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RUF Automobile UK is very pleased to offer for sale on behalf of the current owner this Seal Grey Metallic 2004 right hand drive, 3.6 litre, Porsche 911 997 Tiptronic with RUF Kompressor and ancillary RUF upgrades having recorded less than 44,000 miles from new. The current owner purchased this 911 in 2012 and informs us that originally the car was serviced by Porsche Mid-Sussex and then later by Chiswick London Porsche. The 420hp RUF conversion/upgrade was carried out by renowned specialists Fearnsport prior to the purchase by the current owner who has had the vehicle regularly maintained by Dialynx. The Kompressor was rebuilt by RUF Germany in 2018 and the engine was rebuilt by Dialynx who installed Westwood steel cylinder bore liners at the same time.
RUF Automobile UK is very pleased to offer for sale on behalf of the current owner this early left hand drive RUF BTR with a 3.3 Turbo engine which is believed to be one of between 70 and 80 examples bearing a Porsche VIN (there are a further 20-30 cars with RUF’s factory ‘W09’ VIN).
First registered in 1979 and showing 147947 kms on the odometer, this Porsche 911 930 Turbo was significantly upgraded to BTR spec (estimated 1985) using original RUF parts. The plaque on the glovebox indicates the conversion was completed by the authorised Japanese RUF importer, Ishida Engineering. The RUF factory in Pfaffenhausen, Germany, has supplied a recent letter confirming the originality of all RUF parts and modifications.
Remember the 80’s? Shoulder pads, footballer mullet hair-do’s, Don Johnson sleeves, Dallas, Wham, leggings and Yuppies of course. If you liked cars, however, you might struggle to pick a favourite from the era of the ‘wedge look’ (Google TR7). Nonetheless the best hot hatch of all time, the Golf GTi (okay and the 205 GTi), was born back then along with the Ferrari F40. So some salvation at least from the acknowledged decade of excess.
Individualism was also high on the agenda in the car world of the 1980’s and the likes of TVR, Morgan, Marcos and Lotus enjoyed a level of editorial exposure that typically McLaren, Lamborghini, Porsche and Ferrari enjoy today. Different times indeed.
Of course car design is a very subjective thing. The traditional, conservative path tends to be trodden by the mainstream guys because, well, that’s the market they target in order to sell the most cars.
So how does individualist design stack up in the twenty teens? That can be answered in a heartbeat. In order to survive in the long term, no company can afford to be too adventurous because the numbers have to add up. Keep it safe, in other words.
The likes of Trevor Wilkinson and Colin Chapman would have a very big hill to climb these days so therefore all credit to the likes of Horacio Pagani and those designers that stretch our imaginations much further than our conformist world would prefer.
Uwe Gemballa was a car designer of his time and fortunately there are still a few of his sensational designs around 30-plus years later today. This 1986 Gemballa Avalanche is a superb example that is available to purchase right now.
Finished in Pearlescent White with a Black Leather interior this super-rare, left hand drive Gemballa Avalanche was first registered in the UK in April 2018 and was originally supplied brand new to a dealer in Puerto Rico, USA in 1986.
The Porsche 930 Turbo may well have been one of the fastest and most highly regarded sports cars of the 1980’s but a market for specialist tuners emerged during that time with RUF and Gemballa quickly making a name for themselves. Gemballa was founded in 1981 by Uwe Gemballa, an engineer who started out creating bespoke interiors before developing a strong interest in aerodynamics and associated aftermarket products. Gemballa soon turned his attention to producing complete cars based on Porsche 930’s and quickly gained a reputation for outrageous designs combined with wild performance.
The Avalanche debuted in 1985 with a price tag of 390,000 DM (nearly $700,000 in 1989) and quickly became the wheels of choice for some very high-profile celebrities such as the rap-musician Vanilla Ice who immortalised the car in the lyrics of one of his songs – “Of course a Vanilla rides the groove like a Gemballa Porsche”.
Each Avalanche was created by Gemballa with mostly bespoke body panels plus individual interiors filled with the latest technology for the time. Mechanical upgrades were completed by RUF with the cars being finished off by Gemballa to specific customer requirements.
Finished in Guards Red with a Black Leather interior this left hand drive 1986 Porsche 930 Turbo Flatnose was first registered in the UK in April 1989 and originally supplied through Porsche in the Netherlands it was well optioned from new, the most obvious of course being its distinctive body shape. This vehicle started life as a genuine factory Slantnose, Flatnose or ‘Flachbau’.
As if a 911 Turbo Flatnose didn’t stand out from the crowd enough, early in the car’s life it was sent to world-renowned Porsche tuners RUF Automobile GmbH, who are the only recognised partner of Porsche and, in fact, are recognised by the German government as a manufacturer in their own right. The customer opted for a BTR conversion (B = Group B, T = Turbo, R = RUF).
The basics of the RUF BTR start with the engine, which had the original partially-finned cylinder barrels replaced by those with air-cooling fins around their complete diameter. The bore was increased giving a new displacement of 3.4 litres from the original 3.3 litres. RUF added unique Mahle Pistons plus connecting rods and 935 type camshafts. The intake manifold was replaced, as was the exhaust, A larger KKK K27 unit replaced the turbo, and a larger free-flowing intercooler was added along with the installation of a larger oil cooler behind the RUF front spoiler.
RUF also went to great lengths to modify the standard Porsche 930 4-speed transmission by adding a 5th gear with the help of Getrag. Next, the shift linkage was improved, becoming both lighter and more positive than the stock unit. The cars were lowered and the suspension was stiffened, RUF also fitted their single-piece forged alloy wheels, sized 9×17 and 10×17.
RUF Automobile is delighted to offer for sale this extremely rare, right hand drive RUF RtR which is the first of its type to be available in the United Kingdom.
Afficionados of RUF will know that the company is in a unique position to source body shells directly from Porsche and then create its own individual interpretation of a highly capable sports car. All RUF-manufactured cars come with a VIN that starts ‘W09’ since the company is recognised as a manufacturer in its own right by the German authorities.
This Canary Yellow RtR was built in Pfaffenhausen in 2013 and has since recorded only 600 miles since new having mainly been used for shows such as the Geneva Auto Salon and as a press demonstrator by RUF Automobile.
This particular example is rear wheel drive and fitted with a RUF-built 645 hp twin-turbocharged 3.8 litre flat-six boxer engine which is mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
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