Stunningly mad be-winged Porsche - Flickr - Supermac1961

Akira Nakai is a Japanese car tuner, founder of Porsche tuning company RAUH-Welt BEGRIFF (RWB), which specializes in the design and installation of custom wide-body kits for classic

Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...

models. Earlier examples sported a sticker "Sekund Entwicklung" on the back which was later changed to "Zweite Entwicklung" (meaning "second development") to fix a

German language German ( ) is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and Official language, official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Ita ...

mistake.

Life and career

Spark of interest

Nakai's career got started with a drift crew called Rough World, working on a Trueno AE86, stretching the limits of what the car could bear, whilst drinking his preferred beer,

Stella Artois Stella Artois ( ) is a pilsner beer, first brewed in 1926 by Brouwerij Artois in Leuven, Belgium. In its original form, the beer is 5.2 per cent ABV, the country's standard for pilsners. The beer is also sold in other countries like the UK, Ire ...

. He started to work on

s while employed by a body shop when he came across a damaged

Porsche 930 The Porsche 930 is a sports car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Porsche between 1975 and 1989, known to the public as the 911 Turbo. It was the maker's top-of-the-range 911 model for its entire production duration and, at the ti ...

, which he bought off its original owner, with it later becoming the first RWB

, named '

' after his preferred beer in the late 90s. This spark of interest, along with a little personal touch, is what led Nakai to create his Stella Artois inspired Porsche and many similar projects.

Company

Nakai later started his own company called RAUH Welt BEGRIFF (RWB) and became known for modifying Porsches, giving them sometimes extreme body conversions. His usual modifications include a new front bumper, rear bumper, side skirts, wheel arches and spoilers. He offers additional options such as new fenders of various width, suspension adjustments and smaller aesthetic additions, like canards and special rivets. The track width of the "RWB" Porsches is often widened. Nakai's and his company's modifications are said to have reached a "cult status" and his aesthetics are described as "singular".

Tribute

People that admire both cars and video games were pleased when Nakai-san was featured both in game as well as in live-action cutscenes as the "Build Icon", an idol for other characters and the player himself to follow the footsteps regarding car customization and tuning in the 2015 video game ''Need for Speed''. The widebody kits designed and created by him were available for players to use on select Porsche models and his "Stella Artois" custom Porsche 911 Turbo can be earned in game. File:RWB-champagne-4-1024x674.jpg, One of Nakai's completed projects, named RWB Champagne after where it was built in

Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

, France. File:Porsche 964 RWB Hoonigan.jpg, RWB Hoonigan, based on a

Porsche 964 The Porsche 964 is the company's internal name for the Porsche 911 manufactured and sold between 1989 and 1994. Designed by Benjamin Dimson through January 1986, it featured significant styling revisions over previous 911 models, most prominently ...

and built for Brian Scotto, the co-founder of Hoonigan. File:Red RWB 993.jpg, Another RWB project based on a

Porsche 993 The Porsche 993 is the internal designation for the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between January 1994 and early 1998 (model years 1995–1998 in the United States), replacing the 964. Its discontinuation marked the end of air-co ...

File:Tuning World Bodensee 2018, Friedrichshafen (OW1A1312).jpg, RWB

with a livery paying tribute to a

Porsche 935 The Porsche 935 was a race car developed and manufactured by German automaker Porsche. Introduced in 1976 as the factory racing version of the Porsche 930, 911 (930) Turbo and prepared for Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA-Group 5 ( ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nakai, Akira Living people Auto tuning companies Year of birth missing (living people)