Ruf Automobile GmbH is a German car manufacturer that primarily engineers original vehicles using unmarked Porsche chassis, and was founded in 1939 by Alois Ruf Sr. as ‘Auto Ruf’. RUF earned it’s highly praised reputation through customizing and modifying Porsches over the years, and this car shown here, which is known as the 2022 RUF Bergmeister, is one of their latest and greatest creations. This one-off carbon fiber-bodied creation was brought to life with the main inspiration being 1960’s Porsche hill climb cars such as the 909 "Bergspyder”, the 718 RS 60 Spyder and the Porsche 906. The Bergmeister was built using a leftover 993 cabriolet as a base, and fittingly, the design for this wild creation was penned by British automobile designer Tony Hatter, who also styled the original 993. The initial 909 Bergspyder was developed for the 1968 European Hill Climb Championship, and with a total weight of just 847lbs, it’s remains to this day the lightest, or one of the lightest Porsches ever built. The name, ‘Bergmeister’ is fitting for this project as it directly translates to 'mountain master’. The goal was to emulate as many of the excellent characteristics of Porsche’s hill climbers and racers as possible, and as a result, the Bergmeister is packed with a dry sump, air-cooled 3.6L turbocharged flat-six engine which reportedly makes around 450bhp and 442lb ft of torque, a six-speed manual gearbox, a stunning Alcantara-clad cockpit with a touch of houndstooth fabric, plus so much more. The Bergmeister sits on a set of 19-inch center-locks, and RUF claims this car weighs in at just around 2425lbs thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber.
How many made? 1 so far, with a possible 15-car limited production planned
Engine: dry sump, air-cooled 3.6L turbocharged flat-six engine which reportedly makes around 450bhp
Debut: August 20th 2022 at the Monterey Car Week in California.
Top Speed: n/a
0-60mph: n/a
Photo Credit: @carlover_ marco
Research: @rarecarsonly