Porsche has just launched the online configurator for the 2016 911 GT3 RS, but there’s another car that might have you clicking elsewhere.
Ruf, a German manufacturer that specializes in tuning Porsches, has just introduced the RGT 4.2 at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. You may know the Ruf name from the iconic CTR Yellowbird of the 1980s, or perhaps the 767-horsepower CTR3 supercar that also graced Geneva’s halls.
Based on the 911, the RGT 4.2 injects a bit of analog flavor into the increasingly digitized and computerized sports car. Instead of a lightning-quick PDK transmission, Ruf employs an old-fashioned six-speed manual. Instead of tuning the ECU to net more power and control, Ruf bored out the flat-six from the 997-generation GT3 and slapped on some huge rear tires.
That old-school attitude translates to the exterior, where you’ll find huge fender flares, exposed rivets, and a chunky carbon fiber wing. If the new GT3 is a precise and deadly Japanese katana, the RGT is an English broadsword: a bit of a brute, but undeniably effective.
The biggest difference between the two cars, though, is what’s under the hood. For 2016, Porsche’s GT3 RS equips a 4.0-liter flat-six that develops an even 500 hp and 338 pound-feet of torque. Ruf’s RGT, with its 4.2-liter engine, makes 518 hp and an impressive 363 lb-ft.
Porsche’s PDK will undoubtedly be quicker through the gears than the stick, but the added power and torque could very well make up for it. And if not? Well, we can’t speak for everyone, but there are a lot of folks out there who would sacrifice a few tenths for a more connected driving experience any day.
