Ruf has reintroduced the flat-eight engine with a completely new design that produces over 1,000 horsepower.
Ruf
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Ruf is a performance car manufacturer known for rarely making mistakes, if ever. Most people recognize the brand for its Yellowbird: a Porsche 911-based, twin-turbo machine that achieved 211 miles per hour in 1987. However, they continue to innovate, producing incredibly powerful vehicles influenced by Porsches. Their latest offering is an engine—a supercharged, 4.8-liter flat-eight generating over 1,000 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque—which will make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The horizontally opposed engine is currently housed in a CTR3 prototype body that has been extended by 3.9 inches. Ruf intends to integrate it into a production vehicle in the future, although the specific design of that car remains uncertain. All I can say is that this test prototype looks fantastic, especially with its black-and-yellow color scheme. Plus, it features a six-speed manual transmission!
Ruf
Ruf has not disclosed many specifics about the B8 engine, as it is named, only indicating that it was designed and developed internally. From what I understand, there has never been a production vehicle featuring a flat-eight engine; this design was only seen in Porsche motorsport models during the 1960s. This would make it quite challenging to replicate.
During this week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, there will be a special event where spectators can hear the engine start for the first time. (We even received a save-the-date invitation.) The B8 Prototype will ascend the renowned Goodwood hillclimb twice daily from Friday, July 10, to Sunday, July 12. And who better to drive it than the beloved racing driver and former Top Gear star, Tanner Foust?
Ruf
I’ll be keeping an eye out for more information, and you can count on me to update this blog with the flat-eight engine's exhaust sound once it becomes available online.
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Ruf has reintroduced the flat-eight engine with a completely new design that produces over 1,000 horsepower.
It's a twin-turbo 4.8-liter engine that is set to be incorporated into a Ruf production vehicle in the future. At present, it is housed in this extended CTR3 prototype.