Our Porsche 911 (992 Model)

The 911 Cabriolet (992 model) was delivered in September. After my husband’s commuting and long-distance touring, the break-in period ended, we even took it to Fuji Speedway, and the oil change is done—now, the mileage has already exceeded 3,800 km. It’s amazing how much it’s been driven in just two months… (laughs)

Usually, my husband is the one who drives the 911 Cabriolet. I want to drive it too, but our 3-month-old baby always tags along wherever we go, so I haven’t had many chances.

Well… maybe I could put the baby seat in and drive, but it feels like such a waste to keep a baby seat in a brand-new 911 all the time, and taking it in and out every time is a hassle, so I just haven’t driven it.

Then the other day, my husband said,

The 992 has gotten really great lately. You should try it—really, just try it once.

So, when I went to pick up our eldest daughter in the evening, I left the younger daughter and baby with my husband and took the 911 for a spin.

It had been a while since I last drove the 911. My excitement rose immediately. Even though I knew I’d only be driving for about 15 minutes just to pick her up, I was thrilled. The 911 must be a truly special car.

I opened the door and got in right away, and wow… just opening and closing the door and sitting in the seat, you can feel the solid build of the body. This feeling is probably close to that of the air-cooled Porsches.

I started the engine, and indeed, the 992’s engine sound is quite loud. Our 992 is a base Carrera without the sports exhaust, so if it sounds this loud, the sports exhaust version must be even louder.

Personally, I prefer starting the engine by inserting and turning an ignition key directly, which feels more like a sports car, but the 992, like the Panamera and Cayenne, starts when you turn the starter key.

Once driving, the body feels as solid as a late 991 GT3, but the ride is even smoother than before and very easy to handle.

Also, when braking before a traffic light, the subtle modulation of brake pressure feels incredibly precise and satisfying. Just driving the usual roads, I found myself amazed every time I stopped, went, or turned.

So this is the latest 911…

No matter how many times I drive it, Porsche always delivers fresh surprises. It really is an amazing car.

While driving a 911 every day is wonderful, once it becomes second nature, you might take it for granted. So, I think that occasionally driving it like this lets you appreciate the 911’s greatness even more.

Raising a Porsche?

After returning home, I said,

It’s amazing—it’s gotten so much better! Especially the ride, it feels smoother than before. The suspension is stiff, but with added smoothness and mildness, the contact with the road feels just as solid while the ride is more comfortable.
Also, the engine response—was it always this good? I wasn’t even in sport mode, just normal mode, but the acceleration from a stop was incredibly responsive.
Among all the Porsches I’ve driven, this one responds best to my inputs and has an amazing driver-car connection. It feels like a very healthy 911!

My husband replied,

Right? It’s gotten really good, hasn’t it? That’s because we’ve been driving it with a well-planned approach, from the break-in, oil changes, to running it on the circuit, all aimed at bringing the car to its best condition.

He continued,

You could say it’s like raising the 911. Porsche isn’t just a car you buy and that’s it. It’s a car meant to be driven. Many people do a careful break-in after delivery, but often they just run the engine gently and slowly, which might actually cause more sludge buildup.
I think the perspective of “raising” the car is important. From my experience with many cars, it’s crucial to run the engine moderately and put some load on the chassis. You can tell right away if a car hasn’t been driven like that.
By the way, “moderately” is key—not just revving it high. For example, during the break-in’s middle to later stages, I drive in one or two gears lower, or if it’s a PDK car, I purposely drive in sport mode.
I focus on the engine running smoothly at moderate load and mid-range RPMs.
Also, when cornering, I make sure to put proper weight on the suspension so that the springs, dampers, and bushings become supple and well-conditioned.
For this 992, as the culmination of the break-in, I ran it full throttle on the circuit to loosen up the chassis stiffness and tune the engine to run properly.

He said… it’s kind of like raising a Tamagotchi (old joke).

But indeed, since I only drive the Porsche occasionally, I can really notice how it grows and how different it feels compared to before. It’s truly different every time, and I’m always surprised.

Speaking of which, the 911 I borrowed as a loaner recently felt like it had been asleep for years. The engine didn’t rev well, and it felt like a 911 that forgot how to drive… It’s a good car at heart, but I felt a bit sorry for it.

On the other hand, our 911 has changed so much by being driven continuously since delivery. I imagine if we keep driving it, it will develop even more character.

Even with the same model, the car’s personality changes depending on the owner. I think this is one of the fascinating and profound aspects of cars—no, of Porsche.