- The newest RUF model, the Tribute, introduced at The Quail this morning, follows from the modular carbon-fiber chassis tub that was introduced on the CTR Anniversary model in 2017.
- The CTR3 Evo maintains a front crash box from the 997 Porsche 911 but is a “completely bespoke RUF chassis and body from that point rearward.”
- The R Spyder, “a radical rethink of a classic sports car design,” is lightly based on the 991.2 911, in production from 2011 to 2019, with extensive modifications and tuning by RUF.
German manufacturer RUF first “enhanced” a Porsche in 1975. You probably know RUF Automobile from the revolutionary Yellow Bird introduced in 1987. RUF based that car on the Porsche 911 of the day and increased its displacement from 3.2 to 3.4 liters, boosting horsepower to 463, a lot for the day.
Combined with lighter aluminum body panels and a host of tuning elements, the car outpaced its stock counterpart—and much of the competition—by a considerable margin.
Since then, company leader Alois Ruf has gotten further and further from stock Porsches as base models for his increasingly wild supercars.
Thus, the newest RUF model, the Tribute, introduced at The Quail this morning, is based on what the company calls “a completely bespoke RUF platform.”
It follows from the modular carbon-fiber chassis tub that was introduced on the CTR Anniversary model in 2017 and which also underpins the RUF SCR. It sports double-wishbone suspension, the RUF Integrated Roll Cage and the use of what RUF calls “a featherweight carbon-fiber chassis.”
The Tribute is powered by an “all-new” twin-turbo air-cooled flat-six making 550 hp. It has billet aluminum cylinder heads, four-cam three-valve technology (the first time in an air-cooled car, RUF says) with variable valve timing and lift, and dry-sump lubrication.
That wasn’t all RUF showed at Das Quail.
CTR3 Evo
RUF also debuted the CTR3 Evo. It maintains a front crash box from the 997 Porsche 911 but is a “completely bespoke RUF chassis and body from that point rearward.”
“The CTR3 Evo builds upon the CTR3 Clubsport and pushes it even further into the realms of supercar performance,” RUF says.
Its twin-turbocharged and intercooled 3.8-liter water-cooled engine produces a whopping 800 hp and 730 lb-ft of torque, RUF claims. Incredible for 3.8 liters of displacement.
The car sports a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox with paddle shifters and is stopped by six-piston calipers grabbing 15-inch carbon-ceramic rotors. An “extremely rigid” steel chassis combined with RUF’s Integrated Roll Cage makes the CTR3 Evo “highly agile in corners.”
All of it is wrapped in a beautiful carbon-composite skin that RUF says is “reminiscent of sports prototypes of the past but with modern aerodynamics.” All that helps the CTR3 Evo hit a top speed of 236 mph.
Who doesn’t like a Spyder?
R Spyder
Last but not least on the RUF stand at The Quail was the R Spyder, “a radical rethink of a classic sports car design,” RUF said. It’s lightly based on the 991.2 911, in production from 2011 to 2019, with extensive modifications and tuning by RUF. But it’s the seating arrangements that make this stand out.
RUF describes them thusly: Each occupant is positioned in their own cocoons and is separated by a lightweight carbon-fiber bar with an integrated air intake. Screens on both sides of the carbon-fiber dashboard provide views from the rearview cameras mounted on top of the front fenders. Helmets with integrated intercom systems stored under the carbon-fiber rear decklid offer protection and communication between the driver and passenger.
The R Spyder’s 4.0-liter flat six makes 515 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, RUF says. Suspension is a RUF MacPherson strut setup in front and a multi-link rear with integrated anti-roll bar.
It all fits into the RUF philosophy.
“We believe in tradition and being true to our roots while constantly innovating,” said Alois Ruf Jr. “Our new RUF Tribute shows our appreciation for the iconic Porsche 911, my first automotive love, with a modernized air-cooled engine designed in-house at RUF. The CTR3 Evo pushes the capabilities of RUF even further, while the R Spyder is our unique reinterpretation of a classic design. All of our new RUF vehicles perfectly blend elements of the past and present while pushing all aspects of performance.”
What do you think of the latest offerings from Pfaffenhausen? Please comment below.
Mark Vaughn grew up in a Ford family and spent many hours holding a trouble light over a straight-six miraculously fed by a single-barrel carburetor while his father cursed Ford, all its products and everyone who ever worked there. This was his introduction to objective automotive criticism. He started writing for City News Service in Los Angeles, then moved to Europe and became editor of a car magazine called, creatively, Auto. He decided Auto should cover Formula 1, sports prototypes and touring cars—no one stopped him! From there he interviewed with Autoweek at the 1989 Frankfurt motor show and has been with us ever since.
Read the full article here