Our Car Life

2022.05.28Our Car Life

The Joy of High-Performance Cars Like Porsche Grows with the Driver’s Skill

Back When I Couldn’t Drive a Manual About five years ago, I could barely drive a manual transmission car. Every time I got behind the wheel of the only manual car we had at home, the Boxster GTS (981), I thought, “There’s no way I’ll ever be able to drive a manual car.” My sense of defeat just kept growing. My feet wouldn’t leave the accelerator or clutch pedals, and I half-wondered, “Does the Boxster’s...

2022.05.28Our Car Life

Touring Reports

2022.04.21Touring Reports, Porsche Boxster

Spring San’in Touring with the Porsche Boxster

A Journey with the Boxster When spring break comes, my wife and kids always go back to their parents’ home. March was busy for various reasons, but with work settling down, I decided to take a short tour after a long time. At first, I was thinking about heading toward Wakayama, where the highway has been expanded to four lanes, but the weather forecast showed it would be bad there. Looking westward, the weather seemed...

2022.04.21Touring Reports, Porsche Boxster

How to Buy a Porsche

2022.04.01How to Buy a Porsche

A Real Experience of Switching from the 981 Boxster to the 718 Spyder: There’s No Right o...

From the 981 to the 718 The other day, I was talking with a Porsche owner. He had been driving a 981 Boxster Black Edition (PDK) until recently, but just switched to a 718 Spyder (MT). When deciding to switch from the 981 Boxster to the 718 Spyder, he struggled with various thoughts, but • He wanted to try driving a manual Porsche • He was drawn to the cool design of the 718 •...

2022.04.01How to Buy a Porsche

Reviews & Test Drives

2022.03.05Reviews & Test Drives, Recommended Car Accessories

Replacing the Boxster’s Factory Navigation with a Display Audio｜DMH-SZ700 Review

Dissatisfaction with the Factory Navigation The Japanese-spec 981 and early 991 models come equipped with a factory Clarion navigation system. Originally, the domestic models come with Porsche’s own navigation system called PCM, similar to the late 991 and 718 models, but for some reason, the Japanese-spec cars have this different setup. This has some surprisingly significant drawbacks. First, the design feels like an aftermarket add-on. More importantly, while the domestic PCM systems output digital audio,...

2022.03.05Reviews & Test Drives, Recommended Car Accessories

Touring Reports

2022.02.11Touring Reports, Porsche Boxster

New Year’s Short Touring on Awaji Island with the Boxster

Driving the Boxster After experiencing a dead battery at the end of last year, I felt like taking the Boxster out for a drive again. So, early in the new year, I decided on a short touring trip. For a day trip from Kansai, somewhere with no snow worries this season and where driving an open car feels great, Awaji Island naturally came to mind. Honestly, as someone who loves driving, the roads on Awaji...

2022.02.11Touring Reports, Porsche Boxster

How to Buy a Porsche

2021.12.22How to Buy a Porsche, Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Cayman

What’s the Difference Between the 981 Cayman and 718 Cayman? Which One Suits You?

The other day, I had the chance to borrow a base model 718 Cayman as a loaner. And just about a month ago, I also happened to drive a base model 981 Cayman. This time, rather than a test drive report or review, I want to focus on the characteristics I feel these two 98x-series cars have, and what exactly sets them apart. The 718 and 981 Caymans To be precise, 718 is the model...

2021.12.22How to Buy a Porsche, Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Cayman

Touring Reports

2021.12.07Touring Reports, Porsche Boxster

Touring Okayama to Tottori with Three Boxster GTS Cars

Three Boxster GTS (981) Cars Owning multiple Porsches and often switching between them weekly, as well as frequently test-driving the latest models, I still have my number one Porsche in my heart: the 981 Boxster GTS. Especially when it comes to touring, I often debate whether to take the 964 or the 981, but usually end up choosing the Boxster. The reason is clear: it has the smoothest engine, an incredibly sensual exhaust note, supple...

2021.12.07Touring Reports, Porsche Boxster

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.12.05Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911

Test Drive: Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (991.1) – How Different Is It from the Co...

911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet This time, I had the chance to test drive the 991.1 (early 991) Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet. The name is a bit of a mouthful, but to sum it up, it’s the all-wheel-drive GTS model in an open-top version—basically the convertible counterpart to my own Carrera 4 GTS coupe. It’s an extremely rare model. Just the Carrera 4 GTS and the AWD GTS are already scarce, but add the convertible...

2021.12.05Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche 911

Suzuki

2021.11.24Suzuki

Suzuki Swift Sport: One-Month Inspection Complete | Porsche and Swift Sport, All Differen...

Swift Sport One-Month Inspection My beloved Suzuki Swift Sport arrived at our home in early October. Time has flown by, and it was already time for the one-month inspection. By the way, when I called to make the inspection appointment, I was a bit absent-minded (I’m basically always absent-minded) and accidentally said, “I’d like to book the one-year inspection, please!“… The person on the other end politely corrected me, “Yes, the one-month inspection… right?” which...

2021.11.24Suzuki

Reviews & Test Drives

2021.09.20Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Boxster

Test Drive of the 981 Boxster Spyder: Exquisite Sound and Superb Handling! Also Comparing...

Recently, I wrote a test drive article on the current 718 Spyder, but this time, it’s a review of the previous generation 981 Spyder. I’ve known several people around me who own the 981 Spyder, so I’ve seen it many times and felt familiar with the car. Also, since it’s a sibling model to the 981 Boxster GTS that we have at home, it always felt very close to me. Perhaps because of that, I...

2021.09.20Reviews & Test Drives, Porsche Boxster