Can Raul-Welt (RWB) become ‘played out?’

Note: I’d advise watching the video in full screen.

In my opinion, most things in life are cooler when fewer people know about them. Having something fall into the mainstream can risk a dilution of its uniqueness, as imitation starts to creep up.

Years ago, Nakai-san and the Raul-Welt brand made a quiet, but impactful presence on the automotive scene. Creating small shockwaves for those in the ‘know’ in the corners of the internet, Nakai-san’s cars sat in a comfortably ‘hip’ niche in tuning world brandishing a uniquely rough fusion of German performance and Japanese styling.

Recently, RWB fever has exploded through the tuning world. On the one hand, that’s great! I would never blame Nakai-san for wanting his business to reach as many people as possible. It’s clear that he really wants owners of Raul-Welt cars to enjoy his work and share his passion for driving.

However on the other hand, the question gains to be raised: “Does RWB become any less unique, the more people that know about it? Is RWB starting to become too mainstream? Can Nakai-san’s creations become ‘played out’, if people start to attempt to copy the style?

Does any of that even matter?

RAUH WELT Begriff // Night Session from eGarage on Vimeo.