stu.p

Just found this while browsing on youtube
Ruf tuning company history videos,,Very interesting watch,,hope yous enjoy!!
They dont half build some fast reliable Porsches!!
this is link to part 3 of 4 parts!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfNwm...eature=related

PTurbo965

Sweet vid! Thanks for posting.

al 965

nice post ! Thanks for the heads up.

nathanUK '81 930 G50

Thanks. Watched all 4.

YYC930

Thanks Stu.......!!!!!

Turbo Jonny

Thanks Stu , enjoyed them all.I have the Faszination videos but didnt know of these. Attached pics of new Ruf CTR3 at the last Goodwood show.

PTurbo965

I think the CTR3 is badass, but who likes that goofy stitching in the interior? Is that really what the super wealthy like? I don't mind some nice deviated stitching in a car when it is done right, but that misses the mark for me.

graeme36s

Yep I am as sad as Nathan watched all four videos excellent post and thank you.

997 tt/rs

In my opinion Ruf is good marketing company. They don't have their own development department. The yellow bird was built by Reinhold Schmirler, who four years later founded his own company rs-tuning. The 997 RT12 S engine was developed by my colleague Jorg Kreisler with his black box for controlling non-VTG turbochargers.

cobalt

Interesting. I got a different feel when I was there in the 80's when I met Alois. Garry Borman of Exclusive Motorcars in Montclair near me, the first US Ruf dealer was of a different opinion. I watched a yellow bird get dissected for restoration. Not a well designed car and built poorly IMO. Maybe things have changed but they are building their own cars these days so what makes that marketing only?

spartansix

That hasn't been my experience either.
They're certainly small, and they don't have the development resources of Porsche or a Formula One team, but they're definitely building cars in their factory (I've seen it), even if some of the parts are being made by external suppliers.

I suppose you could take the reductionist stance that RUF and Singer and so forth are all marketing exercises or that Porsche is a hedge fund masquerading as an auto manufacturer or that Ferrari is an elaborate branding operation designed to fund a race team but at the end of the day the products and the experience speak for themselves.

The old stuff like my BTR 3.8 have lots of cool custom bits but are, at their heart, still tuned 911s. I'm also not surprised that Anthony thought the Yellowbird was rough -- some of the things they were doing back then were very rough. Some the early conversions even got color changes without removing the engine! So if you don't care about the marketing (i.e. the brand and the heritage and that 1987 Road and Track article you read as a kid) then we all know you could get the same speed and power for less money having a different shop build your motor. Of course, a Model S Plaid is still going to smoke whatever you build.

The new carbon monocoque cars, on the other hand, are real built-from-the-ground-up stuff. I've been up close with them and with the Singer DLS, and the RUF CTR/SCR are as much if not more of a uniquely developed car than what Singer and Williams put together. In fact, I might say they're more of a real manufacturer than, say, Alfa Romeo, who just seem to be rebadging other FCA products these days!

bweSteve

This part of your post is VERY well stated, and an excellent response

cobalt

If you saw how they were assembled I think you would agree. Would I kick one out of my garage for consuming some oil. Not a chance.