When the non-Porsche Ruf was introduced a few days ago, everyone was ecstatic, but it turns out that the car’s entirely carbon fiber body is a replica of a 1980s 911.
As you may recall, Ruf created a unique vehicle that wasn’t based on a Porsche for the first time. It turns out that it isn’t nearly the break from tradition that we had anticipated.
Ruf has dressed its brand-new carbon-tubbed CTR 2017 in a body that, let’s just say Porsche might be a little irritated if Ruf hasn’t requested permission, in homage to the 1987 CTR Yellow Bird, an absolutely bonkers 210mph version of the contemporary 911.
What makes a brand-new chassis worth the trouble, then? The most recent Porsche models are too large to have the desired impact.
With flat-cut five-spoke alloy wheels, a sizable spoiler, yellow paint, and upright, round headlamps, the look is eerily reminiscent of 1987. However, the small elements are distinctly 2017—the lower ride height, the cutting-edge headlamp technology, and the interior, which is definitely not a Porsche and is covered in Alcantara practically everywhere but the tartan leather seats.
You really, really wouldn’t want to crash it even at low speed because its extraordinarily wide body is made entirely of carbon. Is it pure hotness or is it unfortunate that Ruf didn’t create its own styling to match all the work it went into creating the chassis?
It is swift in either case. It is lighter than a McLaren 720S, weighing only 1200 kg dry, but slower moving due to longer gearing for the 700 horsepower twin-turbo Ruf. Expect a 0-62 mph time of 3.5 seconds and a 0-124 mph time of less than nine seconds, but the 224 mph top speed beats the McLaren’s 212 mph.
The 245-section front tires are dwarfed by the 305-section rear tires, which provide traction. There must be enough of grip to contain the 649 lb-ft of torque at only 2750 rpm. Ruf designed the 3.6-liter flat-six engine, which resembles the 3.6-liter flat-six used in the 1987 Yellow Bird.
We’re torn between admiring it for seamlessly fusing the old and the new and wishing the outside wasn’t just a carbon replica.
In This Article...
For more than 80 years, the brand RUF has been associated with competence in the automotive industry.
German automaker Ruf Automobile is a family-run business with headquarters in central Bavaria. Ruf is a name that speaks for engineering quality, authenticity, passion, and raw driving. It is also the family name of the company’s founder, Alois Ruf Sr., who established the business in 1939. The family-run business is distinguished not just by its own-brand, high-performance, and opulent automobiles, but also by the craftsmanship and attention to detail that are evident in each and every Ruf vehicle that leaves Pfaffenhausen. In addition to having offices in Pfaffenhausen, where Ruf Automobile GmbH is headquartered, the business also has representation in Canada, Chile, the United Kingdom, China, Thailand, and Japan.
Transmit this tale
One of the world’s most instantly recognizable automobiles is the Porsche 911. Porsche has maintained the same fundamental format—a flat-six engine positioned behind the rear axle—across many iterations and decades. The Porsche crest, however, is not actually present on some of the most well-known 911s. Instead, they are formally acknowledged as being the creations of the German business Ruf, with its headquarters in Pfaffenhausen. And the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles has opened a new display honoring them.
It’s likely that you already know about Ruf if you’re a car nerd. That may be a result of the Nurburgring’s fascination. Ruf produced a 20-minute promotional movie for the Ruf CTR, popularly known as the Yellowbird, in 1987. The Yellowbird is shown in the video. Ruf modified the suspension and brakes, replaced the body panels with lightweight aluminum (or fiberglass for the bumpers), and seam-welded the chassis based on the naturally aspirated 911 Carrera 3.2. Ruf further improved the engine, bore it out to 3.4 L, added two large turbochargers, and achieved at least 463 horsepower (345 kW) and 408 lb-ft (553 Nm), which was significantly more than anything Porsche marketed at the time.
