The Swift Sport Is a Car Made for Driving Solo

The other day, my husband drove the Swift Sport on an errand, covering about 150 km round trip including the highway, and he said this to me:

The Swift Sport is really a car you drive alone. On the way there, I had two people in the car, but on the way back, I was alone—and the way it drove was completely different. I thought the weight difference between one and two people wouldn’t be that big, but it was totally different. Driving solo was incredibly fun; it’s such a well-made car.

He said the difference in driving was especially noticeable on the highway rather than on regular roads.

When there were two people in the car, he felt a slight lack of grip and some instability in the suspension, but on the way back, driving alone on the highway, the grip was stronger, the suspension felt stable, and even at higher speeds, there was no fear at all. The acceleration was quicker, lively, and sharp—it felt like a completely different car.

I’d never driven the Swift Sport solo on a medium or long highway trip before, so I was really surprised today. When the whole family of five rides, the suspension sinks under the weight and can’t do its job well… that’s how it felt. But when driving alone, the suspension works properly according to the road surface, and even the handling feels different. I realized again what a great car it is.

Exactly. When driven solo, the Swift Sport’s light weight—under one ton—is fully utilized, and it runs with astonishing liveliness and power.

And controlling that with a manual transmission feels absolutely fantastic.

These were my thoughts as I listened to my husband’s story.

Swift Sport, Porsche, Adding Another Car?

In the past, whenever I heard about owners, including my husband, adding another car, I honestly thought,

“Wow, one car is enough for me… They really love their cars, huh…”

So I used to think that when I buy a Porsche someday, I’d sell the Swift Sport and use that money to help buy the Porsche.

But recently, my thinking has changed.

“It feels like a shame to sell this Swift Sport (this model might be the last pure gasoline engine Swift Sport). I’d probably regret it later if I let it go. And I’d like to drive a manual car from time to time. So I want to keep this Swift Sport with me forever.”

That means adding another car is the only option… When I told my husband this, he said, “Sounds great! That’s the way to go! Do it!” (laughs)

What kind of situation and what kind of road best bring out the strengths of a car…

Of course, that varies by car, but recently I’ve come to realize that it’s quite difficult to find one car that fulfills all the things you want.

For me, the reason I chose the Swift Sport was:

“It can carry three kids (five seats), has solid performance, is a fun manual car, has a compact body, and fits the budget.”

So the Swift Sport was the only choice, but even then, I placed importance on the fact that it’s fun to drive alone, so when riding with the family, some needs aren’t fully met. (Humans are greedy…)

That said, if you want more horsepower and power, the budget goes up, and then you want better ride comfort, and then you start wishing for a more luxurious interior, and before you know it, the car gets wider and bigger, making it impractical for everyday use, so it ends up being ruled out… It feels like a never-ending cycle (laughs).

Thinking about it this way, besides looking for one car that satisfies everything, using different cars depending on the purpose is also a valid choice, I’ve come to realize recently.

Actually, I’m seriously thinking now about realizing my long-held goal of buying a Porsche myself, which I’ve had since starting this blog. The Swift Sport loan is scheduled to be paid off by the end of this month, and I’ve narrowed down the Porsche models and specs I want, so the idea of adding another car is becoming more real (though I can’t order yet, so it’s still in the future).

I started out with zero interest in cars, but now I’ve removed my automatic-only license restriction, bought a manual car myself, and am even thinking about adding another car… I find it a little scary how much I’ve been unknowingly brainwashed by my car-loving husband lately. lol