RUF, a name associated with some of the finest Porsche 911 builds in modern history, has never tuned a single 2002 Volkswagen Beetle. This didn’t stop one of the owners from acquiring all the necessary components from a dealership and building one himself.
The parts and the work were provided by RAC Performance, a service center that has historically traded in original RUF tuning products, but hasn’t been an official representative of that company for the past 15 years. Working on the Beetle, they gave it a respray in silver metallic, installed bespoke aftermarket bumpers and replaced the wheels with genuine 19-inch RUF rims.
Plenty of work was done in the chassis department. Brembo six-piston calipers and braided stainless-steel brake lines were introduced to help keep the Beetle in control at all times. Eibach sway bars and Vogtland coilovers were added for sharper handling around corners, and the drivetrain ended up with reinforced mounts. The owner says the goal was to create a car that would be faithful to the RUF philosophy – not just the looks.
It looks like the interior wasn’t modified all that much, Recaro Sportster CS seats being one notable exception. Where things get interesting is the engine bay. The stock 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mill wound up with a sports-grade air intake, a diverter valve, improved subframes and an ECU fine-tuned to accept both racing-grade gasoline and ON93 pump gas (implemented via mode selection). Given the sheer scope of the project, it's a bit of a shame RAC Performance never revealed any power or torque figures.
The RUF-themed Beetle went up on sale the other day with 91,700 kilometers (57,000 miles) on the odometer. The bidding got to a decent $26,000, but stopped short of reserve. The fact that RUF had no hand in the build might have played a role in this, but it’s hard to say with projects like these.
