It’s been simply over a month since Mission 964 acquired its RAUH-Welt Begriff (RWB) transformation.
Whereas the automobile sat for a couple of weeks over the vacations so the sealant laid down across the fenders and different areas may correctly remedy, I’ve been doing my greatest to drive it as a lot as doable ever since. However for this put up, I wish to focus particularly on the automobile’s first touge outing in RWB kind. In spite of everything, these builds are all concerning the expertise – and you’ll’t expertise it should you’re not driving.

The 964’s new width, journey peak, and RWB-specific alignment wanted to be examined, not solely so I may get a really feel for the way its dynamics had shifted, however to really embrace them and, in fact, have some enjoyable.

However the first activity of the day was to get misplaced within the RWB strains. I nonetheless can’t imagine how totally different the automobile sits now, so I needed to take each alternative to seize pictures with Alec alongside the roads that wind up by the mountain vary on the middle of the Izu Peninsula.

I really like the automobile’s steadiness – the tightness of the fitment, its peak off the bottom, the chunky rear finish, and most of all, the way in which the Turbo-inspired wing has utterly remodeled the 964’s presence and affect.

If I had any doubts about whether or not the RWB therapy was the precise transfer or whether or not I’d chosen the precise mixture of elements, they had been utterly erased the second I stepped out of the automobile on the first lay-by overlooking Mt. Fuji.


However truthfully, there have been by no means any regrets from the beginning. Mission 964 was all the time destined for Akira Nakai’s customized contact, even earlier than I discovered a donor automobile.

The few hours spent climbing the Hakone Turnpike after which diving onto the Izu Skyline – one among my favourite roads – did greater than put a large grin on my face. They taught me quite a bit. All the things I knew concerning the 964 and its dynamics needed to be re-learned. I needed to recalibrate: the grip, flip in, powering out. What impressed me essentially the most, although, was the automobile’s mid-corner adjustability.

After I fitted the KW Variant 3s at Hashimoto Company final summer season, together with the sticky Yokohama Advan Neova AD09s, the 964 gained an entire new degree of composure. The grip was monumental, and the turn-in turned pin-sharp. I gained’t go too deep into the grip itself – because the tires on Nakai-san’s loaner wheels are so outdated they’ve chemically mutated into plastic at this level – however the dealing with? That’s a special story. Let me clarify…

Whereas the growing older tires do wash broad by the tighter corners I do recall each RWB that I’ve pushed having a protected degree of understeer dialed in for security. By means of the sweeping second and third-gear corners the automobile feels planted and beneath braking and the fairly respectable downshifts the old-school torque converters do in guide mode the automobile tucks in and swings across the subsequent set of apexes impressively easily. Regardless of the growing older tires washing broad by tighter corners, each RWB I’ve pushed has had a wholesome dose of understeer dialed in for security. On the broader, sweeping second- and third-gear corners, the automobile feels planted. Below braking, and with some very satisfying downshifts from the old-school torque converters in guide mode, the automobile tucks in and swings across the subsequent set of apexes impressively easily.

In its present state, Mission 964’s 180,000km-old, naturally-aspirated flat-six won’t ever be a match for the grip of the rear finish, however it’s torquey sufficient to hold some respectable tempo, and I got here away fairly impressed by the automobile’s general character. Now that I give it some thought, this was in all probability the third time I’d pushed the automobile to its limits.

The true enjoyable bit was rediscovering one thing I’d skilled years in the past with the RWB 964s and 993s I drove on the idlers 12-hour race at Motegi. For those who again off mid-corner, the burden switch tightens the road in a manner that you might want to be prepared to present a quarter- to half-a-wheel’s flip of countersteer to make full use of the progressive slide, not forgetting to get again on the ability to speed up easily out of the nook.

It was this satisfying dance, every flip feeling extra in sync with the automobile as I drove by these stunning stretches of blacktop.

It makes me wish to head again once more and relive that second – once you reacquaint your self along with your automobile. It’s days like these that make all of the work main as much as this so price it.


Whereas the RWB conversion could also be executed, there are nonetheless a couple of issues to finalize with Mission 964’s seems. First up: the wheels. They’ve been ordered, however I’m nonetheless a few month away from getting them. Once they do arrive, I’ll must refamiliarize myself with each the aesthetics and dealing with, since they’ll be paired with grippy fashionable tires, albeit barely narrower, and Nakai-san might dial in a barely extra aggressive unfavorable camber entrance and rear.

There’s nonetheless a lot left to do with Mission 964 – belief me, I’m barely getting began – I’m lastly near wrapping up the aesthetics facet of issues.


I’ll proceed to take you thru every step, sharing each the wins and the setbacks alongside the way in which, because the latter appears to crop up extra usually with these vehicles.
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: dino_dalle_carbonare
dino@speedhunters.com
Pictures by Alec Pender
Instagram: noplansco