RUF's Goodwood Surprise Is a 1000-HP Boxer-8RUFTickets to the Goodwood Festival of Speed have become some of the most desirable items in the world of automotive enthusiasm over the last few years. As the event continues to grow into a de facto global auto show, more and more automakers are using the event to show off their very best new projects. This year, RUF has opted to use the festival as the global debut of its new boxer-8 engine prototype—a motor the brand says will be good for more than 1000 horsepower. Here's what we know so far.While it's always important to note that RUF is not directly tied to the Porsche brand, but merely often works with Zuffenhausen's products as a base, the latter has indeed experimented with flat-8s over the years. In fact, Porsche had great success with the flat-8 layout during its motorsports campaigns in the 1960s, using the engine to power models like the 907, 908, 910, and 910/8; Porsche's brief foray into Formula 1 was also motivated by a flat-8. That said, the automaker has never utilized the layout for one of its production cars.RUF, meanwhile, has worked with 8-cylinder engines in its RGT-8 and Dakara models, though both utilized a more traditional flat-plane V-shaped configuration. This new engine, known internally as "Erprober" ("Tester" in English), was developed entirely in-house to finally change that.RUF"There are moments in a company's history that define the future," said Alois Ruf. "For RUF, the Boxer 8 is one of those moments. A boxer-eight has never been part of our story, or anyone else's in this form, so we decided to write a new chapter in automotive history. We look forward to letting the engine speak for itself at Goodwood."AdvertisementAdvertisementThe new flat-8 engine measures in at 4.8 liters, with the opposing pistons sharing the same crank resulting in the "boxer" designation. The engine is supported by a pair of turbochargers, allowing the unit to produce those ludicrous 1000-plus hp and 739 lb-ft output figures. The automaker hasn't shared too many nitty-gritty details at this point, but I'm sure the engine is a properly exciting bit of engineering.As great as the engine would have been to see sitting on a stand, the automaker has opted to do the world one better and install the unit into a modified CTR3 for a proper demonstration. Driver Tanner Foust will take the flat-8-powered beast up the hill climb twice a day from Friday, July 10, through Sunday, July 12, and fans with access will also be able to see the car resting in the Supercar Paddock throughout the entirety of the event. That said, you're really gonna want to see this one in action.You Might Also LikeIf You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State