Custom Porsche. Episode 1
Miles Works vs RWB  -  Many Roads in Porsche Widebody Culture

Beyond the Usual Suspects

Mention widebody Porsche builds in any car crowd, and the first name that gets shouted back is almost always RWB. Nakai-san’s hand-built flared fenders and spiritual, slightly mysterious persona have become the stuff of internet and real-world legend. But in the last few years, a few other names have started popping up on feeds, forums, and at shows from Europe to the US - one of them is Miles Works Automotive.

Both brands are obsessed with Porsche, both build unapologetically bold cars, but their approaches, communities, and even their philosophies couldn’t be more different. This is not a “which is better” shootout. This is about two brands, two visions, and two very different roads that lead to one place: making Porsche stand out from the crowd.

Miles Works: The Challenger from Mallorca

Miles Works is the brainchild of Dominic Miles, a British builder with a habit of doing things his own way. He started out in the UK with a wild Vauxhall Astra (the infamous “Pinky”), earning his stripes in the custom scene. After the pandemic upended his old company, Kingdom Developments, Dominic moved to Mallorca, Spain, and reimagined his career from the ground up.

In 2021, Miles Works Automotive burst onto the scene with extreme widebody kits for the Porsche 986 Boxster and 996 Carrera. These kits aren’t subtle - they’re unapologetically wide, with aggressive lines, huge vents, and a stance that’s meant to be noticed from across the parking lot. Every piece is hand-shaped in clay before being digitized for production. Dominic has publicly stated he trusts his hands more than any computer, and that tactile approach shows in the details.

What really sets Miles Works apart, though, is their modern accessibility. Want one of their kits? You don’t need to fly halfway across the world or join a secret waiting list. There’s now a Miles Works USA outpost in Houston, making it easier for American enthusiasts to get in on the action. Their wheels - Superstars, Twists, Motorsports - are designed to fit their builds and are available worldwide. The whole operation is as much about community and Instagram hype as it is about tradition.

Key Facts:

Founder: Dominic Miles, UK-born, based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain (Source: Hagerty, Majorca Daily Bulletin)

Extreme widebody kits for Porsche 986/996, with aggressive but cohesive styling (Source: MilesWorksAutomotive.com)

Hands-on clay modeling for every kit, digitized for repeatability

Kits and wheels distributed worldwide, with US branch since 2023

Focus on show cars, social media, and accessibility - no need for a “master” to install

RWB (RAUH-Welt Begriff): The Cult from Japan

If Miles Works is the disruptor, RWB is the cult classic. Founded by Akira Nakai in the small city of Chiba, Japan, RWB (which translates as “Rough World Concept”) took the Porsche world by storm starting in the early 2000s. Nakai is a former street racer who fell in love with air-cooled 911s, and his signature is unmistakable: huge overfenders, exaggerated lips and spoilers, and a sense of balance that only someone with a deep understanding of the car’s DNA could pull off.

Here’s where it gets almost mythical: every RWB kit is hand-built and hand-fitted by Nakai himself. Customers don’t just order a kit - they invite Nakai to their garage. He arrives, often jet-lagged and running on coffee, and in a matter of days, transforms an ordinary Porsche into an RWB legend. No two are exactly the same, and Nakai’s approach is more like a performance than a body shop visit. The result is a car that’s instantly recognizable, tightly linked to a global community, and carries the “built by the master” mystique.

RWB’s appeal is about more than looks. It’s about the process, the legend, and the sense of belonging to a club that values tradition, storytelling, and shared passion. RWB cars show up everywhere - Tokyo, LA, London, Singapore - and every one has a backstory.

Key Facts:

Founder: Akira Nakai, based in Chiba, Japan (Source: RWB Official, Hagerty)

Legendary hand-built kits for air-cooled Porsche 911s (930, 964, 993, and others) https://rwb.jp/

Nakai personally installs every kit worldwide

Signature style: aggressive but balanced, often track-inspired, but always street-drivable

Tight-knit community and global cult following, with local “chapters” in dozens of countries

Head-to-Head: What Sets Them Apart?

Design Process Miles Works: Modern and modular. Clay-sculpted, then digitized and repeatable. Not one-off, but not cookie-cutter either. You can buy, ship, and install via your favorite shop.

RWB: Old-school. Every flare, lip, and cut is done by Nakai’s hands, with each car becoming a unique performance.

Aesthetic Miles Works: Maximalist, edgy, made for the show circuit. Their 996 kits often add six inches or more to the car’s width. Designed for social media splash.

RWB: Aggressive, but with a refined sense of proportion. Inspired by track cars, but never over the top. The balance of form and function.

Community Miles Works: Rapidly growing, youth-driven, fueled by Instagram and YouTube. American presence is big and getting bigger.

RWB: Deep-rooted, built around tradition and the legend of Nakai. Owners form a tight community, often meeting at global “RWB Family” events.

Installation and Accessibility Miles Works: Order, receive, install - often through a local shop. Quicker, less exclusive, and friendlier to the average builder.

RWB: It’s all about the experience. You wait, you host Nakai, you become part of the legend. But it’s slow, rare, and undeniably special.

Who Are They For? Miles Works: If you want your car to be a wild, show-stopping Instagram magnet, and you don’t want to wait a year for installation - this is your kit.

RWB: If you want to own a piece of global Porsche culture, to meet the man behind the myth, and to join a worldwide family - this is the journey.

Conclusion: More Than One Road

Porsche culture isn’t one-dimensional. Miles Works and RWB are just two paths through the jungle - one modern, fast, and fearless; one rooted, slow-burning, and spiritual. Some want instant impact, others want tradition and storytelling. That’s the beauty of the scene.

Pick your road, build your legend, and let your Porsche speak for itself.