Known for his tousled locks and propensity for cigarettes and Stella Artois beer, Japan’s Akira Nakai is a charismatic figure in the world of air-cooled Porsche tuning.
The owner of Rauh-Welt Begriff (RWB, Rough World Concept), he has made a name for himself over the years by modifying classic Porsche 911s with aggressive body kits characterised by massive bolt-on wheel arches, a low stance, huge rear wings, deep-dish wheels and other track-inspired add-ons. The execution is done solely by Nakai-san, by hand, with a fit and finish that is intentionally a bit rough around the edges, ensuring that no two builds are alike.
Not shy of improvisation — he’s a known jazz fan, after all — his work often embraces imperfection and, as such, you will spot visible seams and fasteners, slight asymmetries, and a good few exposed rivets and bolts. This is, apparently, all part of RWB’s rebellious, punk-rock image, thus making it the complete antithesis to the perfectly reimagined Porsche 911 models painstakingly assembled by US-based Singer.
It’s also why he’s fielded considerable flak from many of the world’s Porsche purists, who would rather go blind than watch Nakai get stuck into an original 964 Americana with an angle grinder. In the same breath, there are many who would pay to see it happen, which is why the Japanese car sculptor often travels the world to do live builds in front of crowds of camera phone-wielding spectators.
One of these live builds will take place at South Africa’s Idle Auto Expo, at Montecasino in Fourways, from August 1-2. Over two days, Nakai-san himself will take to the floor to build the country’s first-ever RWB Porsche. It promises to be a fascinating spectacle; a demonstration of unscripted showmanship quite unlike anything else we’ve seen at a local car show.
Click here to find out more.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.