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Acá el relato del test casero jajaj:
Apparently the owner said ”I want a car that becomes famous.”
His wish might very well come true considering the car will decorate
a first page or two in the world of car magazines.
Red and wild, finally it stands there before us: RUF RT12.
RUF RT12 is Ruf Automobiles’s version of the latest Porsche 997.
But instead of a normal aspirated engine they are using a tuned engine from the
996 Turbo with at least 650 hp.
The best of all: this privately owned Monster is to our disposal for two days…
The test drive starts with me in the passenger seat and the man responsible for building the RT12s behind the wheel.
It doesn’t take long before we travel at a hair raising speed (200 km/h+) on these small and twisty roads. The Autobahn is still miles away.
I’m perfect in these bucket seats and the pattern of the fabric goes really well with the carbon fibre interior.
When the engine is warm is time for me to pilot this Beast.
It’s always nervous to drive a car like this; you do all you can to avoid embarrassing stalls.
But the RT12 is surprisingly easy to drive.
Well, off we go. I’m very keen on feeling the acceleration of this car (to say the least!)
My spontaneous feeling is FEAR. I’m scared, but I definetly don’t want to get out!
This car is insane and will just keep on. There is absolutely nothing stopping me as long as I
keep the pedal to the metal. This is without doubt the fastest car I have ever driven.
But is it really a car? I’m rather thinking Ruf is selling an experience on four wheels.
Lovely to look at and feel, and just pure insanity when it comes to acceleration.
Without blinking you have 200 km/h on the odometer, but you will like to brake again just to relive the acceleration again.
Compared with the RUF R Turbo (550 and 590 hp Nardo) I had expected more turbolag and push, but the power is delivered almost like a n/a engine, linear.
There can’t be too many engines like this around.
To test the engine I try 5:th and 6:th gear from low speed and floor it.
To my surprise the car accelerates without protest and quite fast as well.
I wonder how many GTI:s you can overtake on 5:th gear only?
The handling feels superb, but to test the limits on a public road like this (too many damn farmers!) feels too dangerous considering the stakes.
My only complaint is that the car would travel a bit better with Ohlins rather than the Bilsteins mounted. Especially the return feel a bit better with the Ohlins. And with the Ohlins you can lift the car to avoid body damage.
Sound…yes, lovely tunes stream out of the four 80 mm pipes at the back.
I am happy that Ruf chose to let some road and engine noise enter the cockpit.
Comfort is a nice thing, but there’s nothing that beats a bit of racy feeling.
It’s getting dark. We mount a GPS-antenna on the roof of the RT12 and the rest of the equipment inside the car. We’re heading for a road that is no longer in use, but still in good shape. Luckily on the countryside there are not too many neighbours around.
We run the RT12 5-6 times before we feel there’s enough data and time for some top speed testing. However Alois Ruf, who knows the Autobahn better than most, says we’re not going to be able to reach top speed, “only” about 350 km/h is possible on this stretch.
Even a straight piece of road becomes twist when the speed is really high…
OK, I’m not going to bore you any longer. Here we go, the information everybody’s been waiting for.
Performance - RUF RT12 650 hp (RWD):
0-60 mph: 3.15 seconds
0 - 100 mph: 6.62 seconds
0 – 124 mph: 9.7 seconds. (0 - 200 km/h)
¼ mile: 11.0 @ 134 mph (216 km/h)
Highest speed reached: 350 km/h.
Consider the fact that the car was on Pirelli P Zero Rosso street tires.
Front: 255/35/ZR19 Rear: 305/30/ZR19
Measured with GPS 100 Hz, 1 person in the car.
Having measured and discussed the performance for a while it seems Mr Ruf is very happy with the evening. To our surprise Alois Ruf has never measured the performance of the RT12
this accurate. Instead he claims he gets the “butt-feeling” when he drives the car and knew it was fast! It’s late in the night, but we return home and celebrate with Champagne.
Because Ruf is a car builder, not a tuner, it is possible to configure your car exactly the way you want it. Ruf will build your car from the ground and inside the factory there are already 3 RT12s in various stages. Since everybody in this batch seems to have chosen the red-orange color they all look the same, but they are all unique. One is rear-wheel driver, the other four-wheel drive. One has Ohlins (better choice IMO), the other Bilstein. Some have carbon fibre brakes, others classical steel brakes. And all the options when it comes to the interior!
The integrated roll cage is a very neat Ruf invention and a must have IMO.
It’s all up to you, your wallet and what you tell your spouse.
The days go by. Having gone through and analysed the performance figures I re-visit the test drive in my head and realise this is probably car history being written – just like when the Yellowbird was released. The competition is much harder nowadays that’s for sure, but the RT12 beats cars like the Ferrari Enzo, Pagani Zonda S, Mercedez SLR McLaren and Porsche’s own Carrera GT at a fraction of the price. And I am sure the RT12 is a more reliable car in many cases.
Ruf’s new creation has everything needed to be the best.
Next up… RUF R Spyder and RUF Cayenne. We go flat-out in the BMW M6 (270 km/h) and see the Ruf Cayenne disappear into the horizon…
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