Design study

If you are a Porsche fan, you have probably come across the name RWB. It stands for RAUH Welt Begriff, which translates to Rough World Concept in German. "Rough” is exactly the word some would use to describe Nakai San’s work on Porsche 911s, but while divisive, his method of modifying the popular German sports car is what makes his builds truly unique. There are plenty of companies that delve into custom Porsche 911 builds, but RWB’s work stands out as the most outrageous wide-body Porsche 911s, made by the Japanese artisan.

The 1980s was a truly crazy time. On the one hand, we’d just experienced the oil crisis, which had led to some horrendous cars and ruined previously great ones. On the other – it was a time of innovation, futuristic styling, and some very radical design decisions. Pronounced fender flares, side gills, and pop-up headlights were the norm in those crazy days. When it comes to the Porsche 911, one design stands out as the definitive 1980s styling element – the Flachbau which translates to Slant Nose or flat nose in German.

Normally, when we think of reimagined or resto-modded classic 911s, the work of Singer is probably the first to come to mind. Of course, there are others like Theon, Gunther Werks, Kalmar Automotive, and so many more. Then, there’s Erbacher – an outfit based out of Dornach, Switzerland, dedicated to making its own epic iteration of the often-reimagined Porsche 964.

Evolution sometimes requires sacrifices and Porsche’s sports cars are a great example of that. The Porsche 911 has always followed the philosophy of “evolution, not revolution” and while the latest 992.2 update introduced a couple of novelties to the model, the distinctive shape of the rear-engine sports car from Germany has remained largely unchanged over the past six decades. The 911 is not the only Porsche sports car that has given us great things, only to take them away later. Models like the front-engined 928 and V-10 powered Carrera GT have contributed to the brand’s heritage in their own way, but the 911 makes it easier to trace what we have lost over the years. Air-cooled Porsches are in a class of their own and purists believe anything from the 996 generation onwards isn’t a true Porsche. I am not going to get into whether that’s the case or not. Instead, I’ve decided to list things we love about the Porsche 911 that have gradually been taken away from us with each new generation.

The 992.2 update for the Porsche 911 is an interesting case. On the one hand, we got the first-ever production hybrid 911 with the GTS earlier this year, but on the other, for the first time, we didn’t get a power bump on the track-focused GT3 model. The 992.2 lineup is slowly being updated as new 911 variants are coming out, and with the GT3 and GT3 Touring models being introduced on 18 October, we know the 992.2 GT3 RS should be around the corner. The most track-focused, normally-aspirated 911 will undoubtedly feature slightly more power out of its signature 4.0-liter flax-six. But what if you don’t want to wait? If you already have a 992.1 GT3 RS (or if you are considering one), Porsche Super Cup racing veteran and tuner, Manthey Racing based at the Nürburging has a solution for you. The company’s kit will take your 992.1 GT3 RS and infuse it with much-needed chassis and aerodynamic enhancements, which could make the 992.2 GT3 RS look like an unnecessary upgrade.

Porsche’s rich heritage is a great place to draw inspiration for special-edition models. This is particularly true for the 911, which is the definitive Porsche sports car. The German automaker knows this too well, which is why every generation of the Porsche 911 gets a variety of limited-edition special variants. Back in 2009, Porsche introduced the 997 Sport Classic – a model that combines traditional traits from classic, air-cooled 911s with modern tech. More recently in 2023, the brand introduced a new iteration of the Sport Classic, based on the 992 generation. Conceived by Porsche Exclusiv Manufaktur that allows for limitless customization options, both vehicles follow the same philosophy, leaning heavily on the 911’s heritage. That said, the two 911 Sport Classic variants are very different and while the 992 is superior on paper, this doesn’t necessarily translate to a better driver’s car. I took a deep dive into both 911 Sport Classic models to determine, which is more worthy of the two, in finding a spot in a 911 enthusiast’s garage.

Although Porsche has given us a staggering number of all-time great sports cars going back several decades, the German automaker has diversified its lineup over the past 20 years, by adding SUVs and sedans to its model lineup. This leaves the 911 and 718 as the only two Porsche sports car offerings, presenting Porsche with the opportunity to bring back iconic nameplates from its glorious past.

Making a lightweight production sports car is becoming increasingly difficult in modern days. With the ever-increasing safety and emissions requirements, cars are becoming more tech-heavy, as they feature more advanced and complex systems than their predecessors. Then, there is the electrification trends in the automotive industry, which even Porsche couldn’t evade. That said, the German autormaker still has a few tricks up its sleeve that ensure its sports car models remain relatively lightweight to most of their competitors.

Let’s face it, folks. Crossover convertibles are the automotive equivalent of a mullet: business in the front, party in the back, and a whole lotta "what were they thinking?" in the middle. A niche market indeed with a distinctive taste. Sure, the idea sounds cool on paper, but the reality, as with most things that sound too good to be true, is a bit… off as you’re about to find out. Also, since we’re a brand focused on Porsche, I wanted to explore why the German automaker never considered going down this rabbit hole.

