Ruf Delivers Plug-In Electric Porsche Cayenne - eRuf Stormster Looks Mean, Acts Green

Ruf Automobile is a name that many car fans, and every Porsche fan, should know. In 1987 their “Yellowbird” 911 (see at bottom) went 211mph, and was the fastest sports car on the planet, and they have been building cars like that ever since. Their cars are so good, Porsche ships them bare chassis and lets Ruf put their own name on them, VIN# and all. But where will companies like this be when Al Gore is king? Plug-ins and hybrids get more attention than a 200mph Porsche.

Well Ruf is no one-trick pony. Their newest e-car is the Porsche Cayenne-based eRuf Stormster. This is carbon off-setting at its coolest (Lowering your “carbon footprint” means doing things for the environment to off-set the things that harm the environment. For example if you use electricity, you might run your car on bio-diesel). It's the first luxury plug-in electric SUV, and it's impressive.

The Stormster uses the same electric motor as “The Greenster,” eRuf's (Ruf's electric car division) 911-based prototype. Its electric engine, built by California-based CALMOTORS, INC., makes 367hp / 700 lb-ft. of torque and only takes 1 hour to charge. Compare that to the Tesla roadster, which takes 3.5 hours to charge. Apparently everythign Ruf does, it does quickly. From that charge it has a range of 124 miles (half the Tesla's). It silently zips to 60mph in 10 seconds, with a top speed of 93mph. This is mostly due to it weighing 5,874lbs, but amazingly (sadly?) that's only 150lbs more than a normal Cayenne, a testament to the impressive engineering.

I've never liked the Porsche Cayenne's appearance, but it's better looking than the EV Rav4s you see around California. And there's no debating the interior, it's a wonderful place to be. Currently all the "green" cars are fairly spartan inside, but this car will put interior designers on high-alert. Sitting in a Prius after this car will be like comparing Jay-Z's yacht to a canoe.

The name is a bit silly; this car is more breeze than thunder. That aside it's an impressive achievement, for Ruf, and a big step for the world. We always thought plug-ins would come from Honda, Toyota, or GM, but they have been slow to deliver them. Ruf followed the path of Tesla and said, “Screw it. It's not that hard, watch.” The eRuf Stormster is the proof. The range is acceptable for city driving, the charge time is faster than anything available, and it can carry a family of 4. Ruf has been around almost 30 years and clearly they plan on staying. I wouldn't be surprised if we see an electric 200mph “Yellowbird” in a few years.

1987 Porsche RUF 911 CTR Yellowbird:

Source: Ruf