The Safari 911 is officially a thing. Thanks to folks like Leh Keen and renewed interest in Porsche's rally history, lifted 911s on knobby tires are filling Instagram feeds, and depending on where you live, making appearances at your cars and coffee. Germany's RUF is getting in on the Safari game with this, the wild Rodeo concept.
This is not a Porsche 911. The Rodeo is based around RUF's carbon-fiber chassis, which underpins the new CTR and SCR. The styling is inspired by the 911, as is the rear-mounted flat-six, but this is a car of RUF's own creation. Power comes from either a RUF-designed naturally aspirated flat-six making around 510 horsepower, or a twin-turbo six with 700 horsepower. And unlike the CTR and SCR, the flat-six in the Rodeo sends its power to all four wheels. The knob in the center console seems to allow the driver to adjust the torque split on the fly.
Also helping with off-road driving is long travel suspension and all-terrain Michelin tires. Visually, the Rodeo follows a western theme, with green and gold paint, a tow rope wrapped around a leather-covered bull bar, rally lights, a roof rack, and even a shovel on the engine lid. Inside, there's gorgeous brown leather and patterned textiles for the seat centers.
RUF hasn't said whether or not it'll build a car based on the Rodeo concept. That probably depends on how well the Rodeo is received, though we do expect RUF to build an all-wheel-drive carbon-chassis car of some sort. If the Rodeo does see production, expect it to sell somewhere in the high six figures.
What is definitely headed to production is RUF's new SCR, shown above looking resplendent in Irish Green. First shown as a prototype in 2018, the SCR is basically the same thing as the new CTR, minus two turbochargers. The engine is a four-liter flat-six which makes 510 horsepower and sends its power to the rear wheels via a seven-speed manual gearbox. Weight, thanks to all the carbon fiber, is just 2775 pounds. Expect the SCR to cost around $800,000.
The RUF stand is always a highlight of the Geneva Motor Show, and the fact that we can't see these cars in person this year is disappointing. These are wonderful creations from a company with a rich history. We hope the Rodeo makes production, and someone is brave enough to take it in the woods.
A car enthusiast since childhood, Chris Perkins served as Road & Track's engineering nerd and Porsche apologist.
