RUF debuts the 'Tribute' and it's a genuinely beