German tuner Ruf Automobile GmbH and its founder Alois Ruf are famous for their Porsche 911 conversion projects, but the company also builds 911-like supercars of its own making – here’s another example.
A couple years ago, the company showed us the rear-engine, turbocharged Ruf CTR. A bit later, the Ruf SCR came out with a naturally aspirated engine. Today, the Ruf Rodeo debuts with an off-road body kit and suspension.
We have seen other tuners launch similar projects before, and Porsche itself also did release rally versions of its iconic supercar, so the Rodeo is neither entirely novel nor a new kind of blasphemy. That said, it is not a true 911, either.
The Ruf Rodeo comes based on a carbon-fiber monocoque and bodywork mounted on a stainless-steel frame. The dual-wishbone suspension boasts laterally mounted shock absorbers, and the road clearance and suspension travel are superior to those of the CTR and SCR. The tires also have a higher protector profile.
The Rodeo comes powered by the same naturally aspirated, four-liter, opposite-six engine as the SCR. It shares its principal design with the original unit made by Porsche, but uses plenty of original parts, too. The nominal output amounts to 510 hp (380 kW), and the peak torque is 470 Nm (347 lb-ft). Ruf Automobile says clients may opt for the turbocharged engine from the CTR, too. In either case, a proprietary six-speed manual transmission will send the momentum to all four wheels.
The AWD system design is not revealed in detail, but there are controls inside the cabin that enable the driver to quickly redistribute torque between the axles.
The Ruf Rodeo is still going through its concept stages of development, so the launch timeframe, production quantity and pricing remain unavailable so far.