Tag Archives: Porsche

Tuning

RUF Rodeo: A 618-Horsepower Carbon-Fiber Wrangler in a Porsche Suit

RUF has finally done it. They’ve built a Porsche 911 you can aim at the nearest desert without immediately calling your chiropractor afterwards. It’s called the Rodeo, and while at first glance it looks like someone gave a Carrera a pair of hiking boots and told it to “be more outdoorsy,” this thing is far more serious.

First, let’s kill the obvious thought: this isn’t just a 911 with a lift kit. The Rodeo sits on a bespoke carbon monocoque chassis, which makes it the only off-road–ready supercar of its kind. That’s right—RUF didn’t just take Stuttgart’s finest and slap on mud tyres. They built a completely new skeleton designed to take a beating while still letting you commute at warp speed.

The debut car wears Jordan Black paint set against white forged wheels with a single central nut. It’s very “stormtrooper in cowboy boots.” But the stance tells you the story: anti-roll bars integrated into the bumpers, chunky fender extensions, and a rear track widened by a full 142 mm. That’s not just for show. That’s so it doesn’t fall over the moment you point it at a sand dune.

And under the skin? Oh, just a 3.6-litre turbocharged flat-six, pumping out 618 horsepower and 700 Nm of torque, fed through a 6-speed manual and an adaptive all-wheel-drive system with variable torque split. Translation: you can drop the clutch, and the Rodeo will decide whether the sand, gravel, or snow should be redistributed to your rear tyres, your front tyres, or into the atmosphere as dust.

Suspension is handled by pushrod-activated coilovers with active dampers—the sort of setup you normally see on F1 cars, not things with mudflaps. Those dampers also lift the car 242 mm higher than RUF’s road-going SCR, meaning you could, in theory, clear speed bumps without clenching. Stopping power is courtesy of carbon-ceramic brakes with six-piston calipers and 350 mm discs all round.

And just in case you’re wondering, yes—RUF also brought along some company for Monterey. The CTR3 Evo turned up wearing Howe White paint and an 811-horsepower, 990 Nm turbocharged 3.8-litre, because apparently, RUF customers want to bend time as well as space. Meanwhile, the RUF Tribute kept things air-cooled with a twin-turbo 3.6 that still belts out 558 horsepower, proving that nostalgia doesn’t have to be slow.

But the Rodeo is the headline act here. It’s not a Dakar homage, nor is it a cynical cash grab on the SUV craze. It’s RUF saying: why not? Why shouldn’t a flat-six supercar wear hiking boots, climb over rocks, and then annihilate a mountain road in the same breath?

The only real question is—who’s brave enough to take their €700,000 carbon monocoque cowboy up a muddy trail?

Source: RUF

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RUF Rodeo: A 618-Horsepower Carbon-Fiber Wrangler in a Porsche Suit
Restomod

Gunther Werks Unveils Project F-26: A Fighter Jet-Inspired, 1,000-HP Porsche 911 Restomod

Monterey Car Week has always been a playground for the wildest and most imaginative machines on Earth. This year, Gunther Werks stole the spotlight with not one, but two of its most ambitious builds yet. Alongside the extreme, limited-run GWX, the California-based company unveiled the Project F-26—a restomod Porsche 911 with the looks of a fighter jet and the performance of a modern hypercar.

A Slantnose Reimagined

The Project F-26 pays homage to Porsche’s iconic Slantnose lineage, drawing inspiration from legends like the 936 Slantnose and the 911 Slantnose of the ’80s. But rather than simply replicating history, Gunther Werks reimagined it through an aviation lens. The car’s sweeping, aerodynamic bodywork mimics the silhouette of a fighter jet, with every surface designed to maximize performance. Unlike the retro-inspired builds from Singer, the F-26 leans toward futurism, blending Porsche heritage with cutting-edge engineering.

1,014 HP of Air-Cooled Fury

At the heart of the F-26 lies a 4.0-liter, air-cooled, twin-turbocharged flat-six developed in partnership with Rothsport Racing. This isn’t just another hopped-up Porsche motor—Gunther Werks claims it delivers a staggering 1,014 horsepower and 1,017 Nm of torque. A racing-style flat fan doubles the cooling efficiency of a standard setup, while a carbon fiber airbox, redesigned intercooler plenum, and blow-off valves add to the technical arsenal.

All of that power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential, ensuring the analog driving purity Gunther Werks fans demand. To keep the F-26 planted, the company fitted a new double wishbone front suspension, adaptive JRZ dampers, and advanced traction control. The wheelbase has been stretched by 30 mm for added stability, while massive 295-section front and 335-section rear Continental ExtremeContact Force tires provide the necessary grip.