The test driver for Ruf, Stefan Roser, also appears in Fascination on the Nurburgring. He displays masterful car control over 20 minutes, hustling the Yellowbird at frequently absurd slip angles around some of the challenging turns that make up the Nordschleife. It also serves as a pretty good example of how the tire technology of 1987 was not really capable of containing all much power. Faszination on the Nurburgring VHS copies were valuable items before the Internet era, but today anybody can see it due to Ruf’s YouTube channel:
It’s more probable that if you’re reading Ars you first saw Ruf in the racing game Gran Turismo 2, which was previously hailed as the greatest console racer ever (an extremely unscientific and rather controversial judgement, it must be said). Porsche was then bound by an exclusive agreement with Electronic Arts, which lasted until 2016. Kazunori Yamauchi, the game’s designer, chose to approach Ruf instead, ostensibly accosting Alois Ruf Jr. in a hotel to guarantee the brand’s inclusion in the game.
A 1990 Ruf CTR Yellowbird, a 2012 Ruf CTR3 ClubSport, a 2007 Ruf Turbo R Cabriolet, a 2016 Ruf Turbo R Ltd, a 2016 Ruf Ultimate, a 1994 Ruf RCT EVO narrow body, a 1994 Ruf RCT EVO wide body, and a 2015 Ruf RT12R are among the vehicles on display in the “Pfaffenhausen Speed Shop—The RUF Gallery” exhibition, which debuted at the Petersen on May 15.
What distinguishes a Porsche from a Ruf?
RUF automobiles have Porsche chassis. They do manufacture some parts internally, but aside from that, they are essentially Porsches on steroids.
Ruf uses Porsche motors, right?
Ruf and Porsche are not that dissimilar from one another. Pfaffenhausen has a division called Ruf. Vehicles are created, improved, and restored by Ruf Automobile. The company has departments for upholstery, panel beating, paint, engines, and a section for historic cars.
What is the price of a Ruf Porsche?
German automaker Ruf Automobile is a family-run business with headquarters in central Bavaria. Ruf is a name that speaks for engineering quality, authenticity, passion, and raw driving. It is also the family name of the company’s founder, Alois Ruf Sr., who established the business in 1939.
What does RUF’s entire name mean?
Beginning in 1991 and concluding in 2002, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) was a rebel organization that engaged in an unsuccessful eleven-year conflict in Sierra Leone. Later, it changed into a political party that is still in existence today.
The Porsche 9ff is made by who?
Since “BMW” is only a three-letter word, many people pronounce it that way: “bee em double yoo.” The English pronunciation, however, is incorrect because the brand is German. The most accurate way to pronounce this is therefore “bee em vee.”
What became of the RUF?
United Revolutionary Front. The deliberate use of violence (or the threat of violence) against people to advance political, religious, or ideological aims is referred to as terrorism, terrorism, or terrorist act. This is accomplished by intimidation, coercion, or instilling fear.
The Porsche 9ff is what?
The 2007-released Ruf CTR3, while related to the Porsche Cayman, differs significantly from Porsche’s entry-level sports vehicle. In actuality, it is constructed around a custom chassis from Multimatic, a Canadian business.
Porsche uses boxer engines for what reason?
The low design of the air-cooled flat engine made it a perfect fit for sports vehicles like the Porsche 911 since it lowered the car’s center of gravity and allowed for a livelier and more dynamic driving style. Because the weight was on the driving axle, placing the engine at the back also increased traction.
What is the foundation of RUF CTR3?
What ultimately resulted in Ruf Alois Ruf Sr. founded Automobile in Pfaffenhausen, Germany, as a standard garage in 1939. Due to the unfortunate circumstances of one driver, his son Alois Ruf, Jr., would later expand the company into a Porsche tuning powerhouse.
Which Ruf is the fastest?
German auto tuning specialists 9ff are situated in Dortmund. Jan Fatthauer started it in 2001. It specializes in turning stock Porsches into street-legal racing cars, either by selling individual parts or complete cars that have been tuned.
Why do Porsche engines perform so well?
Therefore, it is understandable why Ruf became a renowned business. With a top speed of 211 mph, their CTR set the record for the fastest production vehicle in the world in 1987. (339 kph)
Why are Porsches with air cooling so coveted?
Because of the perfect balance of the crank mechanism, short-stroke sports engines may travel at high speeds without experiencing undue strain. The Porsche six-cylinder flat engines’ tendency to use less fuel as engine power rises is one of their most distinguishing characteristics.
How do you pronounce Maybach cars?
Revolutionary United Front (RUF), also known as Revolutionary United Front/Sierra Leone, is a guerrilla group that was established in Sierra Leone in 1991. As a result of its actions, the government there was overthrown, and a protracted civil war ensued.