The 996-generation of the Porsche 911 might just represent the sweet spot of the entire rear-engined sports car’s lineage. Those who want an affordable, engaging sports car have the Carrera and Carrera 4, if you want a track weapon the GT3 and GT3 RS are both equally amazing on and off-circuit, and if grand touring is your thing, then the Turbo and GT2 are a pair of incredible continent-crushers. However, what if even the infamous GT2 wasn’t quite up to your standards in terms of power or rarity? Well, there was really only one option left, and it came courtesy of the Porscheholics at RUF.
Occupying the very apex of the 996 pecking order, the RUF Rturbo looked at the 996 Turbo not as the top-tier grand tourer it already was, but rather a blank canvas from which to extract more performance — and crucially — much more speed. RUF took the 3.6-litre water-cooled Metzger flat-six and added modified KKK turbochargers, a remapped ECU, and GT3 engine mounts. That was just the start, though, because the Rturbo’s engine also received an upgraded valve train and an improved VarioCam system.
Available in either wide or narrow-body configuration with a range of different power outputs, the first owner of this 2004 Rturbo available with Andreas Wüest opted for the wide-hipped, full-fat 590 horsepower version, which included titanium connecting rods, and upgraded camshafts and a heat exchanger to cope with the extra power. While it was available with four-wheel drive, this Rturbo sends all of its almost 600 horses to the rear wheels alone for maximum lunacy.
Naturally, when it comes to any of RUF’s creations, the engine is just the start, and this particular Pearl White Metallic Rturbo benefitted from almost every available option. Riding on 18-inch modular RUF wheels that surround Porsche’s ever-impressive ceramic brakes, it also features redesigned front and rear bumpers, a more aggressive rear wing, and RUF’s signature NACA duct-style intakes above the rear wheels. Both the doors and bonnet are carbon fibre, while inside you’ll find an integrated Alcantara-clad roll cage and RUF’s custom steering wheel and gear lever.
How does all that extra mechanical wizardry translate into real-world performance we hear you ask? Well, contemporary road testers at the wheel of the least-potent 513 horsepower version of the Rturbo saw an incredible 217.5mph on its fabulous green-on-black speedometer while at the Nardo test track, so consider that a conservative benchmark for this example.
However, the Rturbo is about so much more than straight-line speed. Equipped with custom-tuned Bilstein dampers and benefitting from considerably improved structural rigidity, the Rturbo reportedly drives like a “greatest hits” amalgamation of all the finest 996 variants. It boasts the GT2’s incredible pace, combined with the GT3’s razor-sharp handling and appetite for apexes while retaining enough comfort to make long trips and poor road quality a breeze.
Of course, RUF’s ‘have your cake and eat it too’ approach came at a cost, and the Rturbo was almost 30% more expensive than even the range-topping GT2 when new. However, considering RUF’s worldwide reputation for building some of the most reliable and rapid sports cars on the planet, and the Rturbo’s near-mythical rarity, we think it’s well worth the cost.
With 996s as a whole seeing a climb in value in recent years, this Rturbo is perfect for collectors who want nothing but the creme de la creme from Porsche’s first water-cooled 911. The cherry on top? This Rturbo has covered just 4,000km and looks as though it just rolled out of RUF’s headquarters in Pfaffenhausen, and for any USA-based collectors out there, this Rturbo can easily be imported with a certificate from RUF. 996 fans, what are you waiting for?
Photos by Jonathan Walker
