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Thanks to the body cover from Nakabayashi Kogyo<\/a>, the Boxster, which had been parked outdoors, looked spotless.<\/p>\n Three years since I gave up my automatic-only license… finally, finally I\u2019d come this far (laughs).<\/p>\n I told myself, “If it\u2019s a tricky hill, just press the parking brake button, and if anything happens, flash the hazard lights and stop. It\u2019s okay, stay calm.<\/strong>” and set off.<\/p>\n The toughest part right after leaving was getting from the parking lot onto the road, but I managed somehow. After that, I was able to drive without any major issues for a while. Thinking, “It\u2019s the New Year holidays, so the main roads must be crowded,<\/strong>” I decided to take the mountain roads and head to Sanda.<\/p>\n However, that day\u2019s driving was rough\u2014every time I shifted gears, like from 2nd to 3rd or 4th to 3rd, the shift shock was big and the car jolted harshly. My husband even said, “What\u2019s going on? You\u2019re worse than before, lol.<\/strong>” I couldn\u2019t recall the feel of shifting smoothly and kept wondering, “Why? Why is this happening\u2026”<\/p>\n Meanwhile, my husband was sitting beside me, saying things like:<\/p>\n “Was the Boxster always this hard to corner?” He was just teasing (laughs). But as he gave me advice, I got more confused, and eventually every time I operated the clutch, my foot thrashed wildly from knee to thigh. My husband said,<\/p>\n “What\u2019s with your foot? It\u2019s moving like a heavy metal drummer, lol.”<\/p>\n Then, a small kei car behind started tailgating us, so I thought,<\/p>\n Nope! I can\u2019t do this anymore (\uff1b\uff9f\u0414\uff9f)!!<\/span><\/p>\n and handed the wheel back to my husband.<\/p>\n I rode shotgun for a while, reviewing the basics of MT driving with my husband\u2019s coaching…<\/p>\n As soon as my husband got behind the wheel, the Boxster\u2019s expression seemed to change… it suddenly came alive like a fish in water.<\/strong> It was so lively, with a crisp, popping sound, and it cornered sharply and confidently.<\/p>\n The Boxster… can change so much depending on who\u2019s driving it…<\/span><\/p>\n It felt like I was in a completely different car. Recently, my husband has been frequently touring in his air-cooled Porsche 911 (964C2), learning to master the RR sports car by trial and error with weight transfer in corners, throttle control, and braking<\/strong>. It seemed he had gotten much better than before.<\/p>\n During this, he said things like:<\/p>\n “You need to listen more to the car\u2019s sound. When the revs rise, shift up so the sound flows smoothly.”<\/p>\n “Try imagining the car\u2019s mechanics as you drive. Like, the clutch is just about to engage… oh, now it\u2019s connected! Think about that.”<\/p>\n “Your cornering line isn\u2019t good, so it\u2019s hard to turn and you have to keep adjusting the steering. Focus more on the clipping points.”<\/p>\n “Clutch work is important, but so is throttle control. Don\u2019t just stomp the gas like an automatic; be delicate and smooth.”<\/p>\n “I think your driving position isn\u2019t right. You should check it carefully before you start.”<\/p>\n I replied, “Yeah, I get it, but if it were that easy, I wouldn\u2019t be struggling so much.<\/strong>” Then I took the wheel again.<\/p>\n First, I checked my driving position. The Boxster\u2019s clutch is heavy, so maybe I was tensing up unnecessarily because my seat position was off. Also, my sneakers didn\u2019t fit quite right, so I\u2019d need better shoes. (I once wanted Negrolini driving shoes but they only had men\u2019s sizes that didn\u2019t fit me.)<\/span><\/p>\n Feeling refreshed, I set off again, trying to make my shifts smooth\u2014but the big jolts kept coming. When I tried to be careful, I ended up taking too long to release the clutch and got stuck…<\/p>\n Hmm, this is tough (*_*)<\/p>\n After about an hour of driving, we stopped at a convenience store. I stalled repeatedly on a tricky hill but managed to park. It was already 1:30 pm. Neither of us had eaten lunch, so we grabbed a quick bite in about a minute, then my husband took the wheel again.<\/p>\n We stopped by the Royu Driveway on the way home.<\/p>\n When we visited at the end of the year, there was snow on the Royu Driveway, and that day was no different. The road had signs warning of “ice on the road<\/strong>.” I thought, “Well, of course,” and decided to do several laps from the Higashi Rokko Observatory down to the toll gate.<\/p>\n Because I was nervous about the icy road, I drove cautiously in 3rd gear the whole time, slowly descending the hill.