Rt12 S Shows Why RUF Is Considered an ‘Automaker’
RUF’s Rt12 S is their very first fully house-built vehicle, though its DNA is undeniably Porsche.
There’s a lot of intrigue surrounding the car manufacturer RUF. Namely, being a stand-alone manufacturer, complete with their own unique VINs. Clearly, RUF does things differently. And the Rt12 s is a significant part of that story.
Porsche models are the specialty of RUF, but you won’t find much Porsche badging here. In fact the 997 shell is only the base starting point, and RUF works its magic from there. This is especially true with the engine. A 3.8-liter engine from an earlier 996 generation 911 Turbo is utilized, for instance.
Power would make even modern supercars blush, with two turbos allowing the flat-six to produce 685 horsepower. And to make drivers pay attention, all of that power goes through all the wheels. Launching this car is a visceral experience. Pay attention long enough, and you’ll be doing 224 miles per hour, according to RM Sotheby’s.
But oh, you’ll get there in style. Metallic black paint covers a swath of carbon fiber body panels. Bumpers, hood and engine cover to name a few. And the black paint is contrasted by iconic 5-spoke RUF alloy wheels.
This underpins the Rt12’s unique position within the RUF lineage. Though this is a 2011, the Rt12 debuted in 2004, and was the first model from RUF built entirely in house. Step into the inside and you’ll see exactly what is meant by this.
Alcantara covers the entirety of the interior. And of course has every driver convenience option available from Porsche. But peek closer and RUF integrated a roll cage behind some of the pillars. The back seats? Well, they are there, but so is part of the roll cage. Alcantara covered, of course.
Chances are, you’ve likely not seen one in person, either. Just twelve Rt12 models were made, each one bespoke. There’s an RT12 R model with even more power (up to 720 ponies) and two of them were made with rear wheel drive only. This particular one is located in the US, and has only 513 miles.
Photos: RM Sothebys
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