To Nakabayashi Kogyo

Previously, at Nakabayashi Kogyo, a long-established manufacturer of automotive body covers, I arranged to have a body cover made for my Panamera. At Nakabayashi Kogyo, if a body cover pattern doesn’t yet exist for your car model, you can bring in the actual vehicle, and after measuring and pattern making, they will gift you the finished cover free of charge.(Some models are excluded)

Luckily, my 971 Panamera Turbo didn’t have a pattern yet, so I brought the car in for measurements and will receive the cover afterward. As usual, I was allowed to document the measuring process, which I plan to share in a future blog post.

Borrowing a Loaner Car

Since I brought in the car and arranged to pick it up the next morning, I was lent a Daihatsu Move as a loaner during that time.(This one ↓)

[Daihatsu Move]
Grade: X (CVT_0.66)
Model: DBA-LA100S-GBGF
Engine displacement: 660cc

“Going there in the Panamera, returning in the Daihatsu Move” is a rare opportunity, so I was secretly excited to see how the two compare—but I was surprised by the differences the whole time. …Though, honestly, comparing these two cars is a bit odd…

The first thing that surprised me when I got in was the interior space.

With no center console, it felt spacious and quite comfortable. In commercials for kei cars, they often boast “spacious interior!” and “comfortable even with four passengers!”—and I definitely understood why. Also, lowering the central armrest lets you partition between the driver and passenger seats.

The rear seats were roomy too.

“But, given how compact yet spacious it is, I imagined that in a crash it would get crushed instantly…” which made me a bit uneasy. Next, the driver’s area. The gear selector is located below the navigation screen, beside the air conditioning controls.

Having the gear lever there felt innovative! (I think my parents’ Prius also had the gear next to the steering wheel.) Still, until I got used to it, I kept reaching for the center console when backing up to park, accidentally operating the gear multiple times (lol).

Also, I initially couldn’t find the “parking brake”… but when I glanced down near the pedals, it was where the clutch pedal would be in a manual car. My family’s old car was like that too.

The footwell felt compact. Used to the Panamera’s spaciousness, my left foot felt cramped with nowhere to rest.

Maybe I usually drive with my legs quite spread out… So, buckled up and off I went!

The higher seating position made driving easy and smooth, but for some reason the “seatbelt warning light” wouldn’t turn off. “Huh? I did fasten it properly…” Looking closely, I realized I had buckled the belt into the passenger seat’s buckle ((；ﾟДﾟ))

I had fastened the seatbelt without really looking, thinking in terms of the Panamera’s seat width—and it matched exactly the width of the passenger seat (lol).

Regaining composure, I set off again. Because of the small engine displacement, acceleration from a stoplight or speeding up felt slow despite the engine revving loudly. “The revs are really high. I’ve never heard the Panamera’s engine sound at such high RPMs,” I thought, glancing at the meter.

…Wait, there’s no tachometer! (；ﾟДﾟ)!!!

Is that normal for kei cars? I had assumed every car has both a speedometer and a tachometer, but I learned for the first time that it varies greatly by vehicle.

Impressions Driving the Daihatsu Move

Afterwards, I drove the Daihatsu Move about 50 km home, and here are my brief impressions:

① Perfectly Usable for City Driving

The higher seating position and wide windshield made driving easy. It’s nimble and easy to park anywhere, so it’s a great car if you only use it for city driving. It lacks acceleration, but you rarely need to speed up quickly in town. The brakes had a bit of play but worked better than expected.

② Driving on the Highway in a Kei Car is Tiring

While fine for city driving, I used the highway a lot this time and found it quite exhausting. Driving the Panamera on the highway is like riding in the Green Car on the Shinkansen Nozomi.(Though I’ve only ridden in a Green Car once.) It’s comfortable, smooth, and you feel completely safe. On the other hand, the Daihatsu Move felt, if I may be blunt and apologize in advance… like

A small young man is pulling the rickshaw with all his might, but he’s constantly panting and gasping, sometimes getting tired and wobbling side to side, making you nervous each time. So you find yourself saying, “Hey, if it’s too hard, you can slow down!” and riding while watching his condition carefully. (Sorry, Daihatsu folks…)

That constant worry made it mentally exhausting.

③ 90 km/h is the Limit on the Highway

Of course, you can probably push it over 100 km/h, but it felt unstable and scary when the crosswind hit, and handling above 90 km/h was not steady. The Panamera stays rock solid at 100+ km/h with no handling worries, but this experience made me realize that’s not the case here. On long trips using highways a lot, I think it would take about 1.5 times longer than in the Panamera.

On the flip side, I really admire drivers who speed aggressively in the passing lane in kei cars.

What’s the Important Takeaway?

This comparison between the two cars reaffirmed something I usually take for granted: “The Panamera is an amazing car.” What struck me most was:

“It’s precisely because you can absolutely trust the car’s safety that you can fully enjoy the driving experience.”

The Panamera offers great acceleration, precise handling, and a thrilling drive because you can absolutely trust it in terms of highway stability, rigidity, and braking safety. If you had even a little fear about safety, you wouldn’t even want to enjoy driving.

Previously, when I researched Porsche’s approved tires, it was written that “The 911 must be fast, but safety is even more important than speed.” This experience made me truly understand that. The more you learn about cars, the deeper it gets.

The next day, I took the Daihatsu Move on the highway to Nakabayashi Kogyo. Having gotten used to it a bit, I wasn’t as scared. But then getting back into the Panamera, I was once again amazed by its outstanding performance. Sometimes it’s good to drive a car that’s the complete opposite.