Fighter Jet Looks, Featherweight Body

Visually, the F-26 is as radical as its performance figures suggest. A bespoke front grille, unique headlights, and turn signals give it a face distinct from any other 911, while widened wheel arches house its meaty tires. Out back, a continuous LED light strip, massive rear wing, and aggressive diffuser complete the transformation. Nearly every component is crafted from carbon fiber, helping the F-26 tip the scales at just 1,224 kg (2,698 lbs)—lighter than most modern sports cars with half the power.

A Cabin Built for the Occasion

Inside, the fighter jet theme continues with a stripped-back yet luxurious interior. Carbon fiber dominates the dashboard, while rich leather and Alcantara add a touch of refinement. As with the exterior, every detail feels bespoke, tailored to fit Gunther Werks’ vision of the ultimate analog hypercar.

Rarer Than Rare

If you’re hoping to get your hands on one, good luck. Production of the F-26 is capped at just 26 units, a stark contrast to the three examples of the even more extreme GWX. Each build will undoubtedly be a centerpiece in the collection of whoever is fortunate enough to secure one.

Gunther Werks has never been shy about pushing boundaries, but the Project F-26 feels like a new chapter. By blending classic Porsche DNA with aerospace-inspired design and four-digit horsepower, the company has created a restomod that’s equal parts homage and innovation. In a world where electrification is rapidly reshaping performance cars, the F-26 stands out as a celebration of air-cooled excess—loud, analog, and unapologetically extreme.

Source: Gunther Werks

Restomod

Gunther Werks GWX Is the Rarest, Wildest 911 Restomod Yet

At this point, it’s no secret that Gunther Werks doesn’t just build restomods—they build rolling statements. Every Porsche 911 they touch leaves their California shop reborn: sharper, faster, and infused with the kind of obsessive detail you’d expect from a Swiss watchmaker, not a boutique carmaker. But their latest creation, unveiled at Monterey Car Week, pushes things far beyond the familiar formula. Meet the GWX—the most ambitious, most exclusive car Gunther Werks has ever attempted.

How exclusive? Only three will ever be built. Not three per year. Not three per color. Three total, period. And don’t bother calling your dealer; the GWX is strictly invitation-only.

A Flat-Six With Bite

Like its siblings, the GWX starts life as a 993-generation 911 before undergoing an industrial-strength metamorphosis. At its core is a new 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six, good for 440 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque. But the real nerd-bait detail here is the sliding throttle body plates—a motorsport-derived solution that promises razor-edge throttle response. This isn’t just another hot-rodded air-cooled Porsche; it’s a scalpel designed to slice milliseconds off your synapses.

Wrapped in Carbon, Dressed to Kill

If the engine is the beating heart, the carbon fiber bodywork is the exoskeleton. Every single panel—the hood, the quarter panels, the skirts, the fenders—is sculpted from carbon. The GWX looks like something sketched by a kid who grew up mainlining IMSA race cars, then refined by a designer with OCD. The stance is wide, the details intricate, and the aero unapologetically functional: a massive rear wing with a ram-air scoop built right into the decklid, a custom diffuser, and a front bumper that belongs on a GT-class racer.

The car shown at Monterey, dubbed Alpha Spec, came finished in a shimmering shade of Candy Purple created in-house, complete with silver pinstriping and herringbone carbon accents splashed across the hood and roof. It’s loud, it’s luxurious, and it’s unapologetically Gunther Werks.

A Cabin That Matches the Drama

Open the door and the story continues. Carbon-backed bucket seats wrapped in black-and-white leather, a three-spoke Alcantara wheel, a reimagined carbon-fiber dash, and even a Porsche Classic stereo system to remind you that this car, somewhere deep under all the carbon and Candy Purple paint, started life as a 1990s 911. But personalization is the name of the game here—buyers will almost certainly have a hand in dictating every stitch, weave, and finish.

The Pinnacle of the Breed

Founder Peter Nam summed it up succinctly: “Our new GWX takes all we have learned with remastering the Porsche 911 platform and pushes it even further.” Translation: this is the ultimate distillation of Gunther Werks’ philosophy, a no-compromise halo project aimed squarely at the company’s most dedicated clients.

No pricing has been released, but let’s be real—if you’re one of the three people getting a call, the number on the invoice isn’t going to matter. The GWX isn’t about price. It’s about power, presence, and the kind of exclusivity that makes a Bugatti Chiron look mass-produced.

Gunther Werks has built plenty of unicorns before. With the GWX, they may have just built Pegasus.

Source: Gunther Werks