FEATURE – RWB “DOUBLE TROUBLE” PART 2

Yuji Itoh is a self confessed Porsche nut but he’s taken things a few steps further with what is probably the craziest 930 I’ve ever had the chance to shoot. It’s risen from the ashes once before, thanks to a little incident that Yuji had at a circuit a few years ago but looking at it now, you’d have to say it looks absolutely amazing in its current form. Wanna take a closer look?

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Yuji itoh is very good friends with Takashi Ishii, who we featured in part one of this series, and that makes sense when you learn they also work together and have the same taste in cars. The thing is though, Yuji’s car isn’t an RWB creation.

“OMGWTFBBQ???” That’s right. It’s actually hand crafted by Yuji himself and has taken 3 long years and a lot of money to get it the way it looks right now. I doubt many know this but Akira Nakai, master builder of all RWB bodywork, is Yuji’s close friend and they are collaborating together on both mechanicals and aesthetics, so when you see the “RAUH WELT” stickers on the windshield and flanks of Yuji’s car, just know that it’s in support of the greater cause and that Itoh san is an integral part of it.

I suppose the first thing that stands out for most people reading this, is the color. According to Yuji, the car has been sprayed in a color similar to the Lleyton house Formula 1 cars of the 1980′s. Some people call this color mint, others turquoise or Mercedes GP. I just call it awesome. Very refreshing to see a car painted in an unusually nice hue. Maybe others among you are asking what the story is behind the number “95″ on the body work.

Ever see the movie “Cars”? There’s your answer.

Yuji, and Takashi with him, were two of the nicest car owners I’ve ever met in Japan and it was a pleasure to meet up with them to shoot their whips. It wasn’t supposed to happen but unbeknownst to me, Takashi arranged to bring Yuji along and I’m glad he did! There wasn’t a dull moment under that blistering sun where something entertaining wasn’t happening!

The Porsche itself is a 930 body from 1989 and features some amazing mechanical engineering. Some people have the mistaken idea that 930 Porsches, as opposed to the 964, are turbo only but Porsche actually made them in naturally aspirated form as well. Yuji’s car kept the N/A plant and then went to town on it with all sorts of modifications and upgrades.

The oldskool, 1991 “964″ type, flat 6 boxer has been worked and features, among many other things, hi-step 10,000 RPM valve springs, 50mm American PMO carburetteurs and a full Takoashi Volcano titanium set of headers and exhaust system. The exhaust system alone is worth a cool $8000 USD. And, yes, that is a tacho and shift light in the engine bay and it supplies vital information when the engine is being tuned – not easy when you have all those jets to keep happy with the right amounts of fuel and air.

Needless to say it sounded absolutely amazing when properly warmed up.

Twin MSD coil packs supply plenty of spark for the distributor, while a front mounted oil cooler keeps the engines blood supply temperatures in check. There is also the small matter of custom camshafts that provide 12mm of lift and 340 degrees duration. This potent mix of mechanical ingredients is enough to give the car 340ps @ 8400rpm which may not sound like a lot but taking into account the car weighs well under 1000kg’s, you then have a serious track and street performer. This power is driven through the factory G50 gearbox which is more than capable of handling Newtons loads.

Here’s proof of that claim…

What an amazing looking machine…

With the car in its current form, Yuji has managed a 1:02 at Tsukuba circuit which is, in anyones language, a ballistic time. I asked him if the car was capable of a 0:59, like the Nakai driven Stella Artois, and Yuji thinks it may be possible with the switch to fresher, grippier, Hankook rubber… and a different driver!

As it is, the Porsche is currently rolling around on 18 month old Toyo R888 boots and they aren’t giving anywhere near the amount of grip needed for fast times. Fast fun sideways at the present for sure, but the point isn’t drift with this car.

Stance is in my opinion, perfect.

Suspension is a full pillow ball set up with wheels being an obvious choice of SSR Professor SP1′s measuring 18 inches on all 4 corners.

Braking duties are ably handled with 2001 “911 GT3 Cup” calipers and slotted discs front and rear.

In its previous state, there was a lot more carbon fiber adorning the bodywork but a rollover at a circuit meet necessitated a rebuild resulting in carbon fiber giving way to FRP for obvious reasons. Yuji decided to leave a few marks on the car in place as a reminder, not that he drives it any less aggressively!

The carbon fiber rear deck helping things stay planted at the rear. 7Tune stickers look great on any car, wouldn’t you agree?

Inside it is purely business, with not a single trace of carpet or sound deadener to be found.

The multi point cage is a color-coded work of art, extending all the way from the engine bay at the rear…

…through the cabin and then…

…out towards the front bumper where it wraps around a custom fuel cell delivering go-juice via a custom fuel system and Yuji san’s own complete wiring harness.

This car is properly mental, make no mistake about it.

Unlike Yuji himself, who was a gentleman in every way and accommodating for all my needs during the shoot. His daughter Kanna also came along for the ride and no doubt loves the fact she has one of the coolest dad’s in the world! These guys were simply awesome and it’s a credit to them that they took the time out of their busy schedules to help me bring you yet another slice of pure, unadulterated JDM automotive excellence.

With the shoot complete, we decided to get some video of the cars in action and headed off to find a suitable location. Porsches that look this good make for lasting memories.

But after about 20 minutes, the police showed up asking questions about speeding porsches in the area. What happened next though, is something I’ll never forget because I happened to have the camera in Yuji’s car recording his acceleration runs. Without going into detail, I’ll leave you with this image of Yuji posing with one of the police before they left without even so much as a fine. Japan never ceases to amaze and astonish me and I have to applaud the Japanese police for their tolerance and understanding for people and their modified cars. Compared to the disgusting, disgraceful and underhanded way Australian and American police target auto enthusiasts, their Japanese counterparts are complete saints.

Japan continues to open its doors to 7TUNE on all levels and that means great things for you guys, doesn’t it?

A big thanks to Yuji Itoh, Takashi Ishii and Kanna Itoh for arranging the time to immortalize the creations.

Words and Photos – Adam Zillin

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