My husband was just the other day at aI went touring to Shikoku in an air-cooled Porsche 911 (964).The 964 that went through maintenance seems to be in very good condition, and he wrote a touring journal about a good touring experience. Please take a look.

Touring in an air-cooled Porsche 911 (964)

It has been two years and six months since I bought it.15,000 km since I bought it.The car has traveled about 3,000 km since the suspension was freshened up over the past year. The engine became more and more responsive the more it ran and the more it turned, and the suspension became even more supple, perhaps because the reluctance of the new one had been removed.

The finish is coming along really well, and the "Running is the best maintenance for Porsche.I think I know firsthand the words of our predecessors who said, "I am a good person.

This time I took advantage of the weekend to go touring, and I considered taking my 992 or my 981 Boxster GTS, butI sent him out on his last touring trip.thereforeThis time, I decided to go out in this 964 air-cooled Porsche 911.

The rear seats of the 911 are folded down and a genuine Porsche suitcase made by RIMOWA is stuffed into the 911. With the suitcase secured by the seat belts, I put my photographic equipment and other items in the front trunk and fired up the air-cooled flat-six, praying for the safety of the trip.

Since we were leaving in the evening this time, we booked a hotel in Tokushima City. First, we headed for Awaji Island. This was the first time for us to drive on a real highway after freshening up the suspension.

Porsche 911 goes to Awaji Island

The flow of Awaji Naruto Motorway is fast.The 964 moves across the lanes like a worm, passing slower cars in every direction.This movement cannot be imitated by the latest 992 or even the GT3. The sensation of straddling lanes as if moving parallel to the road is very pleasing.

As I have blogged several times, the words of Mr. Tokudaiji Aritsune

Let's say you think, 'I want to cut in there. The Porsche is there at that moment. And the next thing you know, it's already there. That's what a Porsche is.

It's exactly what the "Mere Old Man" said. This is what I like most about the 964.

The effect of the suspension refresh is still significant. The car is very stable and the ride quality is improved. And above allThe stability against crosswinds is different from before.Nevertheless, the car is inherently very susceptible to crosswinds, so the steering wheel must be held firmly on windy highways.

We drove south on Awaji Island at a stretch and got off at the Naruto-kita IC, and drove the Porsche to the Naruto Skyline. I drove the Porsche up the Naruto Skyline, making full use of 2nd and 3rd gear, and while resting at the Shikatomi Observatory, I saw a very beautiful Audi A3 sedan parked under a cherry tree.

I wonder if it is brilliant red. It looks like the same color as the TT I used to drive. And from the way the car is parked, the height of the car, and the wheels, I imagine that the owner must be quite a car enthusiast.

However, I did not see anyone nearby who looked like the owner. The car was so beautiful that I set up my camera and took a picture of it.

Then I casually look back and see a tall woman in her 20s holding a camera and taking pictures of A3. She said, "Oh, sorry for taking pictures without permission!I said, "No, no, it's okay. Yes, this woman was the owner of A3.

."Are you that Porsche guy by any chance?When I answered "Yes," he kindly gave me the best shooting position under the cherry tree. After that, both of us took a picture of 964 for a while with our cameras ready.

."Well, take care!We both said this to each other, and I drove on to the R11 along the coast. This road was very pleasant. The road is wide and there is little traffic.

Moreover, the Seto Inland Sea can be seen on the right side of the road, which is a perfect situation. There are many scenic roads along the sea, but it is rare to find a road where you can run at your own pace comfortably, but this was a wonderful road.

At first, I entered K1 to explore the road at random. I thought it would probably be a narrow road, but as I expected, it was narrow (laugh). It is a narrow winding road with 1 to 1.5 lanes, but there is no traffic, so we can drive as much as we want.

Given the width of the 964, even a road as narrow as this is enjoyable.

We went to a place called Osakatoge Observatory near the summit. It was a quiet observatory with no sign of people, but the view was beautiful. Every time I visit, the view of the Seto Inland Sea somehow makes me feel nostalgic.

From here, we hurried to our hotel in Tokushima City. We descended the mountain at once and arrived at a hotel in the city. After confirming tomorrow's route, we went to sleep.

Air-cooled Porsche 911, 2nd day of touring

At 6:30 AM, we left the hotel as soon as we woke up without breakfast, since the hotel is a bare-bones hotel.

