a sport with exhilarating freshness.

My husband often says,

People who say long drives are tiring probably haven’t experienced driving a good car on a great road. Once you do, your perspective changes.

And I truly feel that’s so true.

Making Memories with Family

With a two-seater car, it’s honestly hard to make family memories… but when we had the Panamera, we went on many road trips.

We took a ferry to Kyushu, visited Mount Fuji and Fuji Speedway, went to races at circuits, and took mid-distance drives to hot springs…

The kids in the back seat often said things like “I’m hungry,” “I need the bathroom,” so frequent stops at service areas were tough, but now those are all great memories.

Especially now, with COVID making travel harder, I’m glad we pushed ourselves to go back then.

When I ask the kids about those times, they still say “It was fun, I want to go again!,” so I guess those trips are cherished memories for them too.

Of course, you can make plenty of family memories traveling by train or plane.

But in our case, my husband absolutely loves driving, so car travel is a given, and both of us prefer to move freely at our own pace without worrying about train schedules, so I’m glad we’ve been able to make lots of fun family memories through cars.

Expanding Social Circles Through Cars

After my husband bought a Porsche and started going often to the Royu Driveway, his social circle expanded greatly. As we get older, I think opportunities to meet people outside work become fewer, but sharing time with like-minded, respected people through hobbies is wonderful, and I see that in my husband.

I’ve also met many people through Twitter. Although I haven’t met many in person yet, it’s fascinating how connections across generations are forming.

They say “Life is determined by who you meet,” and through cars, meeting wonderful people and expanding our world enriches life. At the same time, it gives us many reasons to say “We still have a long way to go! Let’s keep trying!.”

Boosting Work Motivation

For my husband, “maintaining the cars we have and buying the ones he wants” is a big motivation for work. (Though recently he says there aren’t many cars he wants, and he plans to reduce the number.)

And I’m also working toward the goal of buying my own Porsche with my own money. I’m not very materialistic, and my husband often says,

Why do you keep that shabby thing? You should just buy something nice already.

I tend to use clothes, bags, and shoes until they’re torn and worn out (looking shabby…).

But when it comes to my own Porsche, I want it.

You might wonder, “If you already have access to a Porsche, why do you still want one?” But I believe the joy, excitement, and feelings are completely different between riding a Porsche my husband bought and riding one I earned and bought myself. So I definitely want to get one on my own someday.

Well, it might take a little more time… (-_-)

I used to think cars were unnecessary, but now having a Porsche as a goal is amazing. Life is truly interesting, and Porsche is a car with incredible power — that’s what I deeply feel these days.