Customising a car to your liking is a highly personal endeavour where the end result can be met with positive reactions or disparaged. That is certainly the case with RWB Porsches, which are famously identified as 911s sporting exaggerated fender flares, gigantic wings, deep dish wheels and exposed rivets.
RWB Porsches are polarising and attract highly divisive comments. While some view the extensively modified 911s as rolling works of art, others (particularly the diehard Porsche faithful) find them to be the exact opposite.
Whichever side of the coin you prefer, there is no denying that RWB Porsches command a presence and draw a crowd wherever they turn up. Unlike other brands that also offer widebody solutions, every RWB Porsche is built by just one man, noted Japanese tuner Akira Nakai.
Nakai’s introduction to Porsches occurred while he was working at a body shop in order to fund his drift club called Rauh-Welt, which in German, roughly translates to “rough world.” He would eventually buy a 930-generation 911 for himself before modifying it by adding more power and better suspension, while also creating the dramatic body kit that he would be renowned for.
Naming it after his favourite beer, Stella Artois became the first RWB Porsche, and Nakai would set up his company – Rauh-Welt Begriff – in 1997. While the meaning of the first portion of the name, the last world can either mean “style,” “concept” or “expression.”
The chosen name reflects two ideas that Nakai believe in, including promoting beauty in the imperfection of his customised vehicles, as well as the aggressive driving style stemming from his drifting days. Nakai views his one-off creations as sports cars that should be driven and not simply stored away in a garage.
Nakai’s work earned him some fans (and customers) over the years, with many commissioning him to apply the RWB treatment to their Porsches, initially with the 930 before other generations like the 964, 993 and 997 were added to the portfolio.
It isn’t cheap to get a RWB Porsche, with the price for the body kit running into the thousands of dollars, and that’s before including the price of the Porsche itself, import and shipping charges, paintwork, personalisation options or even the amount needed to bring Nakai to your car. The unlimited supply of cigarettes, a leather lounge chair and Mexican Coca-Cola that Nakai is often seen with are part of his mystique but aren’t actually necessary for a RWB build.
Despite the high barrier of entry, Nakai’s schedule is packed with projects around the world, with many customers waiting sometimes years to get their RWB Porsche done, including in Malaysia. The owner of this 993-generation 911 paid and waited since 2019 for Nakai to arrive, with the global pandemic further compounding to the wait time.
This RWB project was completed this year and as is tradition, Nakai gave it a name: Hanabi. In addition to the signature body kit, Hanabi also got a carbon-fibre roof (the only one of its kind here) and retro-look LED front lights, along with RWB wheels and interior brand accents.
Hanabi is joined by Kagayaki, with both projects completed at Kuzig Glanz Detailing’s studio in Ara Damansara. The latter had a shorter lead time as it was commissioned last year, and its completion was made possible thanks to four other projects coinciding with Nakai’s two-week visit here. After five long years without a RWB build taking place here, Hanabi is the ninth RWB Porsche in Malaysia, with Kagayaki being number 10 – there are now 14 RWB Porsches here.
Kagayaki is a 911 Turbo Cabriolet and is the first RWB Porsche based on the 997-generation model in Malaysia (second in Southeast Asia). As documented by Speedhunters, Nakai first started on the 997 in late 2018, buying a Cabriolet and using the analogue way (eyes and judgement) to get the body kit fitted exactly was he would like it.
Each build process is an occasion, with many pairs of eyes watching Nakai’s every move as he cuts the car’s body by hand, a process that most would find terrifying, especially with classic 911s that cost a pretty penny. From there, the body kit is aligned and installed to Nakai’s liking based on his years of experience.
From there, the genuine RWB wheels are fitted, with the alignment and fitment dialled in until the look is perfect to the eyes of the builder. Clients typically have their own preferred add-ons to make their cars even more distinctive and Kagayaki is no different, with unique touches being the bespoke CSB Pro headlamps and custom forged wheels.
Due to Nakai’s very hands-on approach to each RWB build that does not see him use advanced equipment for measurements, there are bound to be some imperfections. However, some view these to be in line with the RWB philosophy and appreciate them as part of the creation’s character. Wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding the beauty in imperfections and encourages us to appreciate that nothing is truly perfect or permanent – fitting for RWB Porsches, don’t you think?
As mentioned earlier, RWB Porsches divide opinion and whether you like it or not is entirely subjective. If you’re unsure how to feel about them, both Hanabi and Kagayaki will be on display at this weekend’s Auto Car Expo (ACE) happening at Setia City Convention Centre (SCCC) from October 26-27, so head on over to view them in person.
GALLERY: RWB Hanabi
GALLERY: RWB Kagayaki
GALLERY: RWB Hanabi and Kagayaki handover
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