Ruf RT12 article - 217.1MPH
Ruf RT12 article: Road and Track
Its not very long but an interesting read.
Its not very long but an interesting read.
Quote:
Ampersand - December 2005
At high speed - try 217.1 mph - with the Ruf Rt 12, the low-down on Infiniti's GT-R and an angry Evo.
Edited by Mike Monticello
December 2005
We reached 217.1 mph in the 650-bhp Ruf Rt 12, also achieving our best acceleration run ever: 11.0 sec. at 133.9 mph through the quarter mile. The Ruf's bodywork is subdued, as is the interior, which features racing seats, Ruf pedals, gauges, carbon-fiber trim and a rollcage. Photo by Allan Rosenberg
The 217-mph Ruf Rt 12 is the quickest car we've ever tested. Trust us, you want one.
Why Ruf trusted me enough to ride along as I wrung out his latest pumped-up Porsche (the Rt 12 signifies his 12th version of a Porsche 911 Turbo), I'll never know. But he did. And with our impossibly accurate Racelogic VBOX satellite-based timing system still hooked up from acceleration testing earlier in the day, we achieved 217.1 mph. On the street. At night. No sissy 5-mile oval for us.
Two things stand out about the Rt 12, aside from the sheer velocity we reached: The first is the utter composure of the car handling corners at otherworldly speeds; this was far from a straight section of Auto-bahn. The confidence instilled from the Rt 12 as its Bilstein suspension soaked up the bumps (mid-corner, mind you) was amazing. And any slight turn or road imperfection is magnified at over 200 mph. At one point several large bumps in a row skittered the car across the lane somewhat, but never out of it. Of course, 100-percent attention was required, but because of the car's incredible stability, this wasn't even that much of a white-knuckle experience.
The second part that stood out was the devastating acceleration of the Ruf; this thing pulls harder from 180 mph than most cars do from 55! And with its monster torque of 642 lb.-ft. , we recorded our best acceleration run ever: 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds with the quarter mile flying by in just 11.0 at 133.9 mph. Yes, Virginia, that's quicker than a Ferrari Enzo, Porsche Carrera GT and any Lamborghini. But even more incredible is that R&T Assistant Road Test Editor Shaun Bailey achieved a 3.3 sec. 0-60 on his first run, having never driven the car in anger before hopping in at the test track.
Yet the Rt 12 is completely flexible in around-town situations, trundling at 30 mph through towns in 6th with no stumbling from the 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-6. The rear-drive Ruf Rt 12 (awd is optional) starts at about $234,100 with a 3.6-liter 530-bhp engine. That includes Ruf's completely non-bling 19-in. wheels, brakes, body kit and rear wing. The customer car we tested with the 650-bhp engine would be closer to $287,000 for a U.S. version. So you can buy a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani or Porsche and go slower...or get the greatest supercar of them all - the Ruf Rt 12. Me? I'm trying to see if I can take out a mortgage on the Rt 12; houses are overrated anyway. - Mike Monticello
Surprised Alois Ruf has put his much-revered efforts into the Porsche Cayenne SUV? So were we. But we were even more surprised when we chased him down the Autobahn - us in his Rt 12, him in his modified Cayenne Turbo - and our VBOX system read 189.2 mph. We're not sure, but that might be some kind of Cayenne record. Even Alois himself was surprised that the Cayenne (which has the aerodynamic efficiency of a brick) could reach those speeds. Might have something to do with the 550 bhp and 649 lb.-ft. of torque he massaged out of Porsche's 4.5-liter twin-turbo V-8.
Ruf's engine kit includes two new intercoolers, modified turbos, a sport exhaust aft of the catalytic converters, new air filters and a modified engine-management system ($20,340). He also offers 5-spoke 22-in. Ruf wheels ($3755), a lowering kit for air-suspension models ($1900), a brake kit with 15.0-in. rotors clamped by 6-piston aluminum calipers at the front and 14.1-in. rotors with 4-piston calipers at the rear ($5700) and a Ruf instrument cluster in classic Ruf green ($2140). Near 190-mph performance on the Autobahn? Priceless. - MM
