It’s exciting, tedious, fun, full of danger, uncertainty and desire. Why, well because I am doing right now. I am trying to be a bit different and not just go for the easy way out (though I might still chicken out yet) with a new shiny un molested, un-scary Toyota 86. The object of my sudden silliness and possible short-sightedness with no commercial common sense is the 1985 Porsche 911 Carerra 3.2. It’s the no frills less scary but hummingly harmonious sister to the angry 930 Turbo which seems to be a bit muted sounding stock (most likely due to the huge turbo). It looks the part with it’s sleek bodywork but won’t kill you with sudden oversteer when the boost kicks in, it is the perfect Porsche for me. I am not rich and most of us aren’t so when one comes up on the online classifieds for $35K it set my tongue wagging. It wasn’t the best colour and the wheels were a bit iffy but I only had three letters in mind; R-W-B.

If those letters mean something to you then you are a car bore and probably wear a baseball cap and you drive something JDM. If you haven’t then let me help you out RWB means Rauh Welt Belgriff,a car tuning shop based in Chiba, north of Tokyo… Japan, run by Nakai-San. The name literally means “Rough World” in German. Why German, well because the type of car he works on most is the 911 Porsche although based on a Q&A with Speedhunters he is happy to work on any car to give it that “Rauh Welt” touch.

What is immediately special about the headline RWB cars are their hugely swollen wheel arches. The cars look like they belong on a race track and rightly so because they barely fit on the street. It’s caricature but it’s also functionally allowing very wide wheels and tyres to give you more grip. Some love this and others heavily dislike what Nakai-San is doing to the last of the pure 911s. I believe it is a tough evolution of a classic shape and if you have ever dreamt of driving or owning a Porsche RSR race car from the 70’s or 80’s then this is the tuner “haus” for you.

The Shop: http://www.speedhunters.com/?p=7875

The Official Site: http://www.rwb.jp/

Looking at Akira Nakai I am reminded heavily of another tuner in Japan who happens to make another wide body kit for the Toyota 86 (Segue Level: Expert), Kei Miura of TRA Kyoto Rocket Bunny 6666 Customs. It happens that I am very interested in the Rocket Bunny kit for the 86 if I go down that path (which is till have the order in for an am going to be waiting until August).

I guess I am at a crossroads, and I am in need of a car. Do I go classic and the possibility of financial ruin or stay safe and buy the new Toyota 86 with it’s capped price servicing and warranty.

One of my friends put it quite nicely on the subject of cars (I am paraphrasing), “cars are c**ts to a profitable life”.