54 55911 & PORSCHE WORLD911 & PORSCHE WORLD

RUF RGT VRTR

TWINPEAKS

Welcome to nirvana.Two of Ruf’s veryspecial offerings,displayed at theGeneva Salon earlier

this year are now ready to roll after muchdiligent fettling in the Pfaffenhausenfactory. They don’t come much broader inthe beam than this pair. The blue RtR andthe white RGT are siblings, though theformer is turbocharged and the latter isnormally aspirated; one is four-wheeldrive, based on the 991 Turbo, while theother is based on the 991 GT3 andtherefore rear-drive only. Paradoxically, theRtR has a manual gearbox, and thoughthe RGT ostensibly projects the moretrack-orientated imagery, it has PDKtransmission.The white RGT is a right-hand drive car

because it’s bound for Singapore. Itfollows the tradition of Ruf’s RGT models

with its bolt-on wheelarch extensions,similar in spirit to the original 993 GT2.The absence of the letter T in thedesignation indicates it’s a normallyaspirated car, and back in 2000 the modelwas originally based on the 996 andequipped with a GT3 crankcase. While UScustomers were denied the factory-produced GT3 at the time, the Ruf RGTwas available in the States. Ruf’s latestversion of this model is extra widebecause of its flared wings and wheelarchextensions, and at the front it has anadditional 8cm in total width and at theback it’s 12cm broader in the beam. Infact, both the white and the blue carsshare the same dimensions, albeitachieved in different ways. The RtR is thelatest incarnation of a model Ruf firstproduced in 2001, though it’s a formulathat dates back to the first Ruf product, theTurbo Coupé of 1977. The blue RtR body

of the current car was created by insertingadditional material in the wings (fenders inUS parlance), incorporating carbon-fibre inthe front arches and steel in the rear. TheRGT’s extensions are carbon-fibre allround, glued and bolted in place, havinghad the original inner and outer archessuitably modified to accommodate theenormous wheel and tyre width as well.The RGT is the more racecar of the two

styles, and the RtR the more elegant,which means it’s also more expensive toproduce. It’s typical of Ruf’s bespokeservice that, if you fancied the spec of oneand the image of the other, these modelsare interchangeable. As Marcel Groos(Alois’s son) says, ‘we can offer both carswith either option, so the body styles ofboth cars are interchangeable. You canhave the Turbo RtR with the bolt-onwheelarch extensions, and you can havethe RGT with the elegant extensions, and

Probing the outer limits of performance and aesthetics,Alois Ruf has produced a stunning pair of supercars, theRtR and RGT. These wide-bodied siblings fulfil theirpotential in very different waysWords: Johnny Tipler Photography: Antony Fraser

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the RtR is also available as four-wheel driveor as rear-wheel drive only. You can have amanual gearbox or you can have a doubleclutch gearbox, and that’s something thatRuf has always offered: you can have anydrivetrain you like, you can choosewhatever propulsion you want.’ Naturally,the nature of the driveline and aspiration ofthe engine has a huge bearing on theperformance delivery of both cars. Marcelagain: ‘Yes, the RGT is rear-wheel driveonly, and we use the GT3 drivetrain, whichcomprises the 3.8-litre engine coupled withthe double clutch gearbox. The engineremains basically the same as the originalGT3 spec, though we’ve optimised theexhaust aspect and the ECU, and that'sproducing nearly 500bhp, compared withthe standard car’s 480bhp, so we’ve gaineda little.’ Most prominent feature in theengine compartment of the RGT is a singleconical BMC air filter, monogrammed “twinair power, made in Italy”, and as neat aninstallation as you could wish for, in thecentre of the engine bay, receiving airblown in from the pair of twin fans locatedin the underside of the engine lid.But the real focus is the appearance of

the car, combined with Ruf’s chassistechnology and the function of the built-inroll cage, which stiffens up the bodyshell.‘The suspension is a very well developedKW set-up that we do together with them,’explains Marcel. ‘The chassis is reinforcedwith our integrated roll cage and, basically,every part of the chassis except the doorshas been changed or modified; you can seethe wider sills and wings (fenders), the rearbumper, and then the front bumper with itsretro looks including the round holes forbetter cooling, and the square central oilcooler. We use the same front bumperdesign for both cars, including a little bit ofretro, and the offset of the wheels alsoshows off the extra track width at both ends

of the car.’ The rear wing and engine lid isdifferent to the RtR’s wider, straight version– paradoxically less competition oriented –while the RGT’s is a special carbon-fibreBatman look. The engine lid itselfculminates in the fundamental ducktailspoiler, regarded as providing sufficientdownforce in its own right on the TurboFlorio. The “Batman” rear wingconfiguration is a lot more complex designthan the RtR’s because it’s edged withwinged fins and a pair of small convex linesabove where the struts mount on to theducktail, and it’s a more graceful solutionthan the single plane shelf adorning theRtR. The RGT cabin features an Alcantaraheadlining, the suede-like material alsocladding the pillars and matching seats. Apair of rear seats, too, at odds with the GT3

origins, and we’ve also got the additionalinternal roll hoop, red seat belts andcarbon-fibre trims on the doors, dashboardand around the centre console.The blue RtR is destined for Miami,

