There's a gruffer exhaust note than the standard Cayman, but only a connoisseur could tell them apart. There's none of the latent aggression some tuners automatically dial into their cars. And when it's on song, this machine is near unstoppable, as the power-assisted steering allows for surgical precision and a momentum-based approach to the apex. The suspension has been tweaked, but for those wanting the full Monty, there's a fully adjustable kit that costs just $4,800 and drops the car 1.4 inches lower than standard. Price was the primary concern with this car, but that extra few thousand (the price of sat-nav or metallic paint) gives it more grip than gravity.
Ruf can also upgrade the brakes to massive 13.8-inch rotors on the front, mated to six-piston calipers. But to keep the costs down, the monobloc four-piston units from the donor car get a paint job. And you know what? They work perfectly, as this 2980-pound machine simply isn't heavy enough to require the huge racing numbers or, heaven forbid, the ridiculously overpriced PCCB ceramic upgrades.
Anyone hankering to ritually humiliate bigger 911s on the race track can hit the options list and come away with everything from tire pressure monitors to GT3 seats and a fire extinguisher-a borderline racing car. For road use, though, this is all the car you could ever want and one of the most naturally balanced vehicles in the motoring world.
RUF 3400K
Layout
Longitudinal mid-engine, rear wheel drive
Engine
3.4-liter flat six, centrifugal-type supercharger, camshaft adjustment, hot-film air mass sensor, three-way catalytic converters with metal substrates, aluminum intake manifold with integrated intercoolers
Transmission
Six-speed manual
Suspension
Adjustable coilovers
Brakes
F: Four-piston calipers, 12.5-inch
front rotors R: Four-piston calipers, 11.8-inch rotors
Wheels and Tires
Ruf alloys 8.5x19 (f), 10x19 (r) Bridgestone Potenza RE050A 235/35 (f), 265/35(r)
Exterior
Ruf front bumper with integral air intakes, rear wing, rear bumper
Interior
Aluminum pedals, gear lever trim, instrument panel
Performance
Peak Power: 400 hp
Peak Torque: 324 lb-ft
0-62 mph: 4.4 sec.
Top Speed: 181 mph