Long-distance travel by car is just natural

I think I like driving more than the average person. When I had a job in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, the client naturally assumed I would take the train from my home in Hyogo Prefecture to Yonago, but when I said “I’ll go by car!”,

“What!? Are you serious!? Even if the roads are clear, it takes 4 hours by car! Isn’t that tough!?”

they were totally shocked. (Since it was a perfect chance for a long drive in the Panamera, there was no option but to go by Panamera, lol)

Also, for our family trips, my husband is a “no trains, always by car” kind of guy, so we drive from Hyogo to Fuji Speedway (about 7 hours one way with breaks), and when we went to Kyushu, we drove to Osaka, took the ferry with the car on board, and got around entirely by car locally.

Come to think of it, when I was pregnant with our eldest daughter (around six months pregnant, I think), we decided “Once the baby is born, we won’t be able to go on drives together for a while, so let’s go now.” We set off on a 3-day, 2-night driving and hot spring trip from Hyogo to Mt. Fuji, then enjoyed the Venus Line and other routes to Kaga in Ishikawa Prefecture, before returning to Hyogo.

Even though my morning sickness had ended and I was in the stable period… I got really sick during the drive and kept saying “I can’t, I’m going to throw up, seriously… (T_T)” while barely making it home, half dying. (Afterwards, I got scolded badly by my OB-GYN and parents and seriously reflected on it.)

Even among driving enthusiasts…

But I always feel “I like driving, but my husband’s type of driving enthusiasm is different.” (You could say it’s a different level of obsession, lol) My husband goes on long tours of about 1500 km every holiday, and on Sunday mornings he always wakes up early to drive the Royu Driveway or Mt. Rokko. But I… not so much.

Recently, he said to me, “Why don’t you go to the Porsche Driving School (Porsche Track Experience)? It’s a great way to learn driving!” But I just don’t have the motivation right now to arrange for someone to watch our two kids and drive seven hours to Fuji Speedway to learn.

On Sunday mornings, he says, “The weather’s nice and it feels great this morning, why don’t you go to the Royu Driveway? I’ll watch the kids.” but I always say, “No, I’m fine,” and don’t go.

I experienced circuit driving at Fuji Speedway in June, and it was way more fun than I imagined, but if asked, “Do you want to practice the circuit course endlessly on Gran Turismo on PlayStation and then go back to the track?” I’d say… not really.

That said, when traveling long distances, even if the train would be easier, I sometimes deliberately choose to drive for hours, so I do like driving itself.

Thinking in types

So I thought, “Even among driving enthusiasts, there must be different types.” After some thought, I came up with these four categories:

1) The “go out of your way to drive” type

…People who deliberately go out to drive their cars
① Circuit type…Love pushing the car’s performance to the max and racing full throttle in the extraordinary environment of a circuit
② Touring type…Enjoy speeding along scenic winding roads, mountain passes, and highways

2) The daily driving main type

…Don’t go out of their way to drive, but prefer to use the car for everyday travel
③ Long-distance type…Not just city driving or daily use, but also enjoy driving for several hours one way
④ City driving type…Mainly city driving, enjoying a comfortable drive

Something like that? (It’s a bit rough, I admit… lol)

I think I fall into category ③. My husband probably belongs to ②.

Why the Panamera is perfect for this kind of person

And I believe “The Panamera is especially perfect for people like me in category ③.” The Panamera is comfortable for city driving, luxurious and fun on the highway, and versatile for all-around use.

If I were driving a Boxster or 911 now, it would definitely be a “pearls before swine” or “waste of treasure.” The Boxster and 911 really show their charm when you go touring and drive mountain roads or winding routes.

If you take the Panamera to a circuit, it has the performance to lap the Nürburgring in about 7 minutes 30 seconds, but for circuit driving, the GT3 seems like a better choice…

So, if there are people like category ③ out there, my rough conclusion is “The Panamera fits perfectly and is ideal.” (laughs)