For well over two decades now, Japanese master Akira Nakai has been building his iconic RWB (Rauh Welt Begriff) 911s. And while members of the Porsche custom community who don’t know his name are few, those who are aware that he occasionally stepped outside the realm of German machines are even fewer. Enter the RWB Ferrari 348. Nakai-san only made two of these Prancing Horses, with this example having recently made its way from Japan into America.
The 348, which Ferrari built between 1989 and 1995, is the kind of Prancing Horse that splits opinions. There are many enthusiasts who appreciate the pure, analog driving experience of the mid-engined V8 Fezza, along with the exuberant styling (more on how RWB changes this below).
However, the “nope” camp loves talking about the less-than-stellar straight-line performance offered by the N/A 3.4L V8 (this explains the name), which initially made 296 hp (300 PS). And the biggest player in this league is… Honda, whose original NSX was aimed specifically at this Maranello machine, obviously being offered for much less money.
Back in the days of the Testarossa, the 348 was the entry-level Fezza. However, the comparo is no longer that simple when involving the current Prancing Horses. To that end, the 348 is an ancestor of the F8 Tributo.
With this being a 1994 car, we’re looking at a 348 GTS (the targa version), an updated model whose engine makes an extra 20 horses—the gated five-speed manual is still there. The car ended up in the hands of RMC (Real Muscle Car) Miami, with the dealer taking the thing to Instagram about one month ago. However, it doesn’t show up in the inventory listed on its website, which probably means it has already found a home.
It’s worth noting that while this may have been Akira Nakai’s personal car (this Reddit comment seems to suggest that about the ex-Japan example), we weren’t able to verify the info.
No more cheese graters!
Given this is a Rauh Welt Begriff build (in German, rauh means “rough” and welt means “world), it all starts with a widebody, which is here in molded form. The rear wheel arches have received work, with the vehicle now riding on custom wheels. And while we’re talking about the connection to the road, the vehicle features Crus custom coilovers with external reservoirs.
However, the most striking feature has to be the side stake delete—as with this Testarossa that was recently featured by Japanese widebody specialist Liberty Walk, the cheese graters have been shaved. And while this definitely sets the car apart from other 348s out there, it might be difficult to swallow.
The Italian V8 received individual throttle bodies. a Motec engine management, a coil on plug conversion, a limited slip differential and a custom exhaust, which you can sample in the Instagram post below. Oh, and let’s not overlook the beefier brake, which come from Ap Racing.
If this story got you hyped about the Ferrari 348, you might wish to know more about its quirks and features. And you can have your cake in the Doug DeMuro video below, even though eating it is a different affair. You see, while he lists a price of $60,000 for the Italian exotic, the clip was uploaded back in 2017. Meanwhile, even with the said mixed reputation of the model, the average price for one of these now sits closer to $70,000.