Florida. Marcel talks me through the spec:‘The RtR has a different driveline to theTurbo Florio (the Ruf Targa that I droveearlier in the day), and it uses the samepowertrain as the CTR-3 and the RT-12R,and that’s the old, tried-and-tested Mezgerengine. We can tweak 800bhp out of thatwithout compromising any safety andsecurity reserves on the car; that’s thereason why we use this well-establishedengine. We can also offer a six-speedmanual gearbox for the RtR, which is an

exclusive feature because normally youwould only be able to have the PDKtransmission in the Turbo today.’The front lid is carbon-fibre, and the

cabin is another Ruf piece de resistance.It has the same colour co-ordinated bluesteering wheel boss, extended as highlightsaround the dash panel, the centre consolesurround, door panels and the rear of theseats – with blue stitching in the leatheras well. It’s a marvellous environment foran uplifting driving experience. Ruf looksafter the details, too: stashed in theluggage compartment of the RtR is aplastic Ruf-logo’d case containing acontinental travel kit.Both the RtR and the RGT are running

on similar wheels. ‘We created a new Rufmodular wheel here,’ Marcel tells me,

‘together with OZ, and both front and rearare running very wide tyres, 20in, and onthe front we have 255s and 325s on therear, so you can really see how much widerthe track becomes by the offset of thewheel rims.’ Indeed, The RGT is on PirelliP-Zeros, 345/25 ZR20 at the rear and265/30 ZR20 up front. The brake discs arecarbon-ceramic items, at 410mm thebiggest possible diameter on the front,allied to six-piston calipers, with 390mmdiscs and four-piston callipers on the back.Short of a racing car, I’ve never seen suchbig brakes on a road car.The inspiration for the wide-body look

came in the first instance from Estonia – theglamorous Mrs Ruf – who had some

Things happen quitefast in the Ruf RtR.Look carefully andyou will see thatTipler’s hand isgrasping a manualshifter. Yep. despitebeing 991 Turbobased, Ruf offers amanual option

We can safely tweak800bhp out of theMezger engine ”“

RUF PITCHThe expansive Ruf stand at this year’sGeneva Salon presented three newmodels, the RtR, RGT and 991 Targa-based Turbo Florio, plus a great take onthe 1971 “Psychedelic” 917 in the shapeof an aptly-liveried swirly-hued CTR-3.The new range takes Alois Ruf’ssupercar business into a new phase, andon this visit to Pfaffenhausen he told meabout the rationale behind the new line-up as well as some of his current plans.‘We launched three new models at

Geneva, and if I start with the TurboFlorio, the idea was to combine the newtechnology of the Targa with thedrivetrain of the Turbo 991, adding atouch of Ruf, which is the extraperformance of the 3.8 engine thatdelivers 630bhp, and also the stance ofthe car when you look at the front end.So we have a different appearance and asportier vehicle. One of our specialtouches is the signature Ruf air intakewhich is very subtle and that makes it aunique car. The name came from theTarga Florio, because Vincenzo Floriowas the founder of that race, and wethought it would be good if his namecould also be on a car named after him.I don’t think that’s ever happenedbefore. It’s a unique car for theindividualist who likes to have a Targa

combined with turbo power, drivingwith the double clutch gearbox, andlovely flat handling.‘The blue RtR is an extreme car; it

takes you to the maximum. It’s forpeople who like the wide body look,with big wheelarches and huge tyresthat puts the full race car image on theroad, and therefore we had to stay withthe good old Mezger engine which wehave give our 802bhp package, and thatcannot be combined with the doubleclutch gearbox, so we had to go manual,and there are still plenty of peoplearound who miss the stick shift,although the double clutch gearbox isperfection today. The engineers haveworked miracles to make all of thathappen, but there are people who’velived all their life with a clutch and stickshift, so it’s for those individuals, acustom-tailored car. It’s just about thewidest bodied car that’s practical on theroad, and that’s about the maximumrear-engined turbo power you can goto as well.‘The third car is the RGT, which is the

same chassis concept but with anormally-aspirated engine and rear-drive only. So the width is the same asthe RtR, but how we get there isdifferent because we have bolted-onfender (wing) flares, though in principle

it is also possible to switch, so we couldbuild an RGT with the solid fenders likethe blue car, and we could also build anRtR with the fender flares that the RGThas. It’s all down to customerpreference. The bolted fender flareshave a certain charm because you cansay they are like a racing car’s, and itspeaks of the muscles that have beenadded on, and it’s also something of anRGT tradition.’So what was the reception like at

