Some weekends are not only memorable – they etch themselves in your story.
At the end of last year I took a whirlwind 36-hour journey from Vancouver, Canada to Los Angeles, US with my friend Paul, driven by a single mission: to bring our friend Sid’s RWB Porsche 997 on a journey through some of La’s most iconic roads and stains. It was one of those rare, fast adventures that makes you feel both energetic and reflective.
We landed on Lax in the early hours of Saturday morning, just after midnight. Our friend Colton Waited for us, ready to beat us away. Instead of checking in a hotel, we made an unconventional (but cheap!) Choice – Parking on Huntington Beach and camping in Colton’s Audi SUV. The sound of the waves, the cool ocean batters and the quiet brum of anticipation made it a surprisingly peaceful start of what we knew would be a busy weekend.
Through sunrise we were on our way to Donut Derelicts, a legendary car -meeting on Saturday morning that is just as much about the people as it about the cars. It is a place where Gearheads and Dreamers come together, change stories about coffee while they wonder about everything, from vintage hot rods to new cars. The energy was contagious, a reminder of why autoculture feels like a global language.
Then we went to the speed of K, where Akira Nakai, the brain behind Begriff Rauh, was busy applying the RWB treatment in the broad body on a Porsches fleet.
Watching Nakai-San work is a privilege. His attention to detail and artistic current are hypnotic, every car changed through his hands in something that feels alive. It is not only adjustment; It is a vessel, tightened and raised.
But the highlight of the weekend came when the sun began to undergo. Sid gave us the keys to his RWB, called a striking pink creation Rashomon (羅生門) by Nakai-San. We left for Azusa Canyon, who chases the sunset on the winding roads. The exhaust nut of the engine harmonized with the rustle of leaves and the fading cries of the city below. The sky was crispy, the sky painted in shades of gold and cruste red, and a moment seemed to stand still.
As the night deepened, we went to the center of La, where the lively pink of the car stood on the urban glow of the city. We spent hours capturing the beauty through photos and videos, the streets that offer a cinematic background. Driving through DTLA in an RWB Porsche felt surrealistic – the sound of the exhaust reflected through the empty corridors, the reflections of neon lights dancing over the curves of the car.
Behind the wheel I noticed that I thought how far this journey brought me. I thought back when I was only a child at school, hid in a computer lab, pretended to concentrate on assignments while I scrolled through photos and stories of people who led a car life that inspired me. Now I was here – one of my favorite cars, built by one of my favorite people, through one of my favorite cities. I couldn’t help it, but I wonder if there is a child who is doing the same thing at the moment, looks at the content like that and dared to dream. If they are, I hope they chase it and one day will be surrounded by the kind of friendships and experiences that again define what is possible.
RWB has always been deep in the heart of my love for cars, and this journey has only deepened that connection. Rashomon Is not just a car – it is a symbol of passion, creativity and the idea that some dreams are worth hunting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIDZBFEA1LM
By Sunday afternoon we were back at Lax and boarded our flight home home. The weekend was a blur, almost as fast as it started, but it left us with the kind of memories that you are wearing with you forever. Sometimes it’s not about how long a journey takes, but how deep it resonates. This? Heavy in the best possible way.
Alexander Turnbull
Instagram: Alexanderturnbull_
Instagram: Checkpointjpn
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