RUF is a name that immediately evokes style, performance, and a healthy dose of quirkiness. This citrus-shaded 2022 RUF SCR has all of those traits in abundance and is likely to cause quite a stir as it heads to RM Sotheby’s upcoming Tegernsee Sale on July 27th.
There comes a point in almost every car lover’s life where the desire to own a Porsche 911 becomes all-encompassing. The elegant curves of a narrow-bodied 964 Carrera 2, the Swiss watch-like whirr of a mid-1960s 2.0-litre, the Alcantara-filled cabin of the latest GT3 RS; all have their appeal. Whichever you go for, you can almost guarantee you’ll spend the rest of your time driving it with a monumental grin on your face, but there are options out there that take the sometimes humble 911 to another level entirely. RUF is a brand that does just that and has been around long enough to have established themselves as one of the best Porsche tuners ever. With their latest creation, the SCR, they built upon decades of evolution to create what is arguably the ultimate 911.
Presented at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show, the SCR may look like the bang-on-trend restomod of dreams, but this RUF and the original 911 are worlds apart. This is not a 911 with some modern bolt-on parts, this is decades of innovation and passion leading to an entirely new sports car that provides subtle nods to its main source of inspiration. Its wheelbase is longer, allowing additional space for extra components and power, but at its core the SCR is built for lovers of pure driving enjoyment. Its monocoque is made entirely of carbon fibre, giving it structural rigidity far greater than the original could ever dream of, allowing all 510 horsepower from its naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat six to be laid down on the tarmac. Drivers can expect to see 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds from a standstill, a time almost identical to that of a 991.2-generation 911 GT3 RS. These figures are impressive, but the sound of those neatly concealed rear window intakes sucking in as much air as possible is one that will leave you utterly astounded.
Of course, power is nothing without control, and RUF put their vast knowledge of extracting every inch of excitement from Porsches to good use with the SCR. The 510-horsepower figure becomes all the more impressive when the car’s weight is brought into the equation, sitting at a mere 1,250 kilograms. This feather-like stat is achieved by weight-saving at the highest level, with almost every component being closely studied and redesigned to become lighter while retaining its durability. Mated to that glorious engine is a six-speed manual gearbox, something that RUF were adamant on retaining to preserve and enhance the character of the car. After its debut at Geneva, just about every news outlet around the world (including us) wanted a taste of the SCR, and those lucky few who did experience the prototype were left begging for more time with the car. Poised, refined, exhilarating, terrifying, and utterly joyous, it was everything the RUF brand stood for and so much more, and the orders flooded in thick and fast.
After the prototype, the real work began, as a confirmed 70 instantly snapped-up examples were now to be built, which is where this lime green example comes in. This vibrant machine is, in fact, the car that followed the prototype as the first customer SCR, presented to its very lucky new owner with, rather bizarrely, 4,900 kilometers on the odometer. If you were to pick up your brand new BMW M3 or Range Rover, you’d be a little annoyed to see the factory had covered a little more than its running in mileage, but in the world of RUF, every car, and every custodian is along for a journey into experimentation and constant improvements. The mileage this car racked up was essential for the future development of the SCR, and we have no doubt the car drives all the better for it, allowing the new owner to enjoy it to its fullest right from the get-go.
Thankfully for all of us garage-queen haters out there, this SCR has been enjoyed thoroughly, and now shows 11,000 kilometres on the clock, with each kilometre undoubtedly generating immense satisfaction. While we’ve touched upon the blindingly bright exterior paint, this car’s interior is unlike anything we’ve seen before. The Lime Green is contrasted with brown deerskin throughout the cabin, cleverly concealing the integrated roll cage, allowing the car to feel somewhat relaxed and unimposing. The headrests of the carbon fibre bucket seats are embroidered with the RUF logo, as well as a mountain scene, a stag’s head, and, just for good measure, the outline of the state of Bavaria. This unique yet incredibly detailed piece of craft showcases just how special these cars are, not just to RUF themselves but to the owners who specify them. Attention to detail is a RUF hallmark, where even the colour of the thread perfectly matches everything from the exterior hue to the brake calipers.
When we talk about the ‘one car to do it all’, performance wagons and supercar-beating SUVs are often the go-tos. However, when it comes to cars that leave their drivers utterly dumbfounded at their mere existence, transforming the most mundane journeys into an exercise in drama and lunacy, the RUF SCR is perhaps the ultimate. This is a truly unique opportunity to join the family of 69 other SCRs, and with an estimate of 1,100,000 to 1,600,000 euros as it heads to auction for the very first time at Tegernsee with RM Sothebys, it’s a family we’re all desperate to be a part of!
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