Some Clarification on the RUF Brand
Many of us got to know the RUF brand via the Gran Turismo video game franchise. The story there goes that up until 2016, Porsche had an exclusivity agreement with Electronic Arts that said that only EA games could feature Porsche vehicles. To get around this, Polyphony, the studio responsible for the Gran Turismo series, used vehicles in the game from automaker RUF. As a result, many off us became familiar with the RUF CTR 2, the RUF RGT and the RUF 3400S, which, deep down we all knew were Porsches (a 993, 996, and Boxter, respectively) despite the fact that the word ‘Porsche’ appeared nowhere in the game.
Recently, a 1996 Porsche 993 RUF Turbo was added to the collection at Modern classics, which presents a great opportunity to dive into the history of this unique automaker.
What Makes RUF Special?
And when we say automaker, we mean automaker. Perhaps the most misunderstood fact about RUF Automobile GmbH is that it is considered to be a standalone automaker, and its products standalone, original models built from unmarked Porsche chassis, known throughout the industry as bodies in white. These vehicles carry their own RUF VIN numbers and chassis codes; in every official sense, they are RUF models. This isn’t to say that the company doesn’t tune and upfit pre-existing Porsche models; Modern Classics’ own RUF started life as a Porsche 993 Turbo and still carries its Porsche VIN.
Still, the company acts primarily as a manufacturer. Perhaps RUF’s most famous model is the Porsche 993-derived CTR, which could achieve speeds of up to 213 miles per hour and for a time held the unofficial lap record at the Nurburgring, with a time of 8:05.80. Other RUF models over the years have been derived from the 997, 991, 991 Targa, Cayman, among others. RUF even produced a Cayenne-derived model known as the Dakara, upon which it transplanted 998 headlights.
Altogether, RUF has produced some of its own crazy, exciting, and downright insane models over the years, all of which capture the Porsche ethos, without bearing the word ‘Porsche’ or the brand’s famous Stuttgart Coat of Arms logo anywhere on the vehicle.
