2004 Ruf RTurbo

Alois Ruf Sr. founded RUF Automobile GmbH in 1939 as a service garage located in Pfaffenhausen, Germany. His son, Alois Jr. took charge of the company in 1974 and, with a passion for Porsches, refocused the company's attention on enhancing Porsches. They initially offered a-la-carte modifications or hand-crafted sports cars from bodies-in-white or on bespoke chassis. The German government soon took notice of RUF's operation, upgrading the company's legal standing from an aftermarket tuning house to an official automobile manufacturer in 1981. In 1983, they released their first house-built automobile, followed by successive generations of Porsche-based products. The first RUF to carry a W09-prefix chassis was the BTR of 1983, a completely reengineered version of Porsche's 930. Its 3.4-liter turbocharged engine was paired with a RUF-developed fix-speed transaxle. Four years later, RUF introduced the CTR 'Yellowbird, ' which redefined the performance standards of road-going sports cars.

Shortly after the arrival of the new 993-generation Porsche 911, RUF introduced the turbocharged BTR2. The following year, an even more extreme version of the 993-based model was introduced dubbed the CTR2. It came with twin turbochargers, optional four-wheel drive, Kevlar bodywork, and a coil-over suspension. The Turbo R of 1998 featured a 490 horsepower flat-six engine with improved suspension and brakes, an integrated roll cage, an RUF-designed body kit, and five-spoke alloy wheels. With a top speed in excess of 200 mph, it was among the fastest road-going automobiles of the day.

The R Turbo (not to be confused with the Turbo R of 1998) was based on the Porsche 996 Turbo and was introduced in 2001. It could be purchased as a complete Ruf car with a unique VIN or as from an existing 995 with a Porsche VIN with RUF modifications.

The body styles included a coupe or cabriolet, in either a widebody Turbo bodyshell or an optional narrow-body Carrera body shell. The all-wheel-drive configuration was standard with the rear-wheel drive setup being optional. Engine options included 520 hp, 550 hp, and 590 hp outputs. Each was via a tuned version of the 3.5-liter flat-6 engine from the 996 911 Turbo. Among the upgrades performed by RUF was the addition of KKK turbochargers, an upgraded valve train, a special intake manifold, sharper camshafts, a modified VarioCam system, a remapped engine computer, Porsche GT3 engine mounts, and an exhaust system with a bypass valve. The regular 996 Turbo produced 420 horsepower and 413 lbs-ft of torque, while the R Turbo offered 520 hp at 6,000 RPM and 545 lbs-ft of torque at 3,500 RPM. The following year, RUF released an updated R Turbo which boosted output to 550 hp and 575 lbs-ft of torque.

Upgrades to the exterior included a choice of Ruf modular 18-inch or aluminum alloy 19-inch wheels, quad exhaust tips, and redesigned bumpers. The interior contained lightweight racing seats, a special sports steering wheel, and revised gauges. Optional equipment included an integrated roll cage, a leather interior, a traditional green leather interior, or a color selected by the customer.

Production of the RTurbo began in 2001 and continued through 2005.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2022