A Porsche 911 Carrera T Road Trip

When summer vacation began at the kids’ elementary school, I took them to stay with my parents for two weeks.

During longer breaks—Golden Week, spring and summer vacation, and the New Year holidays—I usually spend some time at my parents’ home with the kids. My husband, meanwhile, enjoys a brief stretch of living on his own. It’s become our family’s holiday tradition.

While my parents look after the kids, I’m able to focus on work, and I’m truly grateful for that.

At home, I’m usually trying to work while being interrupted every three minutes. “Please, just leave Mom alone! I need to focus on work for three minutes—just three!” I say, doing my best to get things done (laughs). I really can’t thank my parents enough.

Then, one day, my husband sent me a message.

“Since your parents are looking after the kids, why don’t we take the Carrera T out to Okayama’s rural roads while we’re here?”

By Okayama’s rural roads, he mainly meant the Mimasaka Yamanami Kaido, Oku-Kibi Kaido, and Kagura Kaido.

The Mimasaka Yamanami Kaido is a roughly 26-kilometer rural road running from National Route 53 in Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, to National Route 484 in Akaiwa. Oku-Kibi Kaido is a roughly 42-kilometer mountain road that runs from Prefectural Route 71 in Takebe, Kita Ward, Okayama City, to National Route 313 in Hokubo, Maniwa.

Kagura Kaido is a rural road in central Bitchu that runs east to west across the Takahashi highlands.

Together, they must add up to around 100 kilometers.

My husband had told me:

“Outside Kyushu, it’s easily one of the most enjoyable roads in western Japan. And it just goes on and on. It’s incredible that a road this good is free. You’ll be blown away.”

Wata, a well-known Boxster enthusiast, has also raved about these rural roads in Okayama, calling them the “Ascension Roads.” He’s made the trip to drive them many times.

For several years, my husband and I had talked about how we’d love to drive Okayama’s rural roads together someday. But arranging a full day away for a couples’ drive, with someone else looking after the kids, is no small undertaking. Somehow, we’d never managed to make it happen.

At last, we finally had our chance.

Setting Off for Okayama’s Rural Roads

For once, the weather was sunny—which is unusual for me, given my reputation for bringing torrential rain and storms wherever I go.

We left my parents’ home at noon and got back at 10 p.m. My husband then drove home, bringing the day’s total distance to around 700 kilometers.

I’d driven 450 kilometers each way from home to Fuji Speedway before, but this was the longest distance I’d ever covered in a day, combining winding roads and expressways. We stopped for about an hour to have tea and took a quick dinner break at a service area, but otherwise we were on the road the whole time.

We started with the Mimasaka Yamanami Kaido. Just as we’d heard, it was a wonderful road to drive. Gentle curves, rolling elevation changes, and a beautiful road stretching as far as the eye could see—we simply kept going.

But I couldn’t help muttering:

“Oh, I wish we’d brought the Boxster (981 GTS). The Carrera T just can’t compete with it. That engine note, the open top… The Boxster wins over the Carrera T for me, no question.”

My husband chuckled. “What are you talking about? (laughs) I get what you mean, though…”

Unfortunately, about a third of the Yamanami Kaido was closed, so we had to take a detour. It was a shame not to drive the whole route. I’d love to come back once the roadworks are finished.

From there, we headed onto Oku-Kibi Kaido and met up with Tomozo, a friend my husband has known for years. He’d brought his Crayon-colored 992 Carrera S Cabriolet, and after enjoying a drive together in our matching Crayon Porsches, we stopped for a break at Ukan Tsuneyama Park.

For me, Oku-Kibi Kaido was the most fun of the three. It’s narrower than Yamanami Kaido, though still wider than Royu Driveway. The engine could really stretch its legs, and the road flowed beautifully as I worked through second, third, and fourth gear, listening to the burbling exhaust, engine note, and rev-matched downshifts.

What amazed me was how a series of curves would give way to a long straight, over and over again. The road went on for so long that I started to wonder, “Wait, haven’t we been here already? Is this some kind of endless loop?”

Along the way, Tomozo let me ride in his 992 Carrera S Cabriolet, and he also got to ride in our Carrera T while my husband drove. It was a lot of fun to experience the distinct character of another Carrera.

Even within the 992 generation, different trims and models can feel completely different—the way they drive, the engine, everything. Porsche really is a fascinatingly complex world (laughs).

After taking a drive in our Carrera T, Tomozo said, “The engine sounds so clear and feels wonderful.” I agree: to my ears, the Carrera T has one of the cleanest, most free-revving and enjoyable engine notes in the 992 lineup.

After that, we drove Kagura Kaido and continued toward Hiroshima. From there, we joined the expressway and headed home.

The Carrera T and Tire Pressure

On the expressway that morning, my husband and I had been saying, “The Carrera T’s ride is surprisingly unsettled on the highway. Has it always bounced around this much?” After riding in Tomozo’s 992, my husband said, “I think it’s probably the tire pressure.”

“Tomozo’s tires are set to the comfort pressure, which might be why his car feels so smooth. Our Carrera T is on the standard pressure, so it feels firmer. Maybe lowering the pressure could improve the ride.”

So we let a little air out of the tires and set them to the comfort pressure. I was amazed by how much smoother the ride became.

It’s amazing how much of a difference tire pressure makes!

I also realized that the 992 Carrera T is more enjoyable to drive with auto-blip always switched on.

I used to leave the settings as they were, with auto-blip activated in Sport and Sport Plus modes. But the 992 responds beautifully to rev matching even at low speeds—it’s precise, smart, and quick.

Of course, heel-and-toe shifting myself is fun, too. But I can’t match the car’s speed and precision when blipping the throttle; I’m just not quick enough on the accelerator. I’ve come to enjoy letting the car handle it. With my 981 Boxster GTS and Swift Sport, though, doing it myself felt better.

That drive through Okayama’s rural roads left me more than satisfied. The roads suited the Carrera T’s pace perfectly, and as we drove, it almost felt as if the car was enjoying itself, too—alive and eager to go.

By the time we got home, the Carrera T had covered 2,800 kilometers. The break-in period was practically complete.

I’ve heard that the engine and the way the car drives can change dramatically after 5,000 kilometers. I’m looking forward to seeing how the Carrera T continues to evolve.