RUF TRIBUTE: Our Love Letter to Air Cooling is Heading to Production for Model Year 2026
The first RUF TRIBUTE is back, powered by a RUF-designed and manufactured air-cooled engine. The TRIBUTE is the only production air-cooled car in existence from an OEM, having recently passed emissions regulations, one factor that originally took the air-cooled design off the road in the ’90s. RUF revived this iconic engine design in 2023 to honor 60 years of the 911. The 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged powerplant is equipped with billet aluminum cylinder heads, four-cam three-valve technology (for the first time in an air-cooled car) with variable valve timing and lift, and dry-sump lubrication derived from the well-known system used in the original 911. Its 550 horsepower is accompanied by the characteristic soul and charm only an air-cooled engine can offer, topped off by a RUF seven-speed manual sending power to the rear wheels.
This modern air-cooled drivetrain is mounted in the tried-and-true RUF modular platform used for the CTR Anniversary and SCR, with a double-wishbone horizontal pushrod coilover suspension front and rear, carbon-fiber tub and body, and RUF Integrated Roll Cage. The RUF TRIBUTE will be in production for model year 2026.
“These three cars represent the breadth of what RUF has to offer,” said Alois Ruf, president of RUF Automobile. “The RODEO satisfies our love for adventure, the CTR3 EVO is our track-ready engineering masterpiece designed for maximum speed and the TRIBUTE is our modern-day callback to the original 911 we fell in love with. We are honored to present these three cars at
The Quail, and to hand off the latest RODEO and CTR3 EVO to their new owners.”