Our Youngest Daughter Goes to Kindergarten in a Porsche

Our youngest daughter is in kindergarten, and her dad drives her there every morning. Sometimes she gets to choose which car they take, so she arrives in a different one almost every day. Lucky girl!

One day, after dropping her off, my husband came home and told me:

There’s a boy who often turns around and waves at me when I drop her off. He seems to really love cars. He’s in her class, too.
He said, “I’ll give you a ride sometime!” Could you talk to his mom about it?

“Oh, that’s nice! I’ll talk to her next time,” I said. But I forgot, and the idea slipped by—until my husband brought it up again.

Did you get a chance to talk to his mom? I’d really like to make time and give him a ride soon. He waves to me every time we happen to arrive at the same time.
I think it’s so important, while kids are still young and their imaginations are wide open, to have the chance to ride in and experience the cars they dream about. An experience like that can even change the course of someone’s life.
Maezawa-san has his Supercar Project, and I think giving kids opportunities like that is a wonderful thing.

He had a point. You often hear stories about people who say, “I went to see an F1 race at Suzuka Circuit when I was a kid, and that’s when I decided to become a racing driver,” or who were so inspired by something they experienced as children that it shaped their future.

Thinking about it, I can’t remember anything that made that kind of impression on me when I was little. Maybe I just drifted through childhood without paying much attention… (-_-)

I later told the boy’s mom, “My husband said he’d really love to give your son a ride in one of our cars.” She replied:

Really? My son was so happy when your husband told him, “I’ll take you for a ride in a Porsche sometime.” He loves cars—probably because his dad is a car enthusiast, too—and spends ages at home coloring pictures of Porsches and Lamborghinis…
He’s been excitedly saying he wants to write your husband a letter, so I’ll bring it for you next time!

A few days later, we received his letter.

This is the kind of coloring he does at home.

Alongside a beautifully colored Porsche, he’d written: “Please let me ride in a Porsche. From, [name].”

How could you not melt? (T_T)

My husband was touched by the letter, too. They found a time that worked for everyone, and the plan was set: the boy would get a ride in a Porsche on Royu Driveway.

Making a Young Car Fan’s Dream Come True

We asked him in advance, “Which Porsche would you most like to ride in?” He asked for a 911 Cabriolet, so we planned to bring both our 911 Cabriolet (992) and our Cayenne.

Then, the morning of the drive, I messaged his mom and she replied:

My son has been counting down the days. This morning, he woke me up at 5 a.m. and said, “Today’s the day I get to ride in a Porsche!” (laughs)

If he was that excited, we decided, “Let’s bring both the 911 Cabriolet and the Boxster GTS—and make sure he gets to ride in each one!” We picked up the Boxster from a parking lot near the station before heading over.

Thankfully, the weather was beautiful. We took the roofs down and gave the boy and his parents rides in the 911 Cabriolet and the Boxster. The dads got chatting about cars, and the whole family had a wonderful time. (The boy’s mom rode in the manual-transmission Boxster with me at the wheel! lol)

We asked him afterward which he liked better: the 911 Cabriolet or the Boxster GTS. His pick was the Boxster GTS. Maybe it was the sound of the engine that won him over?

This was before Japan’s state of emergency was declared, but we kept the visit short and headed home. Before saying goodbye, we gave him a few Porsche souvenirs: a keychain, a Porsche flag, and a catalog.

Later, his mom sent us this message:

My son was so happy! He put the keychain you gave him on his kindergarten bag right away. My husband was inspired by Mina’s driving, too. He said, “It’s not so much that I want to drive a Porsche myself—I’ve become even more eager to get my wife behind the wheel of one.” I might even go get my manual-transmission license! (laughs)

My husband was thrilled, too:

I’m so glad they enjoyed it! You don’t meet many kids who love cars that much. I hope he holds on to that feeling as he grows up!
I’d love for them to come to Royu one Sunday morning, when all the sports cars gather there!

He may lose interest in cars as he grows up, but I hope he carries that pure enthusiasm with him.

And I’ll keep doing my best, too!