The Air-Cooled Porsche 911 (964) Is Simply Wonderful

My husband has always said, when driving the 992 911, “The 992 really is great~,” and when behind the wheel of the air-cooled 964 Porsche 911, “The 964 really is something else~.” But lately, his words have started to change a bit.

Recently, he’s been saying, “The 964 is definitely better! If I had to keep only one, either the 992 or the 964, I’d choose the 964 without hesitation!”

I wondered what was going on all of a sudden, haha.

The 964 just makes you want to keep driving forever. Whether it’s winding mountain roads, long distances, or regular city streets, it’s genuinely fun everywhere. The car is small and nimble, so you can go anywhere with ease. Just earlier, he drove about 15 minutes on a national road to come home, and for that kind of trip, the 964 is definitely more enjoyable than the 992.
Of course, the 992 is fun too. It’s high-performance and an amazing car. But the level of “pure driving pleasure” is far higher in the 964. I wonder what it is about that feeling…

My husband has always been a huge fan of the base 992, and of course, that hasn’t changed. But recently, the charm of the amazing 992 is being increasingly overshadowed by the allure of the 964, and he’s been driving the 964 almost every day lately.

Since its delivery, with repeated pre-maintenance and adjustments, the suspension and driving feel have been restored close to that of a new car back then, making it even more enjoyable to drive.

When I asked, “992 and 964 definitely have different charms, but what exactly is the difference? The 992 also feels very direct to drive, with handling that responds exactly as you want, which feels great, right?,” he said:

When I think about the difference between the 964 and 992, it’s probably the difference between the joy of controlling the car yourself and the joy of driving a super high-performance machine. Their appeal and characteristics are different, so it’s hard to say which is better overall.
The 964 can be mastered exactly as the driver intends.
It doesn’t have electronic controls, so even on the corners of the Royu Driveway, you can feel the tires flex and the suspension flex as you brake to shift weight and turn the wheel, and the car responds sharply and directly.
Also, the 964 has a 4-speed Tiptronic, so its acceleration is wonderfully smooth and expansive. Modern cars have 7 or 8 speeds and shift up quickly, but the 964 accelerates smoothly and endlessly.
It just fits human senses… you can feel like you’re truly controlling the car yourself. That’s why you want to keep driving it forever.
The 992 is also incredibly enjoyable to drive, but it’s so high-performance that it sometimes feels like driving a cyborg… Compared to the 964, at normal road speeds, the feeling of truly controlling the car yourself is a bit diminished.

The High Performance of the Porsche 911 (992)

A few days later, I drove the 992 again after a while. It’s an incredibly good car, and I was impressed all over again.

But it’s just too good.

Because of that, I even thought, “I probably don’t need such a high-performance car right now….”

Unlike my husband, who often goes on long tours or drives mountain roads like the Royu Driveway, I still have young children, and my daily range is limited to just a few kilometers from home.

It will probably be another 5 to 6 years until my eldest son, who is currently a baby, starts elementary school, so I won’t be able to drive freely for a while.

For someone like me, a high-performance Porsche like the 992 honestly isn’t necessary. The precise throttle control when stopping and starting at traffic lights, the handling that responds exactly when turning at intersections… that level of performance is completely like giving pearls to a cat.

Thinking about it that way, the 964—with its solid base performance and small size that lets you go anywhere—is probably easier to drive every day. My husband said,

I wish Porsche would bring back a model like the 964 in modern times. A smaller version of the 911, maybe called the 711 or something (laughs). If that existed, I’d want it so badly. Well, that’s probably impossible, haha.
But even for those who drive older narrow-body models, the 964 might feel too big and modern, so from their perspective, I’m a newcomer. Lately, I feel like when you really dive deep into Porsche, you end up going back to the original, classic Porsche roots.

Porsche is truly profound. I hope that in a few years, when my children are a bit more independent, I’ll be able to buy my own Porsche that I can drive anywhere casually.

…Actually, I almost forgot that I’m currently waiting for my own manual transmission car to arrive. I ordered it in mid-April, but due to semiconductor shortages and flooding in Europe, production is still uncertain. I originally thought it would arrive around June, but since there’s been no progress or updates, I sometimes almost forget about it…

The manual car coming soon is compact and not too powerful, so I think it will be just right for me to enjoy driving. I can’t wait for it to arrive!