RUF RUF RT12 R at Geneva 2011

[Soup]

Porsche makes some amazingly capable and exciting machines. The German speedmeisters at Ruf are fans of those cars, but they like to take them, lock them in their insane asylum factory and release them back into the world as roadgoing rocketships. The company's latest creation, unveiled on the 2011 Geneva Motor Show floor, is the Ruf Rt 12 R.

Based on the (quite pedestrian by comparison) Porsche 911 Turbo, the Ruf Rt 12 R begins life with the stock 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine. That unit is good for 500 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque (516 lb-ft with the overboost function). After Ruf gets its mitts on the powerplant, output swells to 730 hp and 693 lb-ft of torque. The engine is paired to Porsche's six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel-drive system. And if you're a rich lunatic, you can opt for rear-wheel drive.

Ruf also works its magic on the body of the Rt 12 R. Carbon fiber is applied to the front fenders, hood, luggage cover, seats and is available optionally on the roof. The side and rear windows are plastic instead of glass to further aid in the quest for lightness. This weight reduction, along with the massive increase in power, has helped Ruf claim an impressive 230 mph top speed for the Rt 12 R.

RUF presents the new Rt 12 R

RUF proudly presents the all new Rt 12 R at the 2011 Geneva International Motorshow (3rd to 13th March). The 3.8 litre bi-turbo boxer engine delivers 537 kW (730 bhp) of power with a maximum torque figure of 940 Nm. A six speed gearbox deals with the power transmission and the 4WD system ensures optimal traction under all driving conditions. The lightweight R using design details originating from motor racing is an optimal choice of vehicle for the race track. The supension is also adjustable.

Technical details:
Coupé form
Carbon-Fibre rear spoiler
Lightweight front with carbon fibre wings
Carbon fibre front luggage cover
Optional carbon roof
Aluminium doors with lightweight interior fittings
Synthetic side and rear windows
Carbon bucket seats
Rollcage and crossbar integrated into the interior paneling (IRC)
Ceramic brakes, disc diameter 380 mm front, 350 mm rear
Forged aluminium wheels with central locking nut, 9J x 19 front, 12J x 19 rear
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tyres, 245/35 ZR 19 front, 325/30 ZR 19 rear

6 cylinder bi-turbo boxer engine
Displacement 3.8 l
Maximum power 537 kW (730 bhp) at 7,000 rpm
Maximum torque 940 Nm at 3,500 rpm
6 speed manual gearbox
4WD standard, rear while drive only available as option
Top speed over 370 km/h
Dry weight (DIN) 1,495 kg

Price: 279,000.00 Euro (excl. VAT)

 

[DeDe]

What a monster!

 

[Soup]

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[Michael]

This statement alone is pure insanity:

"That unit is good for 500 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque (516 lb-ft with the overboost function). After Ruf gets its mitts on the powerplant, output swells to 730 hp and 693 lb-ft of torque."


I remember RUFs in video games like GT and the sorts. I have never seen one in person. I am sure they are ridiculously fast.

 

[LaArtist]

This car is so epic..i got a full tour from a guy at RUF.. and sat in this car..
He told me that the next one in production..will be gold like this..and have a german flag across the roof and the bonnet

He gave a me a kick ass chromed RUF key USB.. but i gave it away to my cousin..he loves porsches

 

[emve]

OMG.

The performance of this car looks absolutely incredible. 200-300 km/h time in about 10s. (according to the speedo, but the GPS figures won´t be much different with this kind of performance)

And this car had only 100km on it. What a way to break it in.

200-290km/h according to the speedo :

~ 8s - Veyron Super Sport
~ 9s - RUF RT12 R
~ 14s - MP4-12C
~ 14s - 458 Italia
~ 16s - 997 Turbo S

 

[Soup]

Ruf RT12 R First Drive - Motor Trend

First Drive: Ruf RT12 R
Diamond in the Ruf: Unleashing Hell in One of the Greatest Supercars in the World

At first glance, this might look like a mildly tuned Porsche 911. It even kind of feels like one. But it's not even in the same ballpark. This is the Ruf RT12 R, one of the very best supercars on the road, and a machine that reduces me to a gibbering wreck after the first full slug of gas.

Because on the most innocuous-looking back road, this monster hits 125 mph in just a shade over 9.5 seconds, rivaling the likes of the Ferrari Enzo and leaving the 458 Italia in its wake. See, Ruf is not a tuner. It's a manufacturer that happens to use the Porsche's basic shell and not much else. The Ruf RT12 R essentially is a lion in wolf's clothing.

Only the experts who remember the record-breaking Yellowbird back in the 1980s will know this is anything other than a 911 -- them, and kids who have played too much "Gran Turismo." Only the knowledgeable few will spot the subtle badging, the air intakes atop the rear haunches, the re-profiled front with a splitter, center lock wheels, lightweight doors, and optional carbon roof. Only they'll know the rear wing isn't a cheap aftermarket add-on. The masses won't look twice, which might offend some people who have just spent the thick end of $400,000 on a car. But then Ruf never did build cars for the nightclub valet: It's all about the drive.