This is where the touring begins.We drove the Porsche to the R195, which we were looking forward to.It is a superb country road that stretches more than 100 km from Tokushima to Kochi. I have been here last year at the same time of the year with my 964, and this road is always fun to drive. It is a great road packed with various situations, and it is very easy to drive with little traffic.

On the way to the mountainous area, the weather changed at once and it began to rain heavily. Driving the 964 in the rain while frantically wiping the rain off with the short windshield wipers, I felt very attached to the car.

The harmony between the sound of the air-cooled engine and the sound of rain hitting the screen and ceiling is pleasant.The compact cockpit and heavy steering wheel take you through the winding roads.

This is not driving. It is "piloting.

This is the joy of an air-cooled Porsche.

As we descend the mountain, the rain stops and blue skies appear. The body of the car, which had been polished to a fine shine, was dirty from the rain before we knew it, giving the car a nice "travel" look.

Passing through Kochi City, turn onto R194.This is another favorite road, and one that I often take when I come to Shikoku. This time, instead of going to the end of the road in Saijo City, we turned left onto R439 on the way.

R439 is famous as a bad road, but the pavement is clean and wide enough in this area, making it a very pleasant and pleasant road to drive on.

I ran up the mountain in second gear, full throttle.Lightly release the accelerator pedal, apply front load, and turn the steering wheel.As soon as the car changes direction, the driver opens the throttle and the car goes through the corner with strong traction. The feeling of the car turning around the rear in a sudden change of direction is something that only a 911 can give you.

If the timing of the gas pedal or steering is slightly off, the mistake will directly affect the driving experience. On the other hand, when the timing is perfect, the car turns with unparalleled ease.

The more driving skill the 911 has, the more it responds.The first is the "I" in "I".

As the road enters R33, the rain is getting heavier. The closer we got to Matsuyama, the heavier the traffic became, but until then, the road continued to be a pleasant ride. On the way, we ran through the heavy rain at our own pace with the Shikoku Karst sign on the side.You may think of air-cooled Porsches as unstable in the rain, but when it comes to the 964, that is not the case at all.

It is safe enough to run.

Matsuyama City is approaching, but in order to escape the city and head toward R317, the road continues north and south near the town of Hirai-cho. The road is straight and pleasant to drive on, although there is a fair amount of traffic, probably as a loophole.

When we reach Imabari, we enter the Shimanami Kaido. We drive the Porsche to our next main destination, Omishima.There are a number of islands on the Shimanami Kaido, but I highly recommend Omishima.If you are ever on the Shimanami Kaido, be sure to stop by this island. Especially in the evening and early morning, there are few tourists and it is very pleasant.

Exit at the Omishima IC and drive clockwise around the island. The roads on the island are well paved, reasonably wide, and have moderate curves. The most pleasant aspect of the island is its proximity to the ocean.It is not a road you can drive hard on, but it is a drive course suitable for slow cruising at your own pace.I think.

You can run alone, or come here with your girlfriend or wife to enjoy the scenery, which will be appreciated.

In the pastIt came in GT3, too.hometown recreation areaWhile stopping at the "TheExplore the island slowly. The cherry blossoms on Omishima may be a little late blooming, but they are still beautiful. Along the way, we found a stream with a beautiful contrast of cherry blossoms and rape blossoms, and took a short break there. While taking pictures, the sun began to set.

The road along the sea is nice during the daytime, but the contrast between the sea and the sky at dusk is even more beautiful.

I would have liked to drive more slowly around the island, but it was getting dark, so I drove the Porsche to Fukuyama City, where my hotel was located for the night.

By the time we approached the hotel, it was already 7 pm. As I recall.On this particular day, we started running at 6:30 in the morning, so we had been running for a whopping 12 hours or more.As one would expect, it is rare to drive this far, and my shoulders are a little stiff, but I still want to experience more of the pleasant sensation of driving this Porsche.

It moves like a hand and foot, and the car's behavior is directly affected by good or bad driving.That is where the fun of an air-cooled Porsche lies. Surrounded by the analog sound of the engine, sometimes you can slowly drift down a straight country road while thinking, and sometimes you can seriously drive up a mountain winding road.

The cockpit of a Porsche offers the luxury of time and space for just one person.

Again, we went to bed early this night, prepping for tomorrow's course. Tomorrow, we will continue to Daisen and the Ascension Highway for the second part of the trip.