Blog — sammjoey photography

Rauh Welt Begriff (RWB) Porsches have gained a legendary presence in the automotive world, capturing the hearts of European and Japanese car enthusiasts alike. The name "Rauh Welt" translates to "Rough World" in German, and "Begriff" can be interpreted as "expression," "style," or "concept." When you consider these words, they all aptly describe Nakai's work. Akira Nakai's meticulous craftsmanship and visionary style have created a cult following for these RWB Porsches.

Each car begins its journey as a factory G Body 911, 964, or 993 (with 997 kits soon to be available). After a meeting with an RWB representative to determine the direction of the build, various options are chosen for the kit. These options include different levels of aggressive over fenders, ducktail spoilers (or double rear wings), various grills, and canards, among others. Suspension and wheel packages are also available, or you can supply your own. Once you've finalized the combination for your dream widebody Porsche, you place your order, and a few months later, the kit arrives for you to prepare and paint the panels. You'll also receive your build date when Nakai and his assistant Yucan will fly out to complete the conversion. By this date, everything should be ready, including wheels, suspension setup, painted panels, and any interior, engine, or exhaust modifications you wish to include in the build. Nakai spends two days with you to complete the transformation, culminating in him choosing a distinctive name for your car based upon the vibe he gets from you over your time together.

The soon-to-be owner of the RWB in question is Sam, from Sam's Detailing, a car detailing products brand based in the UK. Sam's 964 RWB build will be the third in the UK, while the total number of RWB Porsches built by Nakai is estimated to be between 400 and 500, as he completes around 50 builds per year. Sam's journey to this build hasn't been easy, experiencing over a three-year delay due to global issues and a large backlog of builds. Eventually, Sam received his build date for the weekend of May 13th.

My acquaintance with Sam began last year when he and his partner Rosie attended the Accents/The Drivers Collective beach meeting after the first day of Players Classic in 2022. We chatted around a table in a small fish and chips restaurant, discussing various topics, including shops, cars, mutual connections, and everything in between. At the time, Sam mentioned that the build was forthcoming and invited me and KJ to join. Although he didn't have a specific date then, we both agreed. Fast forward to mid-April 2023 when Sam messaged KJ to confirm our attendance now that a date had been set. Our response remained unchanged. I later spoke to Sam, expressing my gratitude for remembering and that of course our response hadn’t changed. The subsequent conversations took an unexpected turn. Sam asked if I could document the build process over the weekend, capturing the intricacies of Nakai's work first-hand. This brings us to the photographic content of this article.

A few members of the RWB family were present on the day, including Alex and Tristen. They quickly explained how the days would unfold, expressing their excitement not only for Sam and his build but also for those experiencing their first build in person. Tristen, who follows several builds, believed this would be his 12th and mentioned that he would be joining Nakai in Spain for the next one a few days later. Alex, who has experienced a few builds and participated in the endurance race Nakai hosts in Japan (Idlers 12 Hour Race) for the RWB family members, which is made up of both owners and friends of the brand.

But let's focus on the build at hand. KJ and I set off around 4:30 am and arrived up north in Sheffield at Sam's Detailing HQ at 8 am, with Sam himself only a few minutes behind us. A few last-minute preparations were taking place to get ready to pick up Nakai & Yucan from their hotel in a couple of hours. The team made sure all the barriers were in place and the food and drink table was fully stocked for friends and family over the weekend. Sam even quickly applied a finishing polish to one of the fenders. The kit was laid out on a collection of rugs at one end of the workshop, and Sam's black 964 was at the other end. It was already up on jackstands, with the bumpers, side skirts, and decklid removed, ready for its makeover. There was something quite surgical about the scene in the shop at this stage—clean, prepped, and ready for the operation. But all we needed now were the artist himself and his assistant to bring it all together.

Soon, around 10 am, Sam & Rosie headed out to get Nakai & Yucan, and roughly 20 minutes later, they had returned. The viewing area of the workshop began to fill up, and there was silence as Nakai walked in, heading straight to his designated chair for the weekend. After a few cigarettes and conversations, Nakai decided to start. He observed the car in its current state, with the kit on the floor in front of it and picked where to start. Straight away, he picked up the front bumper, fitting its mesh grills to the opening and prepping the car for its installation. After that, he began what seemed to be everyone's favourite part of the process—the fenders.

He lightly cut the inside of their lip and quickly sanded them, satisfied with their condition and ready to mount them on the car. But maybe the next step is the one everyone is actually eager for, and one that isn't for the faint-hearted. Of course, it's time to make cuts on the actual car. After taking a few measurements and offering up the new over fenders to the car, Nakai marked out his cutting limits. There was another moment of silence as the crowd saw him walk towards the car with the air saw in hand this time. A frenzy of media personnel crowded around Nakai as he pulled the trigger, and the buzz of the air saw filled the workshop. He started his cut, but within a few seconds, he stopped. Some of the media people looked at each other, wondering what was going on and why he had stopped. Suddenly, Nakai shouted, "Hey Sam!" A mix of emotions hit Sam as he walked over—I'm sure he too was wondering what on earth was happening in that moment. Nakai simply told him, "Your turn, you can cut the first fender off the car." Now, this isn't an honour that I'd want for myself—I'd be too afraid of making a mistake—and again, I'm sure Sam felt the same. But with a little guidance from Nakai, Sam took over, and Nakai went to sit back in his chair for another cigarette and some coffee. Sitting there, looking back at Sam as if he was his new apprentice finally allowed to do the job. Moments later, that first fender hit the floor as it left the car forever, and the new, wider RWB over fender was put in its place.

