Ruf RK

Last updated
Ruf RK Coupe/Spyder
RUF Studiotorino RKCoupe.jpg
Ruf RK Coupe
Overview
Manufacturer
Production
  • 2006–2007 (RK Coupe)
  • 2005–2008 (RK Spyder)
Designer Aldo Brovarone [1]
Body and chassis
Class Sports car (S)
Body style
Layout Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Related Porsche 987
Powertrain
Engine 3.8 L (231.9 cu in) supercharged flat-6
Transmission 6-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,415 mm (95 in)
Length4,329 mm (170 in)
Width1,801 mm (71 in)
Height1,250 mm (49 in)
Kerb weight 1,365 kg (3,009 lb) (dry)

The Ruf RK Coupe and RK Spyder are mid-engine sports cars made by Ruf Automobile in collaboration with Italian design house Studiotorino. The RK Spyder was introduced in 2005 in Turin and the RK Coupe was introduced the following year in 2006 in California. [2]

Contents

Development and production

The RK is a result of a collaboration between German automaker Ruf and Italian carozzeria Studiotorino, [3] the RK Coupe and Spyder are based on the Porsche 987 Cayman and Boxster. The carrozzeria consulted with Aldo Brovarone on the designs, with the RK taking cues from the Ferrari Dino 246 GT, the Porsche 550, and the Porsche 904.

Both the Coupe and Spyder feature revised bodywork by Studiotorino, including redesigned front and rear fascias, redesigned vents afront the rear wheels, integrated door handles with electronic door latches, forged aluminum exhaust and filler cap, custom wheels. Revisions to the Coupe include a redesigned roofline removing the rear quarter windows and adding a new rear hatch to replace the sloping rear glass with a smaller upright piece and adding "flying" buttresses based on the existing pillars. [4]

Initially, 49 RK Coupes and 49 RK Spyders were to be produced. However, according to Studiotorino, only three RK Spyders, two RK Coupes, and one R Spyder, a naturally-aspirated variant of the RK Spyder, were produced between 2005 and 2007. [5] [1]

Performance

Power comes from a 3.8 litre flat-6 engine from the Porsche 997 911 which has been supercharged in both models (the RK stands for Ruf Kompressor), with the RK Spyder rated at 313 kW (420 hp) and 450 N⋅m (332 lbf⋅ft) of torque and the RK Coupe rated at 324 kW (434 hp) at 7,000 rpm and 470 N⋅m (347 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,500 rpm. This allows the RK Spyder to accelerate from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.5 seconds, with a top speed of 285 km/h (177 mph). [6] The RK Coupe, the better performer of the two, has a top speed of 314 km/h (190 mph), [7] and can accelerate from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 seconds and from 0-97 km/h (60 mph) in 3.8 seconds.

Ruf also produced a naturally aspirated version of the RK Spyder, called the R Spyder, whose engine is rated at 350 hp (261 kW) at 6,600 rpm and 400 N⋅m (295 lb⋅ft) of torque at 4,600 rpm, propelling the car from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 280 km/h (174 mph). [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche Cayenne</span> German mid-size luxury crossover SUV

The Porsche Cayenne is a series of mid-size luxury crossovers manufactured by the German motor company Porsche since 2002. The first generation was known internally within Porsche as the Type 9PA (955/957) or E1. It was the first V8-engined vehicle built by Porsche since 1995, when the Porsche 928 was discontinued. It is also Porsche's first off-road variant vehicle since its Super and Junior tractors of the 1950s, and the first Porsche with four doors. Since 2014, the Cayenne has been sold alongside a smaller Porsche SUV, the Macan. The word Cayenne used by Porsche comes from the cayenne peppers, a moderately hot chili pepper used to flavor dishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche 996</span> Fifth generation of the Porsche 911 sports car

The Porsche 996 is the internal designation for the 911 model manufactured by the German automaker Porsche from 1997 until 2006. It was replaced by the 997 in 2004, but the high performance Turbo S, GT2 and GT3 variants remained in production until 2006. The 996 had little in common with its predecessor, with the first all new chassis platform since the original 911 and a new water-cooled engine. Technically, it was a major change, a complete breakthrough from the original car other than the overall layout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche 987</span> Second generation of the Porsche Boxster and first generation of the Porsche Cayman sports cars

The Porsche 987 is the internal designation for the second generation Porsche Boxster sports car. It made its debut at the 2004 Paris Motor Show alongside the 911 (997) and went on sale in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruf Automobile</span> German automobile manufacturer

Ruf Automobile GmbH is a German car manufacturer. Formerly using Porsche bodies in white to build cars, today they build vehicles on their own bodies and chassis. They also manufacture performance parts for various Porsche models, including the 911, Boxster, and Cayman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruf CTR2</span> Motor vehicle

The Ruf CTR2 was a 2-door sports car built by German automobile manufacturer Ruf Automobile as the successor to the CTR Yellowbird, but based on Porsche's Type 993 generation 911.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruf CTR</span> Motor vehicle

