久々の、空冷ポルシェ911

Even though October is just around the corner, it’s still hot as ever. The mornings and evenings have cooled down a bit, but daytime temperatures are still climbing close to 30 degrees Celsius. That said, we’re finally free from the intense midsummer heat, so I decided to take the freshly maintained air-cooled Porsche 911 (964) out for a spin.

ポルシェ911 ティプトロニックのATF交換とその他整備記録

The day was clear from the morning, so I took my younger daughter along and headed to the Royu Driveway. My husband had been raving about how “the maintenance made it feel incredibly better”, so I was curious to see how the car had changed.

As soon as I started the engine and began driving, I was surprised by how smooth and lively the ride felt. It wasn’t that it lacked smoothness before, but the rough edges had disappeared, and it was in excellent condition. I couldn’t help but email my husband my impressions:

Try driving it in manual mode, fixed in 2nd or 3rd gear.

He replied. “Come to think of it, you’ve never driven it in manual mode before.” So, just past the Royu toll gate, I stopped the car, switched the gear to “M,” and gave it a try.

964 in Manual Mode

I accelerated while keeping the shift lever in 2nd gear, and the feeling was energetic and remarkably smooth for a 30-year-old car. The engine sound was different from the “bursting sweet notes” of a Boxster; it was a pure, unadorned engine tone that resonated pleasantly.

When cornering, I tried to focus on weight transfer as my husband had advised: “Lift off the throttle to shift weight to the front, then turn…” but…

Hmm, I’m not sure if I got it right or not… (-_-)

I tried this on every curve, but my driving lacked rhythm and sharpness, and I kept thinking, “Hmm… this isn’t quite right…” before arriving at the lookout point.

Since it was a weekday morning, I expected the lookout to be empty, but there were already about five cars parked, with people enjoying the view.

I thought to let my daughter play a little at the lookout, but the sun was strong and it was quite hot. Even at the lookout, daytime temperatures were still high.

The sun was blazing so intensely that after about 10 minutes, we decided to head home. As I got back into the 964, a 911 (997) approached from the opposite direction. The silhouette of a 911 from the side is truly stunning.

After that, we drove straight home, making it about a 30-minute drive. It felt great to drive the 964 on the Royu Driveway again after such a long time.

Tiptronic Fun

My husband said about this 964,

You don’t need to drive it manually to enjoy it. Manual is fun, of course, but Tiptronic is also incredibly enjoyable.

After driving it in manual mode this time, I understood why he said that. When I got home, I told him, “I had fun driving the air-cooled on Royu in manual mode today. Unlike paddle shifters, this manual mode is strangely enjoyable.” He replied,

Right? It only has 4 gears, and 2nd and 3rd cover a wide speed range, so you can keep it fixed and still have smooth acceleration. That’s why it feels so good.

I see.

Air-cooled Porsches are deeply fun and rewarding, but I’m not confident in my driving skills, nor do I want to push myself to improve as much as my husband does. So, sometimes I think, it wouldn’t hurt if the car intervened a little more.

The 964 fully relies on the driver’s skill, which is interesting but also unforgiving…

In that sense, I guess water-cooled Porsches suit me better, I find myself thinking these days.