Earlier today we learned that Porsche Motorsports North America purchased the historic ANDIAL name/brand for future use. At nearly the same time we heard that RUF, perhaps the most well know Porsche builder in the world, has sold a stake of their business to the investment firm that owns the Lotus F1 team.
Genii Capital has become a “shareholder and strategic partner” to the German manufacturer RUF. There are many that call RUF a tuner but technically, that’s not correct. RUF is classified as a manufacturer by the German government as they buy “white body” Porsche tubs directly and then build from their.
About Ruf
Established in 1939 RUF is synonymous with high performance Porsches. Their iconic 1987 Yellowbird (above) was the fastest production car in the word at the time with a top speed of 214 mph. Today, the 750 horsepower CTR3 (below) is the latest offering in that line from RUF, has a top speed of 236 mph, and unlike the CTRs before it is the first generation to feature a mid-engine design.
“It will soon be 50 years since I started to share my vision on a truly unique platform in automotive history; the Porsche 911. Looking forward I see a very exciting future in which we will be assisted by Gerard Lopez. I have been proud to see Gerard grow from an RUF-fascinated kid into a client – and first of all a friend – over more than 20 years and am very much looking forward to having him as a partner in RUF Automobile GmbH.”, said RUF founder Alois Ruf.
It is not known at this time how large of a stake Genii acquired of RUF, but they plan to add value by helping to further enhance the RUF branding in emerging markets, while using its Business Exchange platform to identify new strategic opportunities. One such opportunity will be the in-house developed, high performance, light weight V8 engine (like the one in the RGT-8 below).
Genii Capital’s founding partner, Gerard Lopez had the following to say about the transaction,
“RUF is a fantastic brand with a loyal customer base and a global brand name. It is cars like the CTR (Yellowbird) and its successors that have build RUF’s legend. Today the brand is also connected to younger generations through its appearance in number one selling driver computer games, opening the potential to new buyers across the world.
To be involved with RUF, you have to be passionate about high performance vehicles and Porsche in particular, as no other company in the world shows more respect to this brand. I count myself amongst those passionate for both, so for Genii to be able to make this commitment to RUF’s future at such an exciting period in their development is particularly rewarding. The high performance vehicle market is going through a fundamental transition with emerging markets and alternative propulsion solutions paving the way for RUF’s future. In light of these developments, the Geneva Motor Show will be especially exciting this year.”
Reading between the lines, it looks like there will be more to see shortly on cars like the RGT-8 above and maybe even more cars like the RUF Greenster…
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[Source: GENII Capital]