18Ruf may have been around for almost 90 years now, but the German car maker really exploded onto the scene in 1987 when its iconic CTR Yellowbird set a record 211mph top speed at Germany’s Ehra-Lessien test track. Now, to acknowledge that momentous occasion, Ruf has unveiled a new model, called simply the Ehra. Named after the Volkswagen Group-owned testing facility in Lower Saxony, the Ruf Ehra is a “new widebody grand touring sports car”, according to Ruf. Despite its looks, the Ehra genuinely is ‘new’, too, because unlike the original Yellowbird – which used a narrow-body shell of a 1987 Carrera 3.2 – it utilises Ruf’s self-made carbon fibre monocoque, meaning that it doesn’t have to rely on Porsche 911 donor vehicles. The engine powering the Ruf Ehra is a twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre flat-six with 650bhp and 900Nm of torque. It’s also water-cooled, not air-cooled like the Yellowbird, identifiable by an alternator sitting front and centre instead of a cooling fan. Power is sent to all four wheels via a limited-slip differential, and while performance figures haven’t been revealed, the combination of that significant output and a lightweight carbon fibre body should give the Ehra plenty of punch. Other interesting features include a seven-speed manual transmission, horizontal pushrod suspension (the rears can be seen behind the engine bay) with adaptive damping, double-wishbone arms front and rear, ultra-wide tracks (58mm wider at the front and 54mm wider at the rear, compared to the firm’s 2017 CTR Anniversary model) and new five-spoke centre-lock forged wheels. 18There’s also a reshaped front bumper (over the CTR Anniversary), with a larger central air duct, plus a new rear bumper, too, with fresh LED light clusters at both ends. The interior is a sea of brown leather and carbon, with the sort of typically focused dashboard found in 911s of old. There are some amendments, however, such as buttons for the nose-lift, traction control and rear spoiler extension. The ‘lollipop’ seats (named due to their odd headrest shape) feature Porsche’s eye-catching Pascha pattern in brown, with carbon backs and Ruf script. The sills and the backrest for the rear bench (which has been removed for a carbon shelf) feature an Ehra logo, too. Pricing for the Ehra hasn’t been revealed, but given it’ll be on show at the exclusive The Quail event during Monterey Car Week in California, you’ll likely have to know someone at Ruf to even get a chance of owning one.
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