The other day, my husband took our air-cooled Porsche out for a solo road trip and wrote about the experience. We’re sharing his story in two parts—read on for Part 1.

Porsche 911 Road Trip: Day 1

I finally had some time to myself, so I decided to take an overnight road trip—something I hadn’t done in a while.

My companion for this trip was our Porsche 911 Carrera 2 (964). It’s been about a year and a half since it joined our family, and we’ve put more than 10,000 kilometers on it. Now 28 years old, it’s had no major issues. We’ve kept it in good shape with regular preventive maintenance.

Lately, it’s been running better than ever, with an engine that feels fantastic. It’s noticeably livelier than when I bought it.

I spent a long time deciding where to go. When I’m stuck, I turn to Wata’s blog. A quick look turned up a post about driving Route 195 in Shikoku. I’ve visited Shikoku many times, but it had been more than 20 years since I last drove Route 195, and my memories of it were hazy. So I settled on heading for Kochi.

Firing Up the Air-Cooled Engine

I’ve always felt that when you start an air-cooled engine, “firing it up” is a better description than simply “starting it.” You can feel the intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust happening inside the cylinders through the sound and vibration—it’s a truly physical sensation.

It’s an experience you just don’t get from a modern, water-cooled Porsche.

Heading for the Scenic Route 195

After crossing the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, I headed south on the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway, one of the Kansai region’s faster highways. The 964 still uses the semi-trailing-arm-and-coil-spring rear suspension of its era. Its body shape and aerodynamics may play a part, but it’s certainly vulnerable to crosswinds. I held on through the strong gusts buffeting the car on the bridge and made my way steadily toward Shikoku.

Once on Shikoku, I decided to take a break with a drive along the Naruto Skyline. I exited at Naruto Interchange. I’d driven this scenic route in a GT3 last year, and it was still full of sports cars and motorcycles. I switched the Tiptronic to manual mode and held it in second gear. With the side window down, I listened to the engine and pressed the accelerator hard.

As I tackled the rolling straights and flowing corners, I focused on managing the weight transfer as I drove the 911. Uphill corners with pronounced bumps in the road demand particular care. Let your guard down there, and a 911 from this era won’t want to turn. Without PASM, the chassis doesn’t rely on electronic intervention; instead, the front end gives you an analog warning, with a slight, squirming slide.

Whenever I drive an air-cooled Porsche after a while, I’m reminded that the more time I spend in modern, water-cooled Porsches, the less skilled I become at driving an air-cooled one. That’s how far water-cooled Porsches have evolved—and how much more accessible they’ve become to drivers of all skill levels.

After making my way through the traffic and stop-and-go driving in Tokushima City, I grabbed a cheese teritama burger at a McDonald’s drive-through and hurried on.

At last, Route 195. I left the town behind as the road gradually climbed into the mountains. Then I spotted a sign: Kochi, 133 kilometers. My excitement hit its peak. A road like this for 133 kilometers—what a dream. What an incredible place to drive! I found myself muttering to myself as I pressed on.

I stopped for a short break at the Michi-no-Eki roadside station, Momijigawa Onsen. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, making a beautiful contrast with the water. From around here, traffic thinned out noticeably, and at times I had the road almost entirely to myself.

Route 195 has a few narrow sections, but there are also plenty of stretches wide enough for two cars to pass, and traffic is light to begin with, so there’s little cause for concern. Most of the route is a reasonably wide two-lane road. The pavement is in relatively good shape throughout, and the scenery keeps changing: straights, mountain switchbacks, and stretches alongside the river. It’s a wonderfully varied drive that never gets old.

The number of kilometers left to Kochi kept ticking down. Each time it did, I found myself wishing, Don’t let this end yet—keep going! I savored every moment, reluctant to leave Route 195 behind.

At a rest area, I parked the car, and a boy who looked to be in elementary school came over. “What kind of car is that?” “Oh, a Porsche!” “I had a toy car just like it!”

After showing him the car, I hoped that this encounter might inspire him to dream of owning a Porsche someday. With that thought, I arrived in Kochi City.

Continue reading → A 700-km, Two-Day Road Trip in an Air-Cooled Porsche 911 (964)【Part 2】