The 911 Turbo was hardly a shabby car to begin with, but this is a total bare-shell rebuild to the exacting standards of a company that has achieved mythical status in the sports car world. It also comes with a 3.8-liter twin turbo that churns out 730 hp and 693 lb-ft of torque. As it fires up behind my head it settles into a deep, even scary rattle, like the sound of gravel in a dryer. That's the single mass flywheel. Only that and the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires rule this out as a daily driver. While the 650-hp RT12 S could easily handle the commute to the office, and a copy has even racked up 124,000 miles in one keen customer's hands, this Ruf is effectively a track car and weekend warrior.

The engine is a tweaked version of the 3.8-liter twin turbo that spent a year in development, and again is a block-up rebuild of Porsche's basic work. Twin KKK turbochargers replace the VTG system, and there's a cast alloy intake manifold, larger throttle bodies, gas-flowed cylinder heads, titanium con-rods, and 102-mm Mahle pistons mated to purpose-built camshafts. The turbos run just 1.3 bar of boost, but it's enough to unleash hell.

It launches off the line with the neck-snapping inertia of a car that is at the legal speed limit before you realize it's moved at all. Officially it's good for 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, but I'll bet you my paycheck it's much faster -- I wouldn't bet against sub-threes.

It almost feels too fast. That single mass flywheel means it hoovers up speed and throws itself down the road faster than the brain can process. Then I realize I still have half a throttle pedal that remains untapped, and I'm not even pushing it, yet...

When I do, it feels stupid fast, Veyron-quick, as fast as anything Pagani, Lamborghini, and more can offer. For the most part I'm merely a passenger as the whooshing sound of the turbos and the anger of the flat six gives the impression of being sucked into a vortex. If the sky started swirling and pulled the liquefied front in, it would not be a shock.

It doesn't help that the car acquires speed faster than your eyes can comprehend, and the road appears to narrow to a pinprick in the middle distance. It literally looks like you're screaming towards the end of the world. I'm so overwhelmed by the performance that I have to lift off, and that's when it strikes me that the car didn't twitch or falter once on that mad charge.

It might run out of steam somewhere north of an astounding 230 mph, but it has been tuned to get there as fast as reasonably possible with a six-speed manual transmission, which is the car's strength or its weakness, depending how you look at it.

Purists bemoan the advent of flappy paddles and deride them over beers while telling ever-inflated stories of driving brilliance with throttle blips and heel-toeing. And it's still fantastic to drive an old-school sports car with a proper clutch and gearbox. It's enjoyable, involving, demanding and fun, but the truth is I'm the slowest part of the car.

The needle screams around the redline and a yellow light on the dash tells me it's time to change up -- even a quick change feels like an affront to the car's power. I'm mentally struggling to readapt to the raw speed and I think the car might be bored with me. Suddenly I want a PlayStation finger click for the next ratio, but given time to acclimatize, I know this will be the most fun I could have in a car.

As for the cornering, it's insane how much speed this car can carry into a bend without a single ruffled feather, and, though my limits are constantly questioned, this super Ruf's limits remain untouched.

It would take a race track and days to even nibble at the edge of the envelope in this machine - it's that good, and more. It isn't just the suspension, with Porsche's variable system giving way to fixed dampers with a 50mm lifter for difficult moments, or center-lock wheels that reduce unsprung mass massively, or the Cup tires, or even the rollcage that's woven almost invisibly into the shell to increase the torsional rigidity. It's all of those things, and the alchemist that is Alois Ruf worked his holistic magic to make the sum even greater than the considerable parts.

Driven hard, the machine is a weird mix of explosive, frightening power and perfect composure, diametrically opposed ideals that somehow mesh. Lift off and it suddenly becomes a car so comfortable you could drive it to the office every day -- if not for the flywheel and race rubber. Indeed, this car even comes with the Porsche Communication Center in the console, and it could be lighter (it's just under 3300 pounds), much to the chagrin of the engineers who worked endlessly to shave grams. But this is what sets Ruf apart from tuners -- this is what makes him special.

The rest simply change the compromise of comfort and sporting prowess - they tilt the axis and make sacrifices. Ruf moves the whole chart to create an impossible mix of GT2 RS-plus performance, four-wheel drive GT3 handling, Carrera practicality, and 911 Turbo comfort. One day somebody will figure out how he does it. Until then we can simply stand and admire one of the greatest supercars in the world.

Base Price $400,000
Vehicle layout Rear engine, AWD, coupe
Engine 3.8L/730-hp/693-lb-ft DOHC 24 valve
Curb weight 3295 lb
Wheelbase 92.5 in
Length x width x height 175.9 x 73.5 x 51.2 in
0-60 mph 3.3s
Top speed 230 mph

 

[Soup]

2012

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