The Ruf CTR also known as the CTR Yellowbird or simply Yellowbird, is a limited-production, high performance sports car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Ruf Automobile. Introduced for the 1987 model year and based on the Porsche 911, the CTR featured an enlarged and highly tuned version of Porsche's 3.2 litre flat-six cylinder engine, lightened body panels, an integrated roll cage, upgraded suspension and braking systems, a custom-designed transmission, and several unique trim pieces such as polyurethane bumpers, and the use of the side-mounted oil filler necessitated by relocating the oil tank forward to clear the intercooler on that side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruf CTR3</span> Motor vehicle

The Ruf CTR3 is a mid-engined sports car produced by German car manufacturer Ruf Automobile. The CTR3 was unveiled at the Bahrain International Circuit on the 20th anniversary of the original Ruf CTR on April 13, 2007 in conjunction with the opening of a new Ruf factory at the circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruf RGT</span> Motor vehicle

The Ruf RGT is a sports car made by Ruf Automobile of Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruf RTurbo</span> Motor vehicle

The Ruf RTurbo is a sports car built by Ruf Automobile of Germany and introduced in 2001. It is based on the 996 generation Porsche 911. It was offered with a choice of 520 hp (388 kW), 550 hp (410 kW), and 590 hp (440 kW) engines. The RTurbo could be had as either a complete Ruf car with unique VIN or a conversion for an existing 996 retaining the original Porsche VIN.

The Ruf R Kompressor is a sports car introduced in 2006 and built by Ruf Automobile of Germany. Like certain other Ruf models, The R Kompressor was offered both as a complete ground-up car with a unique Ruf VIN or as conversion for an existing 997 retaining the original Porsche VIN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruf Turbo R</span> Motor vehicle

The Ruf Turbo R, sometimes stylized as TurboR, is a sports car built by Ruf Automobile of Germany. It is based on the 993 generation Porsche 911 Turbo. It was introduced in 1998 after the discontinuation of the CTR2, however Ruf still wanted a supercar offering to be available and so the Turbo R became the supercar offering from Ruf for the 1998 model year and endured a very short production run of only one year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche 918 Spyder</span> Plug-in hybrid hypercar

The Porsche 918 Spyder is a sports car manufactured by German marque Porsche. The 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid powered by a mid-mounted naturally aspirated 4.6 L (4,593 cc) V8 engine, developing 447 kW at 8,700 RPM, with two electric motors delivering an additional 210 kW for a combined output of 652 kW (875 hp) and 1,280 N⋅m (944 lbf⋅ft) of torque. The 918 Spyder's 6.8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack delivers an all-electric range of 19 km (12 mi) under the US Environmental Protection Agency's five-cycle tests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Aventador</span> Sports car produced by Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Aventador is a mid-engine sports car produced by the Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini. In keeping with Lamborghini tradition, the Aventador is named after a Spanish fighting bull that fought in Zaragoza, Aragón, in 1993. The Aventador is the successor to the Murciélago and was made by hand in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche 981</span> Third generation of the Boxster and second generation of the Cayman sports cars

The Porsche 981 is the internal designation given to the third-generation of the Boxster and second generation of the Cayman models built by German automobile manufacturer Porsche. It was announced on 13 March 2012 at the Geneva Auto Show with sales starting early summer 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Huracán</span> Sports car manufactured by Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Huracán is a sports car manufactured by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini replacing the previous V10 offering, the Gallardo. The Huracán was revealed online in December 2013, making its worldwide debut at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show, and was released in the market in the second quarter of 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche 911</span> Sports car produced by Porsche

The Porsche 911 is a two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and originally a torsion bar suspension. The car has been continuously enhanced through the years but the basic concept has remained unchanged. The engines were air-cooled until the introduction of the 996 series in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche Boxster/Cayman</span> Motor vehicle

The Porsche Boxster and Cayman are mid-engine two-seater sports cars manufactured and marketed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche across four generations—as a two-door, two-seater roadster (Boxster) and a three-door, two-seater fastback coupé (Cayman).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche 982</span> Third generation of the Cayman and fourth generation of the Boxster sports cars

The Porsche 982 is the internal designation of the fourth generation Boxster/Cayman made by German automobile manufacturer Porsche. With the switch to a new turbocharged flat-four engine the marketing name for the models was changed to Porsche 718, in reference to the 718, which won the Targa Florio race in 1959 and 1960. The name is meant to evoke Porsche's past racing successes with light cars like the 718 that outmanoeuvred competitors with larger and more powerful engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche 992</span> Eighth generation of the Porsche 911

The Porsche 992 is the internal designation for the eighth and current generation of the Porsche 911 sports car, which was introduced at the Porsche Experience Center, Los Angeles on November 27, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruf SCR</span> Sports car manufactured by Ruf Automobile

The Ruf SCR is a sports car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Ruf Automobile. The SCR was based on the Porsche 911 SC and the changes made to its engine enabled it to have similar performance to the 930 Turbo, despite having a naturally aspirated engine.

References

  1. 1 2 "studiotorino". www.studiotorino.com. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  2. "RUF Automobile GmbH – Manufaktur für Hochleistungsautomobile – History" . Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  3. Hall, Jim (2006-09-26). "Video Exclusive: RUF RK Coupé". Road & Track. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  4. "STUDIOTORINO unveils Cayman-based RK Coupe". Autoblog. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  5. 1 2 "studiotorino". www.studiotorino.com. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  6. "Ruf Boxster RK Spyder". Auto Express. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  7. "Ruf Rk Coupe".