You whisper “996-generation Porsche 911” into a room full of enthusiasts, and the reaction ranges from a smirk and eyeroll to an immediate mid-sentence cut-off blurting out ‘oh the ugly one?’. That’s how it used to be, anyway, as nowadays, it’s an entirely different story. The fried-egg-headlight toting sports car may not have the understated presence of the 997, nor the air-cooled appeal of the 993 before it, but the 996 has aged into one of the go-to future classics for those looking to experience the thrill of Stutgart’s finest. The Turbo is wonderful, the GT3 is pure theatre, but Ruf’s lesser-known RGT is the car that has it all, the looks, the rarity, and the power.
Heading to Broad Arrow Auction’s upcoming Amelia Island sale, this stunning example has an estimate of anything upwards of $250,000, a figure we predict it may very likely surpass due to recent results relating to millennium-era sports cars. Created by Ruf Automobile, the RGT took the GT3-bred Mezger flat-six and refined it, adding bespoke cams, ECU mapping as well as intake and exhaust upgrades to tease around 385 bhp from the normally aspirated 3.6-litre boxer engine.
With a six-speed manual gearbox and a host of chassis improvements, including Ruf’s integrated roll cage quietly bolted into the structure, the RGT isn’t content merely to look good at a cars and coffee meet. It’s a driver’s car in the purest sense: analogue, engaging and very, very limited. Ruf built only around 17 of these first-generation RGTs for the entire world, and even fewer ever reached the U.S. market. That puts this Stuttgart-adjacent jewel in an extremely exclusive club, rarer than some early 911 RS models if you stack them against production figures, and certainly rarer than many contemporary boutique 911 derivatives. It’s the sort of car that makes 996 purists grin and die-hard Porsche collectors rethink their “no 996s, thanks” stance.
Collectors have already taken note, with examples nudging well into six figures at auction, not bad for something that, a decade ago, might have been overlooked by the very market now clamouring for it. One thing is for certain, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this rarer-than-rare millennium hero!
Amelia Island, 7 Mar