Geneva? How were the new carsreceived? ‘Very, very well, and we tookorders for all three cars, so they havebeen very well received. After severalmonths of fettling and fine-tuning we’vegot to a point where they’re ready to go.The white one will be shipped in thenext two weeks, and the blue one hasalready been driven by the owner whowas here in early August, and theTurbo Florio already belongs to a localowner here who is enjoying the carvery much.’Let’s talk about the rest of the

business then; you’re still restoring carsin the classic department? ‘Yes, we’vejust finished the early 911, car no. 116,and we’ve just about finished a 2.7 RS’73 lightweight, and we have a ’67 soft-window 911S Targa in the paint shopright now, and that will be the next

candidate for assembly, so we arequite busy there.’There are a dozen or so cars in the

throes of fettling and construction in themain workshop, so what are we seeinggoing on there? ‘We are buildinganother SPS car, sports purposespecification, a very exciting one! Youremember the white 2.8 RSR that youwrote a story on before? It’s the sameidea, but based on a 964. It is going tobe a long bonnet car so it will have theearly body style, and it will resemble a’73 RS and will have a normally-aspirated engine and a very hot one too– it will be a 4.0-litre! So we will do astory with that car too when it’s finishedbut I cannot say right now when thatwill be.’Is there a particular direction the

company is headed in? ‘You saw ourconstruction site across theroundabout? We’re doubling up factorynumber 2. We’ve just produced threefabulous cars and we will continuebuilding these cars. We are alsothinking about shifting the pages of ourown history book and going back intime to replicate something special fromRuf’s past, and we can talk about thatnext time you visit.’And that is a very interesting carrot

to end our interview on.

RUF RGT VRTR

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renderings drawn up a couple of yearsago to illustrate her vision. She explains,‘I talked with a customer who wasinterested in a more aggressive look,and I called the design “Turbulence”, whichis a play on words!’ As she acknowledges,‘it’s kind of ironic that our reputation stemsfrom the amazing speed achieved by thenarrow-body YellowBird back in the late

’80s, and here we are, doing a pair ofwide-bodied cars that contradict our originalvalues.’ Nevertheless, they do cater to aparticular market segment that prefersextreme aesthetics, and we all have

our particular foibles.And now for the moment I’ve been

waiting for – the chance to drive thesebeasts on the long, looping Swabianbackroads, arcing up and down betweenpasture and arable, forests and tiny villageswith onion-spire churches and 100ftmaypoles, fabulous for evaluating thechassis in the bends and undulating

cambers. I’m driving the blue RtR first, andI’m struck by the opulent cabin with itswonderful driving position in the Ruf lollipopseats, and as it’s a manual left-hooker Ifamiliarise myself with the six-speed gate.

Foot on brake, twist the key and it burstssharply into life. The guttural soundtracksays it means business. The clutch isextremely sharp and it takes a couple ofgoes to get if off the line, though all isresolved once out on the open road. Adelicate throttle and strong clutch foot is allthat’s needed. However, this is a muchmore nervous animal than I was expecting,as I apply the slightest throttle pressure andit surges forward. The feedback fromsteering and chassis is acute, too, as it’sfeeling every nuance of the road surface.I’m hearing a whistle from the wastegate asthe turbo boost cuts off between gearchanges. The brakes are equally as sharp –what else was I expecting from those dinnerplates? – and the slightest pressure has itjerking, so I need to be extremely smooth onthe pedal. There’s also an amazing roarbetween 5000- and 6000rpm as the turboskick in and we rush away. This could beaddictive. The way the RtR accelerates in

Despite being famousfor its narrow bodyturbo ‘YellowBird,’Ruf has embraced thewidebody look at thebehest of its customerbase. Mrs Ruf callsthe aggressive look“Turbulence,” whichwe like

Ruf signature five-spoke style wheelcovers PCCB brakesand massive six-potcalipers. Despitebeing based on the991 Turbo, the RtRuses the old Mezgerengine to reliablyproduce 800bhp