The Porsche 911 Turbo S is, by no means, an affordable car.... or is it? It all depends on the context and when that includes hypercars from the likes of Bugatti and Koenigsegg, the perception of value can drastically change. While the build process of most exotics typically employs the best and most exotic materials, this doesn’t always guarantee a million-dollar, 1,000-plus-horsepower hypercar’s position at the top of the automotive food chain. Then you have other cars that despite the lack of these sci-fi materials, are still built to be overachievers and the Porsche 992 Turbo S is certainly a great example of that.

Porsche is a brand that doesn’t shy away from resorting to unconventional methods and innovative ways to improve performance. The company’s recent patent filings prove the German automaker’s dedication to keeping the internal combustion engine alive for as long as possible. Most conventional powerplants that rely on internal combustion have four strokes – intake, compression, power, and exhaust. However, according to Porsche engineers, the combustion engine can do with two extra strokes. This development is, as stated in the U.S. patent filings, a result of "continuously increasing requirements to increase energy efficiency and other operational aspects of modern combustion machines". The patents do not clarify whether this technology is for boxer engines or for conventional inline or V-engines, but it is safe to say Porsche’s newly developed combustion method is applicable to all existing configurations of the piston engine. But what does all this added complexity amount to? Here’s how this engine technology works and what it means for the company’s future models.

Despite Porsche making one of the most iconic sports cars of all time – the 911 – the German automaker was in financial trouble for much of its existence. It was only after the 986 Boxster and the Cayenne SUV in 2003, that Porsche managed to stave off the threat of bankruptcy. Of course, the acquisition by Volkswagen helped, and because Porsche’s lineup is a lot more diverse, for better or worse. Four-door models like the Taycan and Panamera are selling well, despite the Panamera’s recent sales drop by 25 percent.

Despite its work on e-fuels, Porsche is firmly stepping into the electrification game. The German carmaker is best known for its 911 sports car, which for 2025 became a hybrid. Porsche is adamant that the iconic, rear-engine model will be the last to go fully electric. Meanwhile, models like the Macan and Cayenne are getting a full range of fully electric variants, with the 718 joining the EV bandwagon, in 2025. There is an obvious trend in the automotive industry, where with each new generation, the cars become bigger, heavier, and more burdened with tech.

People just love doing stuff on the Porsche 911 platform. It seems every day, a new, reimagined version of the rear-engine sports car pops up, and nine times out of 10, they’re mostly good. The 911 lineup is the most versatile of any sports car ever produced, and there is a variant for every need. With the platform being as versatile as it is, you would think Porsche themselves would be giving you the craziest iterations of the 911, but no. Another neat example of a heavily modified 911 comes from a California-based Russel Built Fabrication. The company started out in the 2000s, by maintaining movie prop cars, but eventually evolved into a fully-fledged custom shop. Russel Built Fab’s latest and most ambitious project is the Porsche 911 Baja, which takes an already-capable platform and gives it the ability to jump over sand dunes at seriously impressive speeds. While this is not the company’s first off-road 911 build, it is, by far, the most extreme that I have ever seen. Here’s what makes it tick.

Unfortunate circumstances are just as likely to hit cars as they are people and I recently stumbled upon one such build on the web and this one is bound to raise a few eyebrows, among the classic Porsche 911 community. Air-cooled Porsches are one of those things that are considered art. Altering any aspect of them is the automotive equivalent of blasphemy. Unless, of course, you are Singer, Tuthill, or one of the other names, dealing in reimagined 911s. Essentially, what you are looking at is a Frankenstein of a car. It started as a 1976 model that was turned into a race car, and eventually, thanks to a landslide, it required a powertrain transplant. Chris Ashton from Ruffian Cars is the man behind the crazy Porsche 911 race car, and what he had to say about this build and how it um... evolved, was quite the story. More importantly, the Tesla powertrain is not where the madness of this classic 911 build ends. This also raises the question - is it better to let something die or save it through unconventional methods?

Sharing production costs between models is not uncommon in the modern-day automotive industry. It seems even Porsche’s iconic sports cars are no exception and the Porsche 981 and 991 models are a perfect example. The 911 doesn’t need an introduction as it has been Porsche’s flagship sports car since 1964, after succeeding the 356 - Porsche’s first sports car, since the company officially became a brand. That said, Porsche’s financial troubles from the 1990s, prompted the company to give us a budget-friendly model. In came the 986 Boxster, and it immediately became clear it was a cut-price, mid-engine 911, minus the rear seats. This was not the last time Porsche did this. Australian YouTuber and Porsche aficionado, Jeff Richardson took a deep dive into the 981 and 991 Porsche models to examine how much they have in common. He also bought a flooded 981 Boxster solely to dismantle it. One thing became clear to him – the extent of the similarities between the 911 and Boxster/Cayman is a lot more than you initially may have thought, and it doesn’t stop with these two models.

Since its inception back in 1964, the Porsche 911 has been going against the status quo. For over six decades, Porsche engineers have perfected the formula of putting the engine in the rear – a highly uncommon design decision among modern-day automakers. But back when the 911 was still a young name, the company wasn’t sure the rear-engine formula would work long-term. At one point, Porsche even considered replacing the 911 with the V8-powered 928, but that never happened. Porsche’s decision to keep the rear-engine 911 around, paid off as continues to deliver truly unique driving characteristics, for which the car is still praised today.