An iconic brand: Porsche has been at the forefront of motorsports for decades. More recently, we have seen the legendary coupes from Stuttgart become more expansive, faster, and more responsive. Some would even consider them the Holy Grail. However, many enthusiasts (us included) can’t leave well enough alone. Every car can be improved upon in some aspect and perhaps more likened to our tastes. Stereotypically, Porsche owners tend to be quite conservative, leaving exterior modifications simple and clean to keep away unwanted attention and be aesthetically pleasing. These cars would keep the purists happy, but not everyone thinks that way.
Most of us familiar with Japanese car culture have heard of Akira Nakai. He is the man responsible for some of the wildest Porsches ever seen. A fan of going fast, he frequented the Idlers games at Tsukuba circuit (Idlers games is a grassroots racing series that takes place across road courses in Japan and includes endurance races) with a menacingly wide “930” chassis 911 painted flat black with “Stella Artois” emblazoned across the low slung side skirts. Akira was a part of the “Rough World” drift crew and slid an “AE86” Corolla Levin on his local touge. Sometime in the mid-1990s, the 930 had graciously shown up at his body shop needing some attention. He was captivated by it. So Nakai-san went to work on the tired chassis, being inspired by previous GT2 911s and other racers while using the style influence from his 86 to make this 911 his very own.
The “930” received a new front bumper with a deep rubber lip, front and rear riveted on overfenders (borrowing that style from the 993 GT2), side skirt extensions, and a grandiose rear spoiler. It was now named Stella Artois after Nakai-san’s favourite beer. Once seen at Idlers and causing quite the stir, fellow racers came forward asking Nakai-san to adorn their Porsches with his raw styling. So he opened up a shop to help cater to his newfound customer base, naming it Rauh-Welt Begriff RWB (Rough World Concept). Which paid homage to his driving style and his build mentality. As his customer base grew, so did his options for making Porsches wider and included other chassis’ such as the 964, 993, and, more recently, the 997. Each car receives a name from Akira fitting to the vehicle and the customer’s personality.
He gets flown in from Japan for each of his builds after producing the body parts for the project at hand, working painstakingly around the clock with his trademark pink phone nearby. Cigarette in mouth, he makes his cuts and installs everything with his own hands, including the silicone sealant for the overfenders. Apart from the aero additions, Nakai-san can also supply bits and pieces such as canards, aero extensions, suspension, and wheel packages to help complete the “Rough” look. Nakai-san now has a customer base worldwide and a large cult following with multiple cars built in many major cities, including quite a few local to Vancouver, such as these 993s Super Musashi and Havana.
He spends enough time here to warrant a personal car for when he visits, a 930 “backdate.” The backdate consists of new bumpers, front fenders and lighting to replicate a 911 from an earlier vintage (in this case, the early 70s Carrera), a carbon front trunk lid, and a rubber lip spoiler. When Nakai-San isn’t in town, he entrusts his 911 with only one person. Danny Yee.
Danny Yee is the face of Herbert’s Autobody, running the place with his father (whom the shop is named after). This may be a family-run business, but don’t let that fool you. Danny’s attention to detail and avid interest in hearing about you, your car, your goals and why you want to do what you’re doing helps him achieve what could be thought of as rolling art. Not only does he caretake for Nakai-San, but he has also helped assemble most of the two dozen-plus custom Porsches’ that RWB has graced Vancouver with.
Over the years, Herbert’s has had their hands on a massive variety of vehicles and builds. They have been operating in the lower mainland car scene for many years and have seen phases come in and go out. These would include but are not limited to full restorations of classics such as Herbert’s assortment of air-cooled Beetles. By extension, it only seems like a fitting transition to modified Porsches.
Nakai-san has now become an automotive icon essentially worldwide. Branded merchandise such as apparel, decals and even personal items such as skateboard decks and sunglasses adorn his trademark logo. In addition, a new museum paying tribute to the man himself and his brand opened up in Malaysia with the help of his friend and partner, Mr. Christian Coujin. Many of his creations have also been immortalized as diecast scale models for enthusiasts and collectors to enjoy.
“Purists” indeed don’t find his style very attractive, but we’re glad to see many of his creations come to life in our hometown and see them cruising down our neighbourhood streets, especially with the help of Danny!
