Joe’s 1995 Porsche 911 (993) C2 RWB “Son Goku”
Photos: Ohad Kab
Hi Joe, it’s good to have you here. Can you start by telling us what you do for a living?
Joe: I currently work for the City of NY. I’ve also been a long-time car enthusiast and an automotive YouTuber on the side.
Could you please introduce your incredible Porsche to us?
It’s a 1995 Porsche 911 (993) C2 that’s been converted into an RWB.
Who is Nakai, and what is Son Goku?
Akira Nakai is a Japanese car tuner, founder of RAUH-Welt BEGRIFF (RWB), a Porsche tuning company that specializes in custom wide-body kits for classic Porsche models. Son Goku is the name Nakai gave my RWB. He usually names every RWB he builds. Son Goku is the main character from Dragon Ball and symbolizes determination and hard work. Nakai said that’s what he saw in me, and it inspired him to name my RWB “Son Goku.” Also, I’m a big fan of anime and Japanese culture.
What inspired you to build this car?
Honestly, my heart is with Porsche 911s. They’re such phenomenal cars, but I started out as a JDM car enthusiast. Building an RWB was on my bucket list of dream cars to attain. Owning a Porsche RWB allowed me to blend and combine those two worlds—JDM and Euro, haha.
What other builds have you done before?
I’ve done a lot of builds over the years, mostly show cars and a couple of race cars. In my early days, I was building Honda Civics and Nissan Sentras. I went through quite a few JDM cars and eventually transitioned to the Euro side. I’ve owned a couple of BMW E30s, then some BMW E46 M3s, and a few other BMW M cars. Finally, I was able to afford one of my dream cars—a Porsche 911 GT3RS. I’m currently on my fourth Porsche 911.
How long did this build take? How many people were involved in this project?
This build took almost five years, mainly because of the pandemic in early 2020. Nakai was unable to complete builds due to the worldwide shutdown and flight restrictions. I had just gotten on the RWB list before the shutdown, and that’s what prolonged this build. So many people were involved, starting with my wife and close circle of friends, who I always went to for feedback on my ideas. Then there were the sponsors who partnered with me on this project—BASF, Phantasy Kolors, Toyo Tires, FCP Euro, R1 Concepts Brakes, Evo61 Wheels, just to name a few.
How would you describe the feeling you get when you’re behind the wheel of this car?
It feels surreal at times. I used to be that guy who followed RWB whenever it was featured in car magazines and watched RWB build videos on YouTube for years, wishing that one day I’d own one. Now I’m actually behind the wheel of one—haha. Aside from the enormous amount of attention it garners, the car performs well beyond my expectations, and it’s so much fun to drive. That’s partly due to the extensive work I put into the suspension. It tracks incredibly well and has tremendous grip. It literally feels like a street-legal go-kart.
What detail do you particularly love about this car?
The paint is the biggest wow factor for me, and it seems like it’s the same for everyone else when they find out it’s not a wrap—haha. Before this project, my Porsche 993 was black from the factory. Going into the RWB build, I knew I wanted a full color change. Originally, I planned to use “Viola Purple Metallic” from Porsche’s PTS (Paint to Sample) line because it’s my favorite PTS color. That ended up being just the baseline for my RWB build after we modified it. The awesome team at Phantasy Kolors, who painted the car, suggested we customize it a bit to make it a true one-off since I was building something as extraordinary as an RWB. They tweaked the color, added more pearl metallic, and at the last minute, decided to top it off with a matte clear finish instead of gloss. The final color blew all of us away.
How did your car obsession begin?
It began at the young age of 3. I used to watch NASCAR for hours. My mom always tells stories of how she’d turn the TV on to NASCAR just to keep me idle in one place—haha.
How is this car an extension of yourself? This car is the sum of all my hard work over the years. From how determined I am when I set my mind to things, to all the cars I’ve built, the relationships I’ve forged along the way in the car community and the passion I have for car culture as a whole. Nakai naming it “Son Goku” couldn’t have been any more fitting.
Who are some of the top professionals who worked on this car, and what were their roles? To begin, Nakai with his amazing widebody kit and install process. Phantasy Kolors teaming up with BASF for this amazing paint job. Porsche Englewood and their awesome team for helping install a lot of the aftermarket parts including my full custom interior and R1 Concepts big brake kit. Butzigear shop teaming up with Tarett Engineering and FCP Euro for the extensive suspension work/uprgades.
Photos: Ohad Kab