RUF unveils 1,000‑plus‑hp flat‑eight

RUF used the opening day of the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Thursday to show a new in-house flat-eight engine that the German carmaker said will underpin a future model. The powertrain is a twin-turbo boxer-eight, a configuration closely associated with Porsche racing history but rarely seen in a road-going package. RUF displayed it at the four-day event in West Sussex, where manufacturers regularly use the hillclimb and paddock to debut new hardware. Goodwood’s official site says the 2026 festival runs from July 9 to July 12 at Goodwood House. ### What exactly did RUF bring to Goodwood? Autocar reported that the prototype is known as the B8 and is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter flat-eight mounted at the rear. The outlet said RUF claims the engine produces more than 986 bhp and 737 lb-ft of torque, putting it well beyond the output of the six-cylinder CTR3 on which the test car is based. Road & Track reported that RUF described the engine as a home-grown Boxer-8 making more than 1,000 horsepower. The publication said festival visitors would get a first public look at the new twin-turbo powertrain at Goodwood. ### Is this a production car or a test mule? Autocar said RUF refers to the prototype internally as the “Erprober,” German for “tester.” The outlet reported that RUF called it “not yet a production model” and said it serves as a dedicated testbed for technologies intended for a future RUF vehicle. Jalopnik reported that the flat-eight appears in a CTR3-based prototype and is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. Autocar said the car has been extended by 100 mm to package the longer engine block, while still resembling the CTR3 closely from the outside. ### Why is a flat-eight from RUF unusual? RUF’s current public model lineup is centered on flat-six-powered cars, including models such as the Tribute and CTR3 Clubsport shown on its website. The appearance of a boxer-eight marks a departure from the engine format most closely tied to the company’s recent road cars. Autocar reported that RUF said neither it nor any other company has deployed such an engine “in this form.” The publication also noted that Porsche had explored a flat-eight concept for a 918 Spyder successor, but that project never reached production. ### What details are still missing? RUF has not publicly set out a launch date, price or final model name for the production car that will use the engine. Autocar said the company has also not confirmed whether the prototype’s rear-drive layout and six-speed manual transmission will be retained in the final version. The official RUF site, as of Thursday, was still highlighting existing production models rather than a standalone page for the new flat-eight program. That leaves the Goodwood appearance as the clearest public marker so far of the project’s direction. ### Where can people see it next? Goodwood’s official festival page says the 2026 event continues through Sunday, July 12, at Goodwood House in Chichester, West Sussex. The site lists car launches and debuts among the attractions and links visitors to the event map, timetable and entry list for this year’s festival.