What defines a ‘proper’ modified street car for you? For me, it must tick a few boxes: execution, practicality, and thrill factor.
I define execution as how cohesively the aftermarket parts added work together, the fitment of said parts, and most importantly, which parts are selected in the first place. Anything Akira Nakai of RAUH-Welt Begriff (RWB) touches ends up flowing relatively well, and this car is no exception. But style is ultimately left to the owner to decide, and Daniel Pacificador, the owner of RWB Queens, didn’t take that task lightly.
Fitted with custom Work Meister S1 wheels wrapped in 245/35R19 (front) and 325/30R19 (rear) tires, one-off Ganador-style carbon fiber mirrors, and a JDM-themed interior, the Japanese influence on Daniel’s 997 Porsche 911 Carrera 2S (C2S) is undeniable. But there’s more to this melting pot of cultures than first meets the eye.
Enter the American elephant in the room…
A 376ci V8 elephant, to be exact. Installed in the back of this 911 is a Chevrolet LS3 built and fitted by Chavis Performance in Maryland
That brings me to the next criterion: practicality. When Daniel called me a few years ago and spoke about his next build, he mentioned needing something a little more sophisticated than his then-current 2005 Subaru Impreza STI, which he also owned alongside an R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R. His idea was to sell the STI and buy a Porsche, so he could appear a little more professional when meeting with clients for his accounting firm in Queens. Obviously, there’s a big difference between a stock CS2 and one fitted with an RWB wide-body and powered by a Chevy LS V8 engine, but, miraculously, the practicality factor hasn’t been lost.
If you follow me, you’ll know I shoot a lot of Porsches, and I’m happy to report that Daniel’s car maintains all of its Porsche charm, while also having reduced maintenance costs, and being unique, more reliable, and most importantly, comfortable.
My final criterion for a proper modified street car is the thrill factor. Daniel’s CS2 definitely has that with 500whp in a fun, lightweight, and well-tuned chassis. When the throttle’s mashed, it’s hard to wipe the smile off your face.
However you go about modifying your street car, if you end up ticking the aforementioned boxes, you’ll likely end up with something timeless that transcends the idea of A-to-B transportation. RWB Queens is a great example of precisely that.
What defines a ‘proper’ modified street car for you?
