Vegas993

Wrap your *** in fiberglass!

Eventually they will be selling at a fraction of the price that stock cars would. Just like all the fiberglass conversions of the 90's done to the 70's era 911's do today.

Earlydays

RWB cars look like Porsche's that were customized for a "Fast and Furious" movie.

onceover

Exactly what I was thinking

onevoice

x2

I like them, I would like this particular one a lot more with more engine and less sound system, but whatever floats your boat.

I'm only an amature at bodywork and welding, but I have put a fender that was cut for flares like is done on rwb's back together. It wouldn't be particularly hard to return one to stock if the cutout fender pieces were kept. Have fun with it, drive it, change it back if you get tired of it in the future.

Spyerx

Having seen several of these up close... I dont' think the kit is that great.
I think what several see is VERY highly varied builds for the rest of the car(everything but the body kit). Most builders don't go to the limit of what's needed to make a really really hot rod car (motor, suspension, trans, etc) because it's stupid expensive to go all in.
So most of these are for 'the look'

Also, having seen a German DP carbon wide body kit on a 993 RSR build, I'll say those are WAY higher quality than the RWB kits. Maybe more expenisve... but seriously OEM quality.

R6XTERRA

I am a purist, an outlaw guy and a huge RWB fan. An RWB car is only good as what the owner is willing to spend on all the details of the car. As far as the exterior...if you don't like the silaflex caulking and that's not your thing, so be it. The body kit is by far the best I have ever seen in terms of quality.

I have been into Porsches my whole life. Owned a few 964's since my 20's as they have been my favorite car.

Always wanting a widebody Porsche I have looked at many different ways to tackle the project. Out of all the widebody kits including using factory steel fenders. For some reason I really like the lines and width of the RWB.

As it may not be for everyone, I believe everyone should be able to build their dreams without other stomping on their ideas or likes. We are a community, we all have one passion and that is our cars.

Don't mock others as they may not be able to afford the level of vehicle as others...show support for their dreams.

On to the regular programming...I believe this RWB will hit roughly as said above. The level of detail in the rest of the car is just NOT there.

This is best an 85k total build car. I have seen many other RWB's go from 150-200k in build costs.

emissary

I mean in terms of widebody kit + installation. I don't believe you could find a better widebody kit and installer that could produce a superior result than an RWB. This is all Nakai does, and he has it down to a science.

emissary

RWBs are first and foremost about aesthetics. No one says "I want to build the best track car possible" and then starts by ordering an RWB build. You build an RWB because the style and the look appeals to you. That said, you certainly can build a fast a RWB if you're willing to spend the money (and some have and they track their cars extensively...mostly in Japan though).

People will sometimes bring up Singers or Emory Outlaws in the same context of RWBs. But this really isn't a fair comparison -- both of those are builds that start from the ground up by a single builder, and at a substantially higher cost. RWBs are a team effort; Nakai provides the kit and install, and you the owner manage everything else.

The minimum cost for an RWB is:

$25k for the kit + shipping + customs (trunklid and finder wing options can push this up to ~$4k more)
$5k +/- for wheels (wide wheels with custom offsets are required)
$5k +/- for painting the kit (more if you paint the whole car)
$1.5k +/- for tires
$3k +/- for coilovers (assuming the car doesn't have them already)

So roughly $35-40k is the base cost to turn any 930/964/993 into an RWB. From there, it all depends on how much cooler/performant you want your hot rod to be.

I have no idea how the secondhand RWB market will evolve. They certainly could go the route of Gemballa, Strosek, etc. -- after all, they're all kits that fundamentally change the shape of the car. But I would argue that RWBs still maintain the core Porsche DNA even after the wide fender additions; for example, a 993 RWB looks roughly like an exaggerated version of a 993 GT2 -- you can't really say the same for Gemballa or Strosek. RWBs also have the advantage that the kit and install are performed by the same single individual. Perhaps when Nakai retires, the market for RWBs will change. But right now, I think you'll see RWBs sell for under or at build cost, depending on the quality of the build and how much the build embraces the RWB aesthetic.

u7t2p7

What is Nakai's markup or profit margin estimated to be for each build; 20% of build cost for example.

R6XTERRA

The above prices do not include his food and accommodations which you pay over and above the kit cost and shipping etc.

I would assume after his expenses he is making $15k a kit easy.

cobalt

So you're paying all this money above and beyond the cost to have someone else prep, fit & paint his parts?

You have to give him credit it is easy money.

emissary

No idea. It's a fixed cost, so conceivably, depending on airfare, etc., he makes more or less on some builds than others.

Yes, you do pay for his lodging for two nights and his meals. Some alternatively host him at their own house.

Yes, you pay to have someone else prep and paint the parts. Nakai fits the parts himself during the build.

The $25k build cost covers the parts and four days of his time (which involves him flying back and forth between Japan)...so there are significant direct costs that subtract from his margin. That said, I'm sure he makes an attractive profit (and I would hope so...that is the point of any business).

Building an RWB is unquestionably expensive. Like many other automotive decisions, it is not logical -- but you do it because it's worth it to you. Many people would rather spend $25k on a Rothsport-built engine. As with all things cars, spend your money on what brings you joy; what that is will be different for everyone.

Bud Taylor

I appreciate that we all can not like the same things but to me its kind of like engineered wood vs 3/4 inch plank. The real wood just somehow seems right. It also might be a bit embarrassing to drive this and then get smoked off the line by a new Camry.

merrick

Sold for $75k

emissary

Looks like $82.5k including buyers' premium. Not bad at all.