THE RT12

RUF Automobile GmbH, whether offering its a-la-carte modification regimen or hand-crafting astonishing sports cars from bodies-in-white or on bespoke chassis, has always paired incredible engineering with demanding build standards unrivaled by similar firms in the global marketplace.

Within just six years of incorporation, the German government had taken notice of the superior quality of RUF’s operation, upgrading the company’s legal standing from an aftermarket tuning house to an official automobile manufacturer in 1981. This is an exceptionally incredible fact when one considers that RUF earned this recognition during the height of the German tuning industry—when just about every wealthy German was starting an aftermarket business modifying cars. Since the release of their first automobile in 1983, RUF has refined each successive generation of Porsche-based products to the limits of perfection.

In November 2004, RUF debuted their first entirely house-built automobile, the Rt12. Developed from the ground up and using exclusive and proprietary powertrain components, at first glance its Porsche roots were obvious. However, have a closer look and you will discover that the Rt12 is an entirely different beast. The Rt12, built on the wider (and modified) body shell of Porsche’s 997-generation Carrera, represents no less than the sensational summit of the small-but-noble RUF product pyramid.

The first distinction is the Rt12’s powerplant, a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six based on an earlier “Metzger” blueprint. This engine is mated to a RUF-built transaxle and limited-slip rear differential, routing down all 650 horsepower through massive 12.5-inch-wide tires. A proprietary and fully adjustable RUF hydraulic suspension system (with front axle lift function) underpins the car’s chassis, while braking is handled by a set of eight-piston (front) and four-piston (rear) calipers tucked inside an optional, staggered set of three-piece OZ Superleggera wheels. To further maximize weight savings, the Rt12’s bumpers, hood, and rear decklid are all rendered in carbon fiber.

An integrated roll cage is cleverly hidden behind the sumptuously appointed interior trim, and the cabin is further outfitted with all the amenities one would expect from a road-going Porsche of the most refined variety. When equipped with the optional “tall” gearing package and four-wheel drive, RUF company literature reports that the Rt12 could reach a top speed in excess of 224 miles per hour.

Each example of the Rt12 was thoroughly personalized to the specifications of the buyer, and just 57 examples were completed by RUF in total during the model’s five-year availability.

This exemplary Rt12 was completed at Pfaffenhausen in December 2006 and shortly thereafter delivered new to its first registered owner in North Texas. Finished in Carrara White over a full trim-to-sample red leather interior complete with sport seats and Bose sound system, this Rt12 bears an impressive suite of mechanical specifications which include a RUF four-wheel-drive system, six-speed manual transaxle with close-ratio gear set, Bilstein suspension, and carbon fiber rear wing. Additional factory options include black seatbelts, black carpeting, dual-exit exhaust, white gauge faces, and red alcantara trim.

Though the red-painted brake calipers were originally housed within a set of the model’s signature three-piece OZ Superleggera alloy wheels, they now reside inside a later set of 18-inch OZ for RUF wheels that provide the car with a more subtle visage. Optional carbon fiber sport mirrors are clad in matching Carrara White, in a theme that is continued inside this Rt12’s richly trimmed cabin upon the RUF-labeled gauges and a speedometer which tops out at 230 miles per hours. An accompanying RUF order sheet dated January 2006 shows that the entire accoutrement of desirable options drove the MSRP for this Rt12 to just shy of $300,000 (~ €247,000).

Invoices on file show regular maintenance dating back to 2007, and as presented today this remarkable and carefully tended RUF machine indicates fewer than 3,230 miles at time of cataloguing.

The opportunity to acquire any RUF Rt12 is unlikely to repeat itself with any regularity. Very few examples were produced, and well-sorted ones almost never come up for sale on account of their splendid drivability. With its wonderful specifications, striking color combination, exceptionally low mileage, and regular service history, this particular example is one not to be missed. It would be an awesome accompaniment to any serious collection of modern Porsches or European sports cars.