RUF tactics

Well, it mustn't be for some buyers, because German tuning house RUF has developed this completely OTT tangerine monster, which lifts performance to an altogether absurd plane.

Dubbed the RUF Rt 12, the heavily worked-over Porker is claimed to offer the "perfect combination of high-end performance and every day use".

The 'cooking' 911 Turbo makes do with a paltry 358kW and 620Nm, but RUF's boffins can ramp up power to 395kW, 418kW or 485kW, depending on your level of insanity -- and the size of your wallet. Torque in the full-bottle version is a ludicrous 870Nm.

That said, the 0-100km/h split isn't dispatched all that much quicker than the standard car. RUF claims it leaps to 100km/h it in 3.7sec, compared with 3.9sec for the factory original (or 3.8sec for the Tiptronic version, which accelerates faster than the manual).

The prodigious grunt is delivered to the tarmac via the rear wheels only, but buyers who think this might be too much of a handful can opt for optional AWD (which is standard in the factory 911 Turbo).

RUF says the tarmac missile's aerodynamic characteristics are improved via bespoke front and rear bumpers, rear spoiler and customised side mirrors. The air intakes for the intercoolers are integrated in the wider rear haunches.

Adding street cred and further beefing up the stance are RUF five-spoke alloy wheels -- 19-inch diameter at the front and 20s at the rear. As you would expect, the braking system comprises massive drilled, ventilated discs and fixed light-alloy monobloc callipers.

Available as an option is a special RUF sports suspension, which can lift hydraulically by 50mm to ensure you don't lose the front spoiler when exiting or entering your driveway.

Interior tweaks include RUF instrumentation with traditional green typeface and "Pepita" cloth seat-trim inserts that infuse a touch of 1950s/'60s retro into an otherwise thoroughly contemporary car.

The Rt 12 is also available with the latest version of the RUF Integrated Roll Cage (IRC) -- leather/ alcantara trimmed, of course, and "very unobtrusive".

Just 35 bespoke cars are destined to be offered each year, and they won't be cheap, although they might seem a relative bargain compared to the V10-powered Carrera GT, which has a telephone-digit price tag.

Rt 12 Turbo 05 Technical Specifications
Engine: Water-cooled 3.8-litre flat-six, double overhead camshafts per cylinder bank, four valves per cylinder -- hydraulically actuated with variable valve timing; twin KKK turbochargers with integrated wastegates and 3-way catalytic converters
Power: 485kW
Torque: 870Nm
Cooling: Water-cooled with three radiators and a water-oil heat exchanger
Dry sump lubrication system with separate oil tank

Transmission
Rear-wheel drive (AWD is an optional extra)
Six-speed manual with customer-specified gear ratios

Wheels and tyres RUF alloy wheels: front 9x19-inch with 255/35 ZR 19 Pirelli tyres;
rear 12.5x20-inch with 345/25 ZR 20 Pirelli tyres

Performance Top speed more than 352km/h (subject to gear ratios/engine output choice)
0–100 km/h in 3.7 seconds