Ever since I was introduced to the world of RAUH-Welt Begriff by William Bakajin and Tsubaki, his RWB Porsche 993, I’ve been dreaming about witnessing one of Akira Nakai’s custom builds in person. Last month, that dream finally came true at the ‘RWB Experience’ in Indonesia.
In 2019, William and I discussed his next RWB project – a 997 Turbo. At the time, Nakai-san had just embarked on a new chapter in RWB history, and I was determined to capture William’s build as it happened. I got excited when I saw the 997 RWB prototype at the 2020 RWB New Year Party – but then Covid struck. All our plans were put on hold. I kept revisiting Dino’s ‘Making The RWB 997′ series (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 here) while staying in contact with William and getting updates on his new build.
Fast forward to August 2024 and a beautiful, clear day at Ivan’s Motor Pik 2, around 30km from Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta. Here, William’s 997 RWB transformation would finally happen.
Nakai-san was in the country for a week, with four builds lined up, each taking around two days to complete. First up was Ivan’s 993 – RWB Indonesia #10 Susanoo. William’s 997.2 Turbo was third under the knife.
Inspired by Dino, I aimed to capture Nakai-san’s every move. I wanted to understand how he sees the world, from his honed hand movements to the preparation: taping, gluing wireframes on the bumpers, and trimming.
Then the fun began: cutting. Viewer discretion is advised.
I quickly began to realize the intensity of the process. A close-up view revealed the raw aftermath – there was no turning back now. It’s easy to understand why purists shudder at the RWB wide-body transformation.
But don’t worry; this 997 isn’t new to modifications. Its life has been spent at the race track, and it was already cut, stripped, and tuned in pursuit of speed. It’s fast, too, holding a local lap record.
Here’s a throwback to the car’s previous look, heavily inspired by GT3 Cup modifications.
The 997’s body structure is particularly complex, with two metal layers instead of one. However, the previous modifications made Nakai-san’s job easier. He closed up the gaps with a combination of sealant and aluminum tape.
It’s crazy how much wider the Turbo body kit is compared to the standard 997. The reason for this comes down to the intake. As you can see, the kit does not come fully cut; Nakai-san has to make cuts for the intake to flow.
Unfortunately, he forgot his Turbo template, but RWB Kuala Lumpur came to the rescue.
Unlike older 911 models, the 997 gas cap interferes with the RWB body kit. More cutting and a new hinge system for the cap solve the problem.
Once the cutting was complete, Nakai-san tested the fitment, attaching the wheels to ensure everything lined up perfectly and trimming if needed.
By the end of Day 1, the heavy lifting was completed, leaving Day 2 for the finishing touches.
The next morning was met with fresh energy. I’ve always been curious about how Nakai-san handles the fender liners after fitting the kit. It’s a detail rarely shown or discussed.
Before that, though, I must mention a unique aspect of William’s build – the prototype wing Nakai-san designed specifically for this car.
In this respect, the project was a learning experience for Nakai-san, and he mentioned that he discovered a lot during the build.
The wing is super-large and super-aggressive, requiring cross-bar support to prevent excessive flexing.
As for the fender liners, it’s pretty simple. Nakai-san uses the original liners, modifying them and adding custom pieces where required. It’s this sort of attention to detail that sets RWB builds apart.
Seeing Nakai-san at work revealed his commitment to perfection. If a sealant line is a couple of millimeters off, he redoes it. I watched Nakai-san take his time to ensure that the trunk lid had even gaps and opened and closed properly – a process aided by detaching the release cable so he could focus on the task.
Another thing that took me by surprise was the addition of double canards. They complement the big wing perfectly.
Once everything was finalized, it was time to fit the wheels one last time and align the car. Nakai-san customizes the wheel alignment based on owner preferences.
After all the hard work, it was time to introduce Indonesia’s first 997 RWB – #12 翼 Tsubasa.
Tsubasa translates to wings, a name Nakai-san chose to honor William’s son, wishing him wings big enough to soar high and protect his sisters.
This moment felt like a full-circle experience for me within the RWB family. While it brought a sense of closure, I know Nakai-san’s journey will continue, with this new era of the 997 poised for growth. Congratulations, William, I look forward to future projects.
Rick Muda
Instagram: ardskellig
Credit : Source Post
