Autoblog

Despite the fact that Lotus seems to have the inside line on electric sportscars, longtime Porsche tuning firm Ruf has chosen the Cayman for its new electric supercar. Comparisons to the Tesla Roadster are sure to come up, and we're happy to oblige. Compared to the latest Tesla drivetrain, the Ruf is expected to debut with a bit less overall power (150kW compared to 185kW) but will have considerably more twisting force (650Nm versus 375Nm). In other words, if the Ruf were a hatchet, the Tesla may be a scalpal, so to speak. A lithium-ion battery pack of unknown output will provide power to the motor. We don't yet know if the Ruf will sport multiple gears, but it seems distinctly possible in order to attain its planned top speed of around 125 miles per hour. We'd bet that any comparisons between the two electric sportscars will end at price, as the Ruf is sure to command an even heftier sum than the $100k Tesla Roadster. We'll find out next month what that price is and if it's worth it. Uh never mind... of course it'll be worth it.

NOTE: the photo above is of the RUF CT3 supercar, which is not based on the Cayman but sure does look like it.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport]

click above image for a history lesson on RUF

Ahh, the joy of YouTube. Every once in a while we come upon a jewel like this - a four-part series on the history of Ruf, perhaps the most famous of Porsche tuners. The documentary features Alois Ruf recounting the history of the company, starting with the formation of AUTO RUF in 1939 and ending with the development of the new CTR3 supercar. In between are the details of Alois' love of motorsport, the top speed testing of the Yellow Bird and CTR2, and the company's philosophy on restoration and working on customer cars. It's a full 30+ minutes of footage, but it's worth it even if you aren't a huge Porsche or Ruf fan. You can watch all four clips after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]