<\/p>\n My husband in the passenger seat asked,<\/p>\n “So, what exactly is this practice for, lol?”<\/p>\n I replied, “I honestly don\u2019t know anymore. I\u2019m out of HP and MP\u2014I need to stay at an inn.<\/strong>” and started saying nonsense. Since it was my longest MT drive yet, I gradually got tired (I always get tired and stop practicing eventually)<\/span>, and we ended up in some dangerous situations like:<\/p>\n Me: I try to start but the car won\u2019t move, I stall! Husband: Stop! There\u2019s an oncoming car! So we called it a day and my husband drove us home.<\/p>\n In the previous practice<\/a>, I had enjoyed the Boxster\u2019s roar and started feeling confident, thinking “I might be able to drive this on normal roads now~<\/strong>.” But after driving it in town for the first time that day, I painfully realized “there\u2019s still a long way to go.<\/strong>”<\/p>\n Also, since my husband has been driving the 964 more lately and gotten better, I was vividly reminded that “the same car drives so differently depending on the driver<\/strong>,” which completely crushed my fighting spirit (laughs). He also said,<\/p>\n “You\u2019ve driven about 120 km today. If you drive 100 times that, you\u2019ll get good.”<\/p>\n I thought, “One hundred times… (\uff1b\uff9f\u0414\uff9f)” and felt even more overwhelmed. Well, compared to when I was (rolling my eyes and foaming at the mouth)<\/span> at the start, I have improved a lot.<\/p>\n For now, if I want to enjoy the Boxster\u2019s driving, it\u2019s easier to ride shotgun, and with the Panamera, the car does all the hard work so it\u2019s fun to drive<\/strong>. So I\u2019ll enjoy Porsche\u2019s driving pleasure there for a while… and take my time, be patient, and steadily work on mastering the Boxster\u2019s manual transmission. (Though saying that, the GT3 Touring MT might arrive before I get there.)<\/span><\/p>\n …Two days after writing this, I went for a drive in the air-cooled 911 (964C2) with an automatic. At start and stop, the car moved without me thinking, which felt unsatisfying. At the same time, I felt “If I get too used to the ease of an automatic, I might lose my edge.<\/strong>” and found myself missing the MT. I never expected to feel this way… what a surprise. I\u2019ll keep working hard on my MT practice, lol.<\/p>\n Here are the previous Boxster practice articles:<\/p>\n \u2192Until the Day I Can Master the Boxster GTS (MT) – Vol.1<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_0142-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_0143-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFirst Time Driving the Boxster in Town!<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_0147-800x600.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n
\n“Feels like today\u2019s Boxster is off\u2014like it weighs 2.5 tons or something.”
\n“Looks like the Boxster might fall asleep.”<\/p>\nDriving the Boxster with My Husband at the Wheel<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_0155-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_0184-800x533.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_0163-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHeading to Royu Driveway!<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_0167-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/03AE8927-F261-4AB7-B97F-2C3539DD375B-800x600.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/EA891484-08C1-4781-9610-F7EF754F0BF2-800x600.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/\u30b9\u30af\u30ea\u30fc\u30f3\u30b7\u30e7\u30c3\u30c8-2019-01-02-15.46.34.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nHusband: You\u2019re holding the brake the whole time. No wonder it won\u2019t move.<\/p>\n
\nMe: I can\u2019t see it at all, I\u2019ll let it go first (-_-)<\/p>\nBoxster Driving: Patience and No Rush<\/h3>\n
\n\u2192Until the Day I Can Master the Boxster GTS (MT) – Vol.2<\/a>
\n\u2192Until the Day I Can Master the Boxster GTS (MT) – Vol.3<\/a>
\n\u2192Until the Day I Can Master the Boxster GTS (MT) – Vol.4<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Boxster MT Practice The new year had begun\u2014January 2, 2019. With my daughters looked after by my mother-in-law, my husband and I set out to practice driving the Boxster GTS (MT) together. Until now, my husband had driven from our home to the practice spots (Royu Driveway or quiet parking lots), and I would take over after we arrived. But that day, for the first time, I decided to drive from home myself. Thanks to...","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":7856,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=7851"},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"