The media days are over at the New York International Auto Show, so the big conferences are over. But the show is now open to the public, and the organizers put together some unique programming for the public days. Perhaps the most interesting is an in-person build of a custom Porsche 911 by Akira Nakai. Nakai is the man behind the Japanese tuning shop RAUH-Welt Begriff (RWB), which translates to Rough World Concept. But you’ll need to hurry to see him. Today was the first day of his build, and tomorrow will be the last day.
Nearly 30 Years Of Modifying Cars
In the off chance you’re not familiar with Nakai and RWB, the man started the shop in Chiba, Japan, and has always focused on wide-body Porsches, often focused on track use. He started the shop in 1997, so he has been doing this for nearly three decades. He only modifies 911s, and the newest ones he’ll work on are 997s. Also, while RWB is known for its wide-body modifications, it doesn’t sell the kits alone to customers. Each one has its final installation done by Nakai himself, and he flies around the world to different RWB locations to do the job. The cars all have a similar style, but the purpose varies. Some are stylish street cars, whereas others become track vehicles.
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In the 30 years that he’s been building cars, Nakai has become a genuine icon in the automotive space. His wide Porsches are known the world over, and Nakai has even appeared in popular media. He was featured in the 2015 Need For Speed video game alongside a bunch of other famous automotive folks, including Ken Block and Magnus Walker.
Where To See Him
You’ll find Nakai in the R2EXPO display area. It’s on the main floor of the Javits Convention Center, over near the EV demonstration track. The car he’s working on is a 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera S. He will only be on the floor building the car today and tomorrow, so if you want to see him, don’t put it off. Otherwise, you’ll have to be satisfied seeing the occasional YouTube video documenting a build, or order an RWB kit yourself. And the wait time for having a car completed, according to the company, can be several months to two years from being accepted.
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