1998 RUF Turbo R (Porsche 993 Turbo)

A white 1998 RUF Turbo R arriving at and leaving Peninsula Cars & Coffee at Promenade on the Peninsula, organized by the Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance.

Is it a Porsche or is it not a Porsche? It's hard to blame anyone - even car enthusiasts - for being confused. Yes, Ruf is a tuner specializing in Porsches. But unlike most other tuning companies, Ruf is also its own auto manufacturer, building cars with unique VIN's (despite often using existing Porsche bodies). One of the company's best-known models is the 911-based CTR "Yellowbird", which held the record for world's fastest production car until the McLaren F1 came around. While Ruf-manufactured cars may not be "real" Porsches, they are pretty much always welcomed at Porsche gatherings and are often no less coveted by Porsche collectors than many of Porsche's most rare and desirable models.

It's not hard to tell that the Turbo R is based on a Porsche 993. But look closely, and you'll see that it has Ruf badging pretty much everywhere you'd expect to see a Porsche logo. This example is a "W09" car, meaning it was built by Ruf from the ground up (using a Ruf VIN) as opposed to built using an existing Porsche. To me, this car's greatest appeal is its subtlety. Those who don't know may assume it's simply a 993 Turbo with a bodykit - one that's quite tastefully applied in my opinion, suggesting lots of power/performance without being too showy. But the Turbo R was actually built as a successor to Ruf's CTR2, which itself succeeded the mighty "Yellowbird". The Porsche Turbo flat-six was tweaked by Ruf to produce 490 hp. Ruf also upgraded the suspension, the brakes, and numerous other components. With a top speed of over 200 mph, it's a true supercar indeed.

Would you add a Ruf to your Porsche collection? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!