A decade or more ago it would seem little more than a childish dream to believe that an automaker would launch an off-road sports car. These days, though, Porsche, Lamborghini, and reportedly Ford are all getting into exactly that business.
It’s not just those high-volume manufacturers that are interested though. Boutique builder RUF just launched a new model, the Rodeo (pronounched Roh-Deh-Oh, like the road in California), meant to trod the same dusty trail. Consider it a classic carmaker’s take on a hot new trend.
Unveiled at Monterey Car Week, the Rodeo leverages a 3.6-liter turbocharged flat-six to develop 610 horsepower. It then sends that power to all four wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and limited-slip differentials. It may look like a modded Porsche 964, but it’s actually based on the same custom chassis/monocoque of RUF’s other modern offerings.
On top of all that, it features a double-wishbone suspension, pushrod horizontal dampers, and an active electronic suspension. This thing has 9.5 inches of ground clearance. That’s more than the Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness (9.3 inches).
Stopping power comes from RUF’s own carbon ceramic braking kit. Goodyear all-terrain tires do the work of putting the power down on mixed terrain. A carbon fiber monocoque (yes, it’s entirely custom and not actually just a modified 911) with an integrated roll bar ensures that everyone in the cabin stays safe even if you end up wheels up.
The exterior features a few distinct design cues aside from the additional height. The forged centerlock wheels, for instance, appear to take inspiration from previous RUF models. The exhausts are square and set inside the bumper while the intakes rest just behind and above the rear fenders.
The cabin follows the general theme perhaps even better than the exterior. Supposedly inspired by the Ralph Lauren Ranch, it’s full of Western design cues. The dash, seats, pillars, and center tunnel all feature brown leather. The buckets also get southwestern-style cloth upholstery and a matching panel accents the dash.
Don’t forget that RUF isn’t some fly-by-night vaporware brand. It’s been building ridiculously capable cars like this for over half a century. It’s not a high-volume production but it doesn’t have to be since it builds legendary cars like the Yellowbird and CTR2.
“We wanted to create a car that evokes a sense of nostalgia while benefitting from the thrill of modern technology that can let you go anywhere,” Ruf boss Alois Ruf Jr. said in a statement. “We have a deep sense of connection to the beauty of the American West and wanted to honor that in the Rodeo. And, most importantly, we wanted to create something fun.”
This isn’t actually the first peek we’ve had at something called the RUF Rodeo. The brand launched a concept version back in 2020. That car also had a lift kit, a long travel suspension, and a western theme. RUF suggested that it would potentially be available with a 510 horsepower naturally aspirated flat-six or a 700 horsepower twin-turbo flat-six.
Of course, four-wheel drive was going to be standard, too, but the car never made it into production at the time. It’s awesome to see RUF come back to this idea, update it, and put it on sale even if most buyers probably won’t take it anywhere near the dirt it’s capable of conquering. Granted, for its reported $1,250,000 price tag, I’d probably be quite careful with it myself.
[Editor’s Note: Beau and I (and Chris and Levi from Galpin Media0 visited RUF boss Alois and his partner Estonia at the RUF headquarters in Pfaffenhausen. They are two of the kindest, coolest, car-y-est people on earth. In fact, Alois proposed to Estonia not with a ring but with an engine! One that he promised he’d use to build Estonia a Porsche. It took many, many decades, but here is the couple driving that Porsche near Pfaffenhausen:
Here’s their amazing collection including the aforementioned Rodeo concept car from a few years ago:
The workshop is still the same humble place where it all began over 80 years ago:
Here you can see the Rodeo — then shrouded in secrecy — in the background on the left:
Here’s oen of the company’s dynos; it’s old-school and cool!
Anyway, we’ll have much more on this visit later, but I figured I’d share that. -DT]
More Photos of the RUF Rodeo, courtesy of Levi Ellis:
I’m sure some fool will buy it, rally it, jump it, wreck it and capture it all on camera for the influenced.
Kinda sucks that the “All Terrain” tire that goodyear developed for this just seems to be the Assurance WeatherReady all season with “Ruf Rodeo” slapped on it.
Reminds me of the Mustang Mach E Rally using the Michelin Cross Climate 2s.
Did you all get a RUF Cowboy hat while you were there? I hope you did and have a picture with y’all wearing one.
Does it play a version of a certain Aaron Copland song when you start it? Can it be made to?
Man, that car looks RUF!
I’ll see myself out…
Wonder if it will get you thrown in jail for going off road in a National Park ?
2003-ass concept
cool seats though
I think I’m missing some info, but how is Porsche fine with someone building a Porsche clone (appearance, not the tech)? I’d thought these were original 911s that were heavily modified, but the description in this story suggests these are bespoke cars that have a custom non-Porsche chassis and body.
So are these Porsche-VIN cars that are then repurposed?
Ruf used to use 911’s as the basis for their cars, but I believe they’ve been using a bespoke carbon structure for the SCR for a while now. Rufs also have their own VIN, not Porsche VINs. I believe that applies even to the earlier cars that were based on a 911.
Now… How is Porsche cool with folks like Ruf and Gunther Werks building 911 clones? That part confuses me too.
Thanks for the info. There must be some legal arrangement with Porsche since they seem fine with the situation.
I hate to say it but its so gaudy and absurd that I love it. I would never buy it even if I had the money but I’m glad that something this admittedly silly exists
The headrest shape makes those seats feel like a gingerbread man wearing matching western shirt and shorts, like the super weird sets you can order from Temu. I don’t care for that headrest at all.
I look forward to seeing one of these pulled off the beach sand by a Jeep.
I love the idea of an off-road 911, but for some reason the moment someone spends good money to make one, it stops making sense. I think off-road 911’s lost most of their appeal to me when the last sub-20k running/driving G-body transaction was carried out. The point was to have a substantially faster Baja Bug without a lot of fabrication, to have a really capable stock-class or historical rally car, or just to bash around in a well-balanced vehicle but on dirt. That seems to have been taken over by the Miata.
The issue for me is that off-roading is brutal on vehicles, it properly batters them, a well-used off-roader has scratches that don’t buff out, has gone through sets of control arms and axles, could have dented floor pans, frame rails and rocker panels, and a muddy interior. Nobody’s off-roading a car with super-expensive bespoke interior materials, headlights, taillights, bumpers and suspension, much less performance off-roading.
Navajo blanket upholstery in a 911 is like Frasier Crane in Carhartt overalls.
Cool concept, not sure the interior sticks the landing.
Perfect for the Park City/Jackson Hole ultra-wealthy transplant to go with their rustic aesthetic 12,000 square foot “mountain hideaway”
I can easily see an owner of one of these pretending that they blast it down the UTV roads up Mirror Lake Road by Park City. I can’t imagine one actually doing it though. Maybe, just maybe, I could see someone rallying one around Ken Blocks private gravel track in his yard (well, his family’s yard). They live not far from Park City.
I can see someone doing donuts on an estate’s gravel driveway on the way to cars and coffee.