The next day and a half became a blur as the build rapidly progressed towards completion. Oh, did I mention that this entire transformation takes place in roughly 1.5 days, or about 14 hours in total? If you find that amazing, well, Nakai takes things to another level. Throughout the next few hours, Nakai's experience quickly became clear. The amount—or should I say, lack—of measurements being done was the truly amazing part. He performed this transformation mostly by eye and feel, yet nailed it every time. It really shows how much time he has put into building these cars. Before we even knew it, we were at the end of day 1, and a signing session began for those who had stayed to watch the build all day.

Day 2 began much in the same fashion. Nakai arrived again around 10:30 am, and after a quick catch-up, some coffee, and a few cigarettes later, we were back to work. This time, the number of people crowded into the workshop felt like triple that of the previous day. Thankfully, they were all behind a barrier, giving Nakai & Yucan the space they needed to work. Compared to the first day, the second was slightly slower and more relaxed. The bumpers, fenders, and side skirts were already on the car. This day was mainly for the finishing touches, including fitting the decklid, spoiler, windshield banner, and naming the car. It may sound like a lot for around half a day's work, but again, the speed at which it all took place made the hours of refinement, alignment of the car, and the famous hand-done silicone seal on all the panels feel like minutes.

If there was one key iconic point to the work that Nakai does, I believe it would be the way in which he seals the panels. The way in which he quickly lays down tape around the seams, applies a bead of silicone, and then smudges it in with his finger is mesmerizing. That image of him dragging his finger along that line of silicone and tape is one that seems to always feature in every video of one of these builds. It's a true personal touch with his fingerprint smeared through the silicone that connects his work to the Porsche—a way of signing the car without a pen. All these touches are what give Nakai his reputation for creations that radiate his freedom of artistic expression and vision. You might sit there and watch the countless cinematic videos of these RWB builds on YouTube, but Tristan was right. Seeing all this in person is a whole different experience. Simply put, it would be akin to watching Warhol paint or seeing the Wu-Tang Clan record in the studio. You're seeing the artist at work, showcasing all their technical ability, expertise, and experience right in front of you on the canvas.

With all the panels now fitted, the car aligned, and the finishing touches in place, it was finally time to name the car. The sticker nameplate that this 964 would now proudly wear on its side skirt was pulled out, the thick transfer tape helping conceal its contents as Nakai applied it to the car. Moments later, this 964 was crowned "Rokweiler". As Sam later explained, Rokweiler was his favourite song from The Prodigy, which also led to his wheel choice being from the brand Brixton Forged, as he had first seen The Prodigy live in Brixton. While Rokweiler may now have a name, there was still one final step. The windshield banner needed to be revealed. Nakai and Sam positioned themselves on opposite sides of Rokweiler, peeling back the transfer tape to reveal the gold Rauh Welt banner. You could see the emotions of the past years filling Sam's face as the banner was fully uncovered. Sam and Nakai shook hands over the front of Rokweiler, and from that moment, the transformation was complete. These past two days flew by in a flash. One less 964 in this world, but an RWB gained. Rokweiler was officially part of the RWB lineup.

Once Sam and his partner Rosie had thanked Nakai & Yucan for their hard work, they burst out in tears to celebrate this moment. Sam then quickly sat down, and you could see the relief and disbelief in his expression as he took it all in. For Nakai, it was time for another cigarette, a drink, and another round of autographs for the crowd that had yet again, for the most part, stuck around all day. Many of them had been there for both days, witnessing the build from start to finish. Sam wanted to show Nakai how much love the English have for car culture, and I think that came across with the sheer number of people who stayed out both days to watch the build. Overhearing many conversations from fans expressing their appreciation for him and his work.

One final thing for the weekend was to take Rokweiler outside. Once Sam had slightly recouped and the crowds of people had left, he started up Rokweiler and slowly drove it out of the workshop doors and into his detail bay. Nakai was quick to follow to admire his work in a freak moment of British sunshine. There was one last thing that he wanted to do to this creation, and that was to sign his name on the glovebox, as well as the air tank under the frunk.

And that pretty much concludes the time spent at Sam's Detailing for the Rokweiler build. As I mentioned earlier in this article, seeing an RWB build in person is far different than watching the videos online. It gives you a greater appreciation for the work and skill Nakai puts into his craft. I highly recommend that if you ever have the opportunity to see this magic show in person, you make any efforts needed to do so. Lastly, I'd like to thank Sam once again for inviting me along to photograph the build process for him. I'd also like to thank himself, Rosie, and the rest of the Sam's Detailing team for being such great hosts over the entire weekend. Rosie, in particular, did an amazing job with the seating areas and creating such a cosy atmosphere in the build area. And I can't forget to mention KJ for the initial introduction to Sam last year. And, of course, a final arigatōgozaimasu to Nakai & Yucan for all their amazing work that goes into these works of art.