I talked with a customer whowanted a more aggressivelook and I called the design

“Turbulence” ”“RUF RGT V

RTR

There’s an amazingturbo roar between5000 and 6000rpm ”“

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3rd and 4th, right round to 6000- and7000rpm is just staggering; when is it goingto tail off, I wonder; but it doesn’t stop, it justkeeps on accelerating. But even when I floorthe throttle the power delivery is verysmooth; there’s no particular kick in the back,it’s just a smooth onslaught of muscle. It’salso fun to play a tune with the engine notegoing through the gearbox. I press the Sport

exhaust button so its strident bark issounding twice as loud, totally awesome,and my hosts use the moment to record avideo of the sequence of gear shifts as Imove up and down the ’box while travelling

through the landscape. Handling is slickthrough the esses, with the pegged-downassurance of the four-wheel drive chassis.The other side of the coin is that I can alsocruise along in 6th gear in a very relaxedway. That’s the sign of a classy grand touringcar: to provide the excitement in the cornersand go touring like a lounge lizard. Having amanual ’box with a turbo engine is especially

unusual, and it’s a joy to drive a manual carwith so much power on tap in each gear. Thewhole thing is extraordinarily smooth andsophisticated.I switch to the white RGT. To add to the

set of enticing paradoxes presented by theRtR and RGT, the white car is a right-hooker.Double-clutch gearbox, too, so paddle shiftsare the order of the day, though I think we’llget acquainted with the performance factorfirst before flipping those levers. Like theRtR, there’s a half cage – more of a roll hoop– in the back, and the controls are familiarenough, Ruf-smart, with Alcantara liningscladding the built-in bars reinforcing the A-pillars. The Alcantara-clad seats feel rathermore supportive than the RtR’s, a tighter fit,too. In keeping with the race-lookwheelarches, the driving position and theattitude I adopt behind the wheel seems a bitmore purposeful than the RtR. They’re quitedifferent in character, and it’s amazing howthese transitions are wrought from onemodel to another.As befits its GT3 origins, the RGT is more

of an aggressive character than the RtR,though agreeably biddable and, whenopened up, proves to be markedly less edgy

The RGT is more of anaggressive character

than the RtR ”“Bolt on style wheelarches are a designcue taken from the993 GT2 and give the991 GT3 based RGTa racer’s look

Below: Biplane rearwing gives addeddownforce. Engine isbascally stock GT3,but with exhaust andECU tweaks toachieve 500bhp overthe standard 480bhp

RUF RGT VRTR

It’s a lot less powerfulthan the RtR, but

for me the RGT is thepreferable drive ”“

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than the RtR. Since the six-speed manual ofthe RtR is a very seductive proposition, it’swhether one would be prepared to acceptthe PDK transmission on the RGT –although all Zuffenhausen-built GT3s arethus equipped now. Nevertheless, it’s a verytantalising conundrum. By comparison the

RGT brakes are more user friendly, not soharsh, though a few miles aboard the RGT isfamiliarisation enough. There’s a bit moretransmission noise emanating from the backof the RGT, and of course without theturbocharger the power delivery is a lot morelinear, and in non-paddle shift mode it seems

to hold onto the gear for longer than I’dexpect as I accelerate. The rear drive chassisis quite refreshing after the prescribed four-wheel drive of the RtR. The steering is a lotlighter, and it’s a more light-hearted car.Despite the fact that, statistically, it’s a lot lesspowerful than the RtR, for me it’s actually the

preferable drive, and the further I go the moreI’m leaning towards the PDK persuasion inspite of a lifelong stickshift habit. It almostdrives itself but, being rear drive, there’s morelevity about its disposition than the blue car.The RtR feels nervier, regardless of its AWD,whereas the RGT chassis just feels

amenably planted. It certainly flowsunperturbed through the curves in a veryagreeable way, and in a tighter turn I lift off atouch and the nose tucks in. Fabulous.The bottom line is, I’m spoilt for choice!

What spec am I going to choose out of thisembarrassment of riches? Either of thesespectacularly wide badboys would be hugelysatisfying to own. The rear drive layoutundoubtedly saves weight but, arguably, isless secure than the all-wheel drive RtR on awet road. But I would opt for rear-wheeldrive, not only for lightness, but because thesteering feedback is more delicate, leadingto a more vivacious car. Twin peaks? Therehave been plenty of pinnacles in Ruf’s backcatalogue, and these are certainly twomilestone cars in the Ruf oeuvre. I’mhooked. As FBI agent Dale Cooper (AKAKyle McLachlan) says in the eponymousTwin Peaks who-done-it, ‘Every day, once aday, give yourself a present.’ Just drivingthese cars hits that particular button. PW

CONTACTThanks to P&OFerries for thesmooth EnglishChannel crossing,Dover-Calais.poferries.com

Alois RufRUF AutomobileGmbHMindelheimerStraße 21D-87772PfaffenhausenTel.: +49 82 65 911911E-Mail: info@ruf-automobile.deWebsite: ruf-automobile.de

These are certainly twomilestone cars in the

Ruf oeuvre ”“Above and below:Customerspecification makesthe blue RtR thelairiest looking of thetwo cars on test, bothinside and out