CP

Pete,

Thanks for the kind words. I am a very lucky guy.

CP

CP

Jonathan,

I can help elaborate a little on Bob's comments.

I know Bob had seen a few Ruf cars. Mine particularly up close and personal. When my car came from Germany, the suspension is a mixed bag, adjustable in the rear, non-adjustable in the front. So are the brakes: Big Reds front, OEM 993 rear (though all four wheels had Ruf logo black calipers). Furthermore, when we redid the engine gasket in 2004, they found a second-rate gasket which was the cause of oil leaks. So all in all, whether Ruf chose such incompatible parts, or the PO cut corner and Ruf just did what the customer wanted (we will never know), the fact was what met the eyes were not all top-notch perfect stuff. Of course, with Bob and Devek's help, we made everythig perfect. But what we found on the Ruf the way it came was not that way.

Now Ruf has such pristine reputation, few would question if their stuff is great, or simply good. Even fewer folks would have the chance, and or the ability, to examine a Ruf and conclude how good they are. Bob is unique in that he knows the stuff when he sees it. However, if I am ordering a Ruf car now, I will ask any and all questions to make sure that nothing is taken for granted. I am not bashing Ruf here, just stating the facts.

Also, mine is a conversion, not a Ruf Vin car. It is entirely possible that a Ruf VIN car is 100% beyond reproach.

Hope this helps a little.

CP

alpinadvl

Not to be much of a dissenter...but I must add some things.

RUF - is definitely form follows function. If you ever get a chance to lift the engine lid of the CTR (yellow bird) - do it...you will never see a more impressive plumbing in an engine bay. The cars are definitely function. The quality and materials are impressive. And the testing is more impressive. Alois Ruf (and Estonia) are impressive. This is a company with heritage, and their cars show it. They are styled very modestly. While I would defintely agree with the statement that Gemballa is the "hey look at me"....and they are definitely flashy - don't forget that Gemballa has taken a number of wins in the tuner showdown (Ruf not participating of course!)

But,.... my favorite is deffinitely TECHART
TECHART - has the styling right on the nose. perfect for my tastes.... everything for their cars flows together. (The cayenne magnum is over the top...but it is a brute done to perfection with every detail). There is pure fun in every one of the models built at Techart. These cars are fun to drive and perfectly balanced. The Bilstein race and test cars was a Techart 996 turbo - modified. So, handling - they have.

I would only say to anyone considering Porsche tuning to have a look at Techart, just for comparison sake. And they are also manufacturers with their own vins. And they supply porsche with many of the parts under "techquipment" and also some Porsche OEM-branded parts (I have seen this personally)

(Another analogy, for those who know BMW's ....RUF is like ALPINA ..... and TECHART is like AC SCHNITZER (but AC Schnitzer doesnt have as nice interiors as Techart!)

Hope the opinions are received well.

CP

Alf,

Great points. TechArt has great stuff, but $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Well, come to think of it, Ruf is just as bad really.

CP

FLYT993

Exceptional quality is never cheap. No way around it. Thanks for the comments guys. CP, I only have one word for your car....exquisite! If you ever bring that sinister machine down here to SoCal, let us know. I'm sure a few of us would love to see her in the flesh.

177mph

Does anyone on the board own a gemballa? its been quiet....

atomic80

I'm another big supporter of RUF cars. I was definitely a convert after having seen Pong's RUF.

All I could say was "RUF RUF RUF" after having driven it.

Jean

You are quite misinformed there. First of all they are not alone, 9FF and Techart are as well manufacturers, second, it is not that Germany "has deemed worthy", there is an application process you go through and you get your license, it is not rocket science, why not many more do it? Why do they need it?

With that being said, RUF is in another league from Gemballa, who in fact don't do any engine work themselves and their CF body work is outsourced as well (like most others too). Techart has the nicest body kits in my opinion.

CP's RUF is another story all together, gorgeous esthetics. Like most RUFs in fact.

AdamT

But within the last month ruf has just been accepted into the highest echelons of German Car manufacturer status,

The German Government now views ruf in the same light as BMW, Mercedes, Audi etc.

Really something, but they managed it

Jean

Congratulations to them.

What did they get exactly and what was the requirement for it?

Being the RUFaholic that you are , will you be in Bahrain for the opening?
Thanks

ca993twin

Jean,

The term you are searching for is "Rufaholic". After two years with mine, I'm nuts about the car. Sure, there are faster 993TTs out there, but mine feels like such a complete and totally well thought out package. Would I have paid the price for the Turbo R conversion? Prolly not... I'm a cheap bastid at heart. But I love owning my car. And when Pong and I get together, we're like a couple of beaming school boys.

FLYT993

Steve and Pong, we non-RUF 993 owners live vicariously through your experiences with those magnificent cars. So please keep us informed. I have the latest DVD and when I show people Stefan, working the Ring in that incredible machine we all know as 'Yellowbird' their jaws drop.

CP

Steve,

I bet you that there are bunches of 'beaming school boys' wishing they were us.

I love Ruf.

CP

Jean

Thanks Steve, edited!
RUF builds fantastic cars for sure, I respect his attention to detail, not only regarding cosmetics but rather building things that go perfectly together for performance, from clever aerodynamic aids, to the proper gearing, handling, and nice engine package. His cars perform outstandingly as a result of all that mix, not the engine per se.

Notice my front and rear bumpers, original CTR2 stuff, they provide great ventilation in the front and decent downforce with outstanding looks, and an excellent ram air effect in the rear to cool down the turbos (they replace the muffler location on my car) and other stuff.

However...I keep a clear mind in distinguishing between RUF's clever marketing from the technical merits, and you will see me being sceptical about certain statements that are driven more by status and advertising than strictly engineering merit. They have their failures and their successes just like many others, he is human afterall!!

I would love to own a CTR2 Sport, not at the expense of my car though, but sooner or later I will have one.