Flashback Friday: RUF's Wild West Rodeo Concept

New Category

We've seen all sorts of custom Porsches over the years, everything from restomods to backdated cars to safari builds. But this latest creation from longtime German builder RUF Automobile is well, attempting to define an entirely new category, all on its own. And they're doing so with this - the Rodeo Concept.

Photos: RUF Automobile

Wild, Wild West

The idea behind the Rodeo Concept was to combine two seemingly different things into one. That is the Western cowboy culture and the bejeweled car culture present in Beverly Hills, California. "The concept for the Rodeo was inspired by our friends and customers, like the founder of the Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance Bruce Meyer, Phillip Sarofim, and Ralph Lauren," said RUF Marketing Director Estonia Ruf. "The love for sporty cars and to the culture of the Wild West was to be reflected in the Rodeo, something which is also for me personally a memory of my time in Oklahoma."

Photos: RUF Automobile

>>Join the conversation about this RUF Rodeo 911 concept right here in Rennlist.com.

Not a Porsche

Those ties are pretty obvious everywhere you look on the Rodeo. The rough-and-tumble exterior gives off a rally car vibe, but one with a decidedly western theme. But like most RUF vehicles, this one isn't technically a Porsche. Underneath, it rides on the same carbon-fiber monocoque chassis that was used in RUF's CTR Anniversary and SCR models.

Photos: RUF Automobile

>>Join the conversation about this RUF Rodeo 911 concept right here in Rennlist.com.

Off-Road Chops

But that's pretty much where the similarities end between the Rodeo and those prior models. The Rodeo utilizes a suspension lift and long travel setup to give it some serious off-road chops. It's also a proper four-wheel-drive and sports a set of knobby all-terrain tires to provide prodigious amounts of grip in the dirt.

Photos: RUF Automobile

>>Join the conversation about this RUF Rodeo 911 concept right here in Rennlist.com.

Theme Intensifies

Inside, the western theme intensifies thanks to what RUF calls "Navajo-inspired fabrics reminiscent of the Cowboys and Indians roaming the American southwest." And nearly everything else in the cabin is covered in saddle leather, which is something you'd expect to see a lot of on the ranch. There are also a few carbon fiber bits here and there, and metal bits on items like the radio control knobs.

Photos: RUF Automobile

>>Join the conversation about this RUF Rodeo 911 concept right here in Rennlist.com.

Quirks and Features

Rounding out this interesting package is a series of nifty features including a brush guard, two-tone paint scheme, off-road light, a roof rack for extra storage space, and of course, a shovel in case you get stuck out on the trail. There are also several saddle leather straps adorning the exterior to hold all these things in place, in style.

Photos: RUF Automobile

>>Join the conversation about this RUF Rodeo 911 concept right here in Rennlist.com.

Dare to be Different

RUF admits that the main reason they built the Rodeo Concept is that they "thought it would be fun." And we certainly think that the tongue-in-cheek model hits that mark. Whether or not people start lining up to buy them, well, that's a different story. But we certainly applaud RUF for daring to do something completely different in a world often rife with copycats.

Photos: RUF Automobile

>>Join the conversation about this RUF Rodeo 911 concept right here in Rennlist.com.

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