This is a recap of a recent episode of the *Welcome Home, PORSCHE* live-stream radio show.
Give it a listen during your commute, on the way to school, or as a companion for a drive in your Porsche.
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Topics and Highlights

The Live Stream Is Now Available on YouTube Music [00:15]

• With two live streams in a row, the show kicked off with a few updates. Around 230 listeners had tuned in by the start, and Hiro and Mina opened by thanking everyone for joining.
• They announced that the Welcome Home, PORSCHE live-stream podcast is now available on YouTube Music. The playlist includes around 150 hours of past episodes—ideal company for a long road trip.
• You don’t need a YouTube Music subscription to listen; just visit the URL. If you’d like some Porsche talk to keep you company in the car instead of music, give it a try (laughs).

Tesla Model YL Test Drive: A Couple Tries Out the Three-Row SUV [05:52]

• Hiro and Mina visited the Tesla store in Shimbashi on a weekday to test-drive the Model YL, which had only recently been announced in Japan. At 4,980 mm long, it’s a large SUV with three rows of seats—and they went in seriously considering a purchase.
• The second-row seats were a standout, reclining generously and offering a wonderfully open feel. Hiro called it “a car that makes you want to sit in the back rather than the front passenger seat.” The third row also had enough room for adults, and Mina could sit without her head touching the roof.
• With Camp Mode, you can fold down the rear seats and comfortably sleep in the car. A dedicated mattress is also available, making it possible to camp with the air conditioning and music on—or even watch Netflix.
• As for the ride, the Model YL has an active suspension system, somewhat like Porsche’s PASM. But compared with their Model 3 Long Range, Hiro’s honest impression was that there wasn’t a huge difference. The harshness over bumps felt reduced from a 10 to an 8 or 9, rather than transformed completely.
• Acceleration, cabin quietness, and audio quality all felt a step up from the Model 3. The seats were generously padded and solid, like those in a German car. At around ¥7 million—or in the ¥6 million range after subsidies—the value for money earned high praise: “Other manufacturers just couldn’t make something like this at that price.”
• In the end, the couple decided against it. Since they already own a Model 3, buying the Model YL would feel like having two of the same car. They also discussed the possibility of FSD (Full Self-Driving) coming to Japan this year, along with rumors of a subscription option.

Listener Age Poll: Who Makes Up the Porsche Community? [27:01]

• After noticing that two answer choices had overlapped in the previous live-stream poll, Hiro and Mina ran a fresh survey to find out how old their listeners are. Viewers voted in real time across four age groups: 20s and under, 30s, 40s, and 50 and older.
• As expected, the largest group was 50 and older, followed by listeners in their 40s, 30s, and 20s. More than 80% were 40 or older. “It’s amazing to be driving a Porsche in your 20s,” the two remarked.
• Hiro and Mina also looked back on buying their first Porsche at around 40. They agreed with listeners who commented that many people wait until the demands of raising children and paying for education have eased before taking the plunge.

987 Boxster Spyder Test Drive: A Driving Experience Beyond Expectations [33:41]

• Hiro finally got behind the wheel of the 987 Boxster Spyder, a car he’d been curious about since 2023. It’s a celebrated model that Tetsuya Tanaka, chief instructor at the Porsche Japan Driving School, singled out as a favorite in a best-Porsches feature for *911 days* magazine.
• His first impression? “It’s just so light.” Despite weighing around 1,300 kg, the car feels even lighter than the numbers suggest. The nose turns in eagerly, and even at 30 or 40 km/h, it corners with confidence. In the 981, Hiro felt he needed to be going 60–80 km/h to find that same kind of fun; in the 987 Spyder, it was there at lower speeds.
• The driving position feels distinctive, too. Compared with the 981 and 718, you seem to sit closer to the front wheels—almost just behind them—which creates a go-kart-like sense of connection with the car.
• The suspension is firm, yet the ride remains composed and supple—a great example of a suspension with real “backbone.” It’s softer than the 718 Spyder RS, but still has a distinctive underlying firmness.
• The engine is a naturally aspirated flat-six from the MA1 family, shared with the 997.2 GTS, producing 320 PS and 370 Nm. The test car had the Sport Exhaust, but it wasn’t deafening. Instead, it had a satisfying volume and an easygoing sound that Hiro said he could enjoy for hours, like a favorite soundtrack.
• The test-drive route ran from the Rokko Viewpoint to Arima and back. Hiro enjoyed it so much that he asked to do the route again—and ended up driving it twice more. He kept repeating “This is crazy” and “I’m sold,” stunned by how good the car was.

987 Boxster Spyder Specs and the Story Behind the Model [46:39]

• Unveiled at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show and launched in 2010, the 987 Boxster Spyder was a rare model, with 1,667 built worldwide and around 100 imported to Japan. It was offered with a manual transmission or PDK; the car Hiro drove was a manual.
• Its specs include 320 PS, 370 Nm, a 0–100 km/h time of 5.1 seconds, and a top speed of 267 km/h. It weighs around 1,300 kg and is just under 1,800 mm wide. Standard equipment included a 20 mm lower ride height, sport bucket seats, 19-inch wheels, and aluminum doors to reduce weight.
• The model reinterpreted the spirit of historic cars such as the 550 Spyder and 718 RS 60 Spyder for a modern era, with a focus on a pure driving experience. In some markets, buyers could even opt to omit the air conditioning and audio system.
• The 987 Boxster Spyder is also said to be one of the last cars overseen by Porsche’s legendary development driver Walter Röhrl. After driving it, Hiro could understand the magic of its setup firsthand.

How It Compares with the 981 Spyder: The Essence of “Wearing a Porsche” [53:38]

• Even compared with the 981 Spyder, one of Hiro’s favorites, the 987 Spyder feels more like a car he can control entirely “in the palm of his hand.” It perfectly captures what he means by “wearing a Porsche.”
• If the 981 Spyder feels like a slightly oversized jacket, the 987 Spyder feels like a bespoke jacket tailored just for you—a car that fits like a second skin.
• The two cars may be almost the same size, but Porsche’s engineering can make them feel so different through setup and weight reduction alone. Hiro summed it up: “This may be the water-cooled Porsche that best embodies the feeling of wearing a Porsche.”
• The sound is different, too. The 981 Spyder has a more deliberately shaped, theatrical note, while the 987’s appeal lies in the raw sound of its engine—a product of an era with less stringent emissions regulations. Its engine lineage is close to the MA1/MA2 engines in the 991 and 997 GT3 models.

Hiro Decides to Buy the 987 Boxster Spyder! [57:14]

• The test drive left such a strong impression that Hiro was dreaming about the car and decided to buy it on the spot. He even went ahead with a provisional agreement.
• The car is a one-owner example originally from Kagoshima, in outstanding condition after receiving a full service at a dealership. The only noted issue was age-related deterioration of the foam inside the air-conditioning system; the suspension and engine were still in excellent shape. It also has the Sport Exhaust.
• Hiro made his decision with a strong sense that “if I let this one go, I may never find another,” and a desire to own a car he sees as a piece of motoring heritage—“like a World Heritage site.” He plans to share a more detailed report on the blog.

Replacing the SL400 and What’s Next for the Garage [63:42]

• The 981 Boxster GTS was their first Porsche, and they can’t bring themselves to part with it. They’ll keep it, especially since Hiro believes he may never find another manual 981 GTS.
• The 987 Spyder is expected to replace their SL400, which they’ve had for exactly one year. “They’re completely different kinds of cars, though…” Hiro joked, prompting Mina to quip, “I haven’t even driven the SL once, and it’s being sent off again!”
• Delivery is expected around June, with longer drives—including a tour of the Tohoku region—on the cards. Look out for updates on the blog and in future live streams.
• Hiro also shared his current preference for the extremes: older engines from before emissions regulations tightened and quieted modern Porsches, and EVs at the other end of the spectrum.