The World Is Rough — Japanese Widebody Porsche Pt 1
By Taylor Shinobu Williams, Petersen Museum Educator, originally published April 28, 2023.
Nakai’s 1985 Porsche 911, affectionately named “Stella Artois”. Mike Garrett//Speed Hunters
I remember sitting in a computer design class in 2011. I was 17 and had just finished my project for the day. With some time to kill before lunch, I started browsing Speedhunters.com like I usually did in my freetime. Admittedly, at this point in my life I was already deep in the online car world, long before any of the social media platforms we use today. I was super into Japanese cars and drifting (and I still am to this day) but didn’t really care about Porsches at that point in my life.They were the poster child for “mid-life crisis”, an every man’s sports car that everyone had. But as I opened up the website, the first thing I saw changed my life forever.
The headline read “Rauh-Welt Begriff.” The picture showcased a man - who I later came to find was Akira Nakai - standing in front of his first Porsche build, a 1985 911 affectionately named “Stella Artois”. I had no idea the impact either would have on me, influencing choices in my life and changing my goals with cars forever.
Nakai with “Stella Artois”. Dino Dale Carbonare // Speedhunters.com
Situated in the Japanese countryside town of Kashiwa, just northeast of Tokyo, sits Rauh-Welt Bergriff (RWB.) Originally founded by Akira Nakai, the Rauh-Welt name originates from his old drift team, Rough World. Rough World was a team full of Toyota AE86 Corollas that were notorious for their aggressive driving, matte paint, stanced low car style, and being the origin for a lot of Japanese drift legends.
In the late 90s, Nakai was drifting his AE86 and working at a local Porsche specialty body shop where his interest in the brand began. From the very beginning, Nakai was already dreaming of his vision of an ideal Porsche cup car: low, wide and aggressive with matte paint and a perfect wheel fitment. At just the age of 28, he picked up his first Porsche, a 1985 911, and started to mold a widebody to it. As the process continued, a wing was added, a carbed 3.8L flat six, a set of very aggressive SSR Professor wheels as well as a variety of other parts to make it the perfect 360hp/2100lb street/track weapon. Lastly, he applied his signature matte black paint, and named it “Stella Artois'' after his favorite beer.
Just like that, the legend is born.
Stella Artois on track. Mike Garrett // Speedhunters.com
An RWB Porsche 911 on track in the Idlers 12h race. Larry Chen // Speedhunters.com
Nakai didn’t just build Stella as a marketing tool for his new business, a show car, or even something to show off, he wanted to build the best looking driver's car he could. People started to notice though and wanted their own RWBs built. Within in a few years, Nakai was able to open his own shop - “Rauh Welt Bergriff” - and started building Porsches in his signature style for customers. There are two requirements for his builds, as Nakai once put it: “My philosophy is to make cars that not only look cool, but that you can drive – cars that don’t just sit on display.” This mix made potent machines, setting time attack records and winning races around Japan. Most famously, with a number of his builds having repeated wins at the Idlers 12hr race at Twin Ring Motegi raceway.
Nakai was making a name for himself, continuing to build incredible cars, and moving his way through the P car generations, with such builds as the 964 ‘Penthouse’ and the 993 ‘Natty Dread’. For the early cars, most of them were named after whatever he took influence from in the world during the builds, such as music, alcohol and even strip clubs just to name a few. Nakai got full creative freedom to build the cars in his vision, with the client only able to choose if they wanted a more track or street focused build. If you like the art, then let the artist do his thing. Every new build stormed the internet, virtually turning heads and grew the Rauh Welt legend past the shores of Japan.
Countries like Thailand, England, and even the USA were starting to put in orders, with certain cars like Natty Dread, being featured in Need For Speed: The Run, and RWBs in many other games through the years. This global recognition is what brought that article in front of me in 2011.
The 964 Porsche 911 RWB car nicknamed “Penthouse” on track. Mike Garrett // Speedhunters.com
The 993 RWB nicknamed Natty Dread, featured in Need For Speed: The RUN // Electronic Arts
Like most, I dream of owning cars like the Ferrari F40, McLaren P1, and Ruf CTR, but the two at the top of my list aren’t quite that level. My top two? A 1987 Buick GNX. Number one? A 930 Rauh Welt track car. Way far out of my budget at this moment, but a man can dream can’t he?
Just a couple years later, I was given the amazing opportunity to be around a couple RWBs, watch them get built, and even talk with the man himself. I also got to experience one of my other favorite RWB builds, Pandora 1, but that is a whole story on its own so check for Part 2 next week!
(Huge shoutout to Speedhunters.com, Fatlace.com and all the contributors that brought Rauh Welt and Nakai to the world stage.)
