This time, my husband wrote an article about his touring trip in his 964. Please take a look if you would like to read it.

Touring in a Porsche 911

Previously.Porsche 911 Carrera 2 (air-cooled 964 model) with overall suspension freshened up.I was eager to go on a long-distance touring trip to enjoy the new ride quality.We went on a day touring trip of about 480 km.

Initially, I was thinking of going to Wakayama or even Okayama-Tottori.Since it was a day trip, we chose Kyotango - Hyogo, which is our home ground.

This area has a relatively large number of pleasant roads even in the Kansai area, which has few pleasant roads, especially around the Chugoku Mountains in northern Hyogo, which I personally consider to be a "mini-Nagano" area.The atmosphere is as if Nagano Prefecture has been reduced in size and the scale of the road has been made smaller.There are many famous roads in the area, some of which are not well-known.

First, we headed north on the Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway toward the Tango Peninsula. It was the first time for us to drive on the highway in earnest in the refreshed 964.The effect of replacing the suspension is significant.Straight line stability is clearly better than before, and the driver can drive with more confidence.

Not that it's ever been unstable, but...At speed, there were times when the front end felt somewhat light. However, this has been improved considerably, and the front ground feel is very strong.The first is the "I" in "I".

It is very stable even when entering tight R corners at high speeds at slightly higher speeds.The load is properly placed on the outside front tire, and it feels as if it is turning in a stable manner.I can clearly see that the This is a very fresh feeling.

On the way, we turned onto the Kyoto Jukan Expressway and headed toward Amanohashidate. Since it is a famous tourist destination, we passed through the area praying not to get caught in traffic jams, but the flow was surprisingly smooth. As expected, the number of tourists seemed to be low this year, partly due to the Corona.

After getting off the highway, we headed north on R178. First, we headed for Cape Kyogamisaki. The road along the coast to Cape Kyougamisaki is also very scenic and great for touring. 964 is more nimble than ever as it dances through the winding roads to the right and left.

After taking a break at the parking lot of the Cape Kyogamisaki Lighthouse, the next course is to head in the direction of Kinosaki.

Cruising along the bay road with Kumihama Bay on the left. I have been here many times before, but for some reason, I like this view of Kumihama Bay so much that I stop by every time.

Leaving the bay behind, the next stop is K11, the Tajima Fishing Fire Line.After passing Kinosaki Marine World, the mountain winding begins.The road is a very scenic winding road with the magnificent Sea of Japan spreading out below. The winding road with a magnificent view of the Sea of Japan stretches out below. The winding road is full of ups and downs, tight corners, and a variety of other features that make it very enjoyable.

It is very similar to the roads along the Sea of Japan in the Fukui and Toyama area, and originally these places might be best to come in a Boxster.

Air-cooled Porsche touring in midsummer

However, the day was hot. The outside thermometer in the car occasionally read 38°C (100°F), and once outside it was baking hot.Although it is a harsh environment for an air-cooled Porsche, the oil temperature of the 964 is stable, and the needle of the oil temperature gauge is stable around the middle even when waiting at traffic lights or in traffic jams with the cooler running high!I think it is thanks to the cooling fan in the oil cooler from 964, but I don't think I need to be so nervous about it as long as the fan etc. is not broken.

Incidentally, when it comes to air conditioners, I'd say this depends on the individual unit and how well it's refilled with air conditioner gas.In my 964, the one that can manage to withstand up to 35 degrees Celsius on the outside thermometer.(Of course, it doesn't work as well as today's cars.)

However, from around 35°C, it becomes too hard unless the wind is directly against the body and the fan is set to 3 or 4 of the 4 levels. Clearly, the cooling capacity begins to lose out to the rising temperature inside the car, which is heated by direct sunlight.

On the other hand.Without direct sunlight, it is cool there.It is also a fact. The window glass of the 964 at that time was not insulated glass, but just clear glass, so it was very vulnerable to direct sunlight. So I am thinking of putting up a transparent insulating film by next summer.

After that, we will head out to Kozumi, and from here we will start touring the famous roads of Hyogo Prefecture. First, K4. This is truly a famous road. It is wide and has little traffic. It is wide and there is little traffic, and the curves are gentle and straight. If there were a list of the 100 best roads in Hyogo (which there isn't), I would rank it high on the list.

In the K4, the 964's air conditioning is off, the windows are fully open, and the sunroof is fully open.Tiptronic is fixed in third gear for cruising.There is nothing better than driving in the mountains, feeling the cool air on your skin and intoxicated by the pulse and sound of the air-cooled flat-six.

The feeling of happiness is unbearable when running.

From K4, the car turned onto R9, and next headed toward Hachikita Kogen. We proceeded to K89, which we had visited before in GT3. This is also the course for the Kronoskaratein Hachikita, a hill-climb rally held on closed public roads.

The traffic is very light and the winding road is always almost completely reserved.

After that, we returned to R9 via Hachikita Ski Resort in search of cooler weather. K87 is also quite a pleasant road.Traffic volume is minimal and the road is wide in many places, allowing you to drive at your own pace comfortably.At Hachiko Kogen, we could drive right up to the slopes, so we took a few pictures.

The plateau was still very cool, and there were many young people running, perhaps for a university club camp.

Return to R9 again and aim for K6 next.K6 is one of my favorite roads, but there are some narrow and rough sections, so caution is needed.It is. However, traffic is light and passing each other is rarely a problem, so unless you are driving a super car or something, it is unlikely to be much of a problem.

The road passes the famous Meienobu Mine and is a bit dark until it crosses the Tomidono Pass, and I like the atmospheric atmosphere of this old road.

Passing through the town of Ichinomiya-cho, the road continues on to K8, which I have been driving for more than 20 years now, and the condition of the road is getting better every year. However, the Ichinomiya-cho side (west side) has some narrow roads, and many of them are rough, so one needs to be careful. However, once you get through that side, there is a hard pass over, and a road that is quite enjoyable awaits you.

And then...The part of the mountain that leads over the pass and down the mountain to Kamikawa Town is superb.This is what I call a pleasant road to run. This road is one of the top 100 best roads in Hyogo.

The road along the river, where you can drive briskly, is very pleasant, and there is little traffic. The road is perfect for a situation where you have a 964 Tiptronic fixed in 3rd gear with the AM radio on and the windows fully open.

You don't have to go over the mountains, so this is one of those roads that you should come and run at least once.

And so, our touring trip was heading home...By the time I got home, I had driven a whopping 11 hours.The total distance traveled was 482 km and the fuel consumption was 8.96 km/L using the full tank method and 10.2 L/100 km (about 9.8 km/L) on the on-board computer, so there is about a 10% error.

But even after all this driving, air-cooled Porsches are still fun.Touring in a water-cooled Porsche is great, but an air-cooled Porsche is fun even if you don't go fast!is one of the features. The heavy steering wheel and the raw sound of the flat-six while pressing down on the gas pedal. The feeling of "traveling" rather than "touring" or "driving" is incomparable to that of a water-cooled Porsche. I think this is one of the charms of this car.

Route of this time