From a young age, I’ve been a huge car enthusiast. In my twenties, I became a Porsche and Ferrari owner, founded the HOC (Heisei Owners Club), and I’m currently active as the “Yusaku Maezawa Supercar Project Manager.” On Twitter, I have quite a strong influence. It’s surprising that I’m only 27 years old.

I had exchanged messages on Twitter and greeted each other at events before, but recently I was given the precious opportunity to do a one-on-one interview.

(1) The History of Porsche and Yamaken

What sparked your love for cars?

My father is a car enthusiast, so I think that passion runs in my DNA. He’s the kind of person who’s been driving a slightly used Porsche 930 since high school.

When I was in middle school, I read car manga like Initial D and Wangan Midnight, which deepened my love for cars. Especially after seeing the 964 in Wangan Midnight, I admired it so much that I thought,

“Cool! Someday, I’ll definitely buy an air-cooled Porsche!”

Everyone around me knew I loved cars, so back then, I was nicknamed “Car Guy” instead of “Train Guy” (laughs).

“Car Guy”… (laughs) So you’ve loved cars ever since?

Not exactly. In high school, I was seriously into soccer club activities, so during that time, I had zero interest in cars. It was all about soccer.

Then, when I became a university student and went to driving school, I realized, “Even driving a learner’s car is fun.” After getting my license, I drove a sporty BMW model from my family, and I thought, “Wow, this is really fun!” and got even more hooked on cars.

When I started working, I began thinking about buying my first car.

Buying a car right after starting work—that’s impressive! (laughs)

Yeah… (laughs) At the time, I was considering cars like the BMW Z4 and Audi TT, but Porsche was a special brand to me, so I thought, “If I can drive one, I want to drive a Porsche.”

I checked Car Sensor almost every day and found a very well-maintained 986 Boxster S listed, so I went to see it that same day and bought it.

It cost about 2.3 million yen, so it wasn’t too expensive, but I was so happy to be able to drive my dream Porsche. That was in the summer of my first year as a working adult.

How was your experience driving the Porsche?

It was incredibly fun (laughs). It was my first manual car since the learner’s car, so I stalled the engine a few times at first, but I quickly got used to it. Driving it, I was amazed at “What an incredibly fun car!”

I had chances to drive cars from other manufacturers too, but Porsche was by far the most enjoyable.

Soon after buying the Boxster, a friend took me to a Porsche event, and gradually, my world became all about Porsche.

At meetings and events, you see a wide range of Porsches from water-cooled to air-cooled, right?

Exactly. At the meetings I attended back then, air-cooled Porsches were especially common, and seeing them in person was incredibly cool.

Having admired air-cooled Porsches since reading Wangan Midnight, my desire to “one day definitely own an air-cooled Porsche” grew stronger.

However, at that time, the air-cooled bubble had driven prices up, and I thought, “There’s no way I can afford one at this price.” Then, unfortunately, I wrecked my beloved Boxster.

It was about two years after I bought it.

Since I didn’t have comprehensive insurance, it was a total loss… I was left with the loan, and I debated whether to give up on cars or buy a cheaper one. But I didn’t want to drive another car thinking, “I really liked the 986…” Then, a friend’s shop contacted me saying, “A manual 911 (964 C4) is available. Want it? I can give you a good deal.” I immediately said, “I’ll buy it!”

However, after a thorough check, the condition wasn’t good, and they advised me to pass on it. So, reluctantly, I gave up on the air-cooled Porsche.

Then the shop contacted me again, saying, “We have a well-maintained 964 C2 coming in, though it’s a bit pricier.”

Looking at the paperwork for that 964, I was surprised to see the new registration date was February 28, 1992. My birthday is February 25, 1992. I felt an incredible sense of fate that this 964 had lived almost the same years as me…

I decided to buy it.

Driving it was truly fun, and I fell even more in love with Porsche.

Why did you switch from your beloved 964 to a Ferrari Modena?

After about three years with the 964, I moved to Tokyo and started thinking, “I want to try other cars.” I was actually looking for a 930 Turbo, but prices had risen too much, and good ones were hard to find.

At the same time, I had the desire to “try driving a Ferrari at least once while I’m young.”

I was curious, thinking, “I get why Porsche is great, but what about other cars? What’s a Ferrari like that everyone admires so much?”

I started looking for a Ferrari 355 but couldn’t find the right one. Then I came across a well-maintained Modena. At first, Modena wasn’t on my list, but the color was just stunning, and I felt a spark, so I decided to buy it.

How was your experience driving the Ferrari?

The sound was amazing, and I definitely felt the attention on the streets, but I realized that I was enjoying the feeling of “driving a Ferrari,” not necessarily the driving itself.

In my personal view, it wasn’t as fun to drive as a Porsche. And I realized once again how much I love Porsche.

You could say Ferrari is more about the image, while Porsche is about the joy of driving.

Is that why you returned to Porsche (currently a 997 GT3 RS)?

Yes… Ultimately, I’ve decided I want to get models like the 964 Cup Car or RS, so until then, I want to try various Porsches and other brands.

Water-cooled GT3s are great, and I’d love to try Lamborghini and McLaren at least once. I only have one Ferrari, so I still want to understand more and try driving it again.

It’s true that driving different brands helps you appreciate Porsche’s strengths.

Exactly. I used to hear,

“You’ve only driven Porsches, right? How can you say Porsche is the best if you haven’t driven anything else?”

And I thought, “I’ve driven the 986 Boxster and 911 (964), but I haven’t owned anything else.”

That’s why I deliberately bought a car from another brand, the Modena, and it made me even more convinced that Porsche is a truly fascinating car.

So, because I love Porsche, I want to keep trying other cars too.

Next page → Stopping the Decline of Young Drivers, Founding the Heisei Owners Club (HOC) with Friends…!