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Ruf’s new Turbo Florio unites the Targa with forced induction – and pays homage to the great Sicilian road race where Porsche cut its teeth Words: Johnny Tipler Photography: Antony Fraser
urtling up to Granza Alois Ruf’s Targa substantially hairpin, the tifosi line different to the standard factory 991 the outside of the version. Well, for starters, it uses the corner three deep, turbocharged Mezger-based engine, waving and cheering, twin turbos lifting power output to up with almost as many lining the inside to 700bhp against the no-slouch Hof the turn as the blue and orange 400bhp of the standard model, and 908 Spyder sweeps into the half- what’s more they’ll build it in two- and hidden apex, chutzpah and bravura four-wheel drive format as required. rendering them oblivious to the And with overt Ruf styling dangers from wayward sports-racing modifications it is a distinctive and GT cars. It’s a sight that variation on the Targa theme. frequently greeted Brian Redman en Taking the Targa name and route to his Targa Florio win with Jo applying it to the removable roof Siffert in 1970, though mercifully version of the 911 – the targa shield absent from our recent Bavarian doubling as the lid of the car – the backroad blitz in the Ruf Turbo Florio. topless format has been a key model The world’s oldest motor race, the in the line-up since 1967 with the soft- Targa Florio was a round of the World window version, through to the Sportscar Championship from 1955 to ingenious glass-roofed 993, 996 gen 2 1973, and it’s a scenario typical of the and 997, and then as the distinctive event’s halcyon days when Porsche Targa roll hoop incarnation with the ruled the roost on the 72-mile 991 in 2014. The current car emulates mountain course. With 11 outright the Boxster’s electronic decapotable victories and numerous podiums and roof mechanism to lift the ceiling class wins during a 17-year period panel over the heads of the occupants spanning 1956 and 1973, the and setting it down in the well at the Zuffenhausen marque celebrated its rear of the cockpit, leaving roll hoop successes by identifying its top-off and rear screen in place, just like the 911 variants as the Targa from 1967. original 911 Targas. And it’s also commemorated in one of Alois describes the thinking behind the latest offerings from the Bavarian his new car: ‘The idea of the Turbo tuning and manufacturing wizards Ruf Florio was to combine the new Automobile, which is why we’re at technology of the Targa with the Pfaffenhausen to see what makes drivetrain of the Turbo 991, adding a
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touch of Ruf, which is the extra who likes to have a Targa-top car discs. ‘The design and creation has all performance of the 3.8 engine that delivers combined with turbo power, driving with been all done in-house, together with an 630bhp. And it’s also about the stance of the double-clutch gearbox, and lovely flat external freelance designer, so we’re using the car when you look at the front end, so handling.’ Though Porsche never raced a the original part from the Targa, cutting the we have a different appearance and a works 911 Turbo in the Targa Florio, a shape of the holes and then welding in sportier vehicle. One of our special couple of privately-entered 930s placed extra metal that’s shaped in detail to make touches is the signature Ruf air intake, 4th and 8th in the swansong 1976 race, this design. The decreasing size of the which is very subtle, and that makes it a legitimising the Ruf Turbo Florio duct accelerates the air to provide a better unique car.’ No one is more conscious of connection, if any justification were flow to the intercooler, so we’re using the the status of his marque in the historical necessary. shortest, most direct way to the intercooler framework, and since Alois grew up with Though it’s finished in a familiar Porsche here, behind the wheel, instead of ahead Porsches at his father’s garage he’s sapphire blue, the Ruf components on the of the wheel.’ Vast, mesh clad ducts intimately acquainted with their race Targa contrive to differentiate it markedly behind the wheelarches each side of the history. ‘The name came from the Targa from the factory model, and I’ll highlight rear apron help vent hot air from Florio, because Vincenzo Florio was the those in a moment. Because, perhaps intercoolers and brakes. ‘These are founder of that race, and we thought it most strikingly, it’s the air intakes in the basically just the exits for the air that has would be good if his name could also be topsides of the rear wheelarches, tapering gone through the intercooler, and this on a car named after him. We were off subtly into the rear three-quarter panel mesh is really a visual thing so that you A subtle ducktail thinking of his inspiration, and how brave to the sides of the rear window, which don’t see the insides, but they also protect wing and re- he was to bring the first automobile to provide the most surprising visual the intercoolers from stones thrown up worked rear apron define the Ruf look. Sicily, and so we thought that this open-top departure from standard, plunging deep by the tyres.’ The turbo cooling car that’s essentially designed for good into the recesses of the rear wings and The ducktail rear spoiler is another ducts can just be weather driving, we should give it his optimised to supply the intercoolers obvious addition: ‘There’s no movement in seen on the top of name. I don’t think that’s ever happened without being affected by the heat the three vanes on the engine lid because the rear arches before. It’s a unique car for the individualist dissipating from the engine and the brake the turbochargers are sucking the air in so
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Ruf design 20in you don’t need to optimise that by lifting this the Ruf logo, as do the door-shut kick- fitted our Rt35 twin-turbo engine with a alloys are to Ruf as up, and as regards the aerodynamics we plates, while the engine lid displays the double clutch transmission, so we can the Fuchs design is get the maximum downforce we need with subtle Turbo Florio signature. The achieve up to 700bhp. So that’s the to Porsche –a defining feature. the ducktail because the airflow pours over instruments are inscribed with the Ruf drivetrain, and then we have designed Rear diffuser is the low angled surface of the rear window. legend, and the logo is embossed in the these air intakes in order to supply enough more show than Anyway, we don’t need so much downforce headrests, which is a nice touch of class. air to the intercoolers.’ go, but the neat at the back because the car would become And then the front panel. Really, this is the Handling and stopping have also been ducktail wing too light at the front.’ The exhaust tailpipes car’s signature, if you discount the Targa addressed in respect of the extra horses. provides all the downforce that’s protrude from either side of the carbon-fibre roll-hoop; starting with those vast air intakes ‘The Turbo Florio brakes are carbon required diffuser – a conceit that serves more and corresponding slits beneath the small ceramic, with 380cm discs on the front and aesthetic than practical purpose though it is light clusters, central gaping maw, and the 380cm discs at the rear. The suspension is in keeping with the turbo iconography, twin semi-circular outlet slats in the upper a coil-over system that we’ve developed likewise the carbon-fibre door mirrors. ‘The surface of the front panel; and the sculpted and set up especially for this car. It also has diffuser is not going underneath the upward aerodynamic slashes on either the hydraulic lift system as a standard complete body, so it doesn’t have a huge corner, echoes of the deep carbon-fibre feature so you can always push the button function because the downforce from the front splitter traversing the leading edge. It’s and the car lifts up and lowers automatically ducktail is already more than enough, so an exquisite artwork in the chunky, no when you go more than 45mph.’ Indeed, we really didn’t want to have more messing, Giacometti style. the button in question is mounted in the downforce with the diffuser.’ The wheels are What about the Ruf power hike, though? centre console just ahead of the armrest; hunky Ruf five-spoke alloys, shod with I’m with Marcel Groos, Alois’s son, and he flip a lid to reveal a Ruf logo’d switch, which 325/25 ZR 20s on the rear and 255/30 ZR describes the mechanical DNA of the Florio: I press, and the nose rises up, enabling me 20s on the front. The carbon front lid sports ‘We started with a 991 Targa chassis and to negotiate rough ground or sleeping We started with a 991 Targa chassis and fitted “our Tt35 twin-turbo engine ”
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