Long drags of a cigarette, a few casual sips from the vending machine-supplied coffee, and endless eye candy can keep an attendee buzzing until the wee hours at meets like these. Rauh Welt Begriff is now world famous, but perhaps the greatest gatherings of their widebodied Porsches can be seen in Tokyo at meets like this.
Rivets and stencils add just enough of a rough edge to these otherwise polished cars.
The characteristic flared haunches, wide tires, flashy paint schemes, and odd liveries give these handcrafted Porsches a presence that is divisive, to say the least. Some find them hideous, but many cannot resist the punk rock sensibility of these cars; the vision of a lone builder by the name of Akira Nakai. His penchant for 993 Porsches, GT2 bodywork, and stenciled Stella Artois logos are now inextricably linked with the RWB aesthetic.
Snorkels, deep-dished rims, bosozoku-style side skirts, and some very bright lighting options are a few more facets we’ve come to associate with the homebuilt Porsches. The names of these cars, and each creation is given a specific name by the builder, can be read along those riveted and speed bump-streaking side skirts.
The curves of the 964 and 993 are Nakai’s preferred models, though he’s delved into water-cooled cars as of late. Note the half-finished bodywork on the 997 Cabriolet, and you have to wonder what the man has in mind for the latest generations.
The simplistic, organic shapes of the older models which have best stoked Nakai’s creative fires.
Cars of this caliber attract some other heavy hitters. A DeTomaso Pantera, a few gorgeous Nissan Skylines, and the world’s prettiest Miata make an appearance. It’s a collection of stunning cars which have just enough of a patina to live up to the name of the company—Rauh Welt means “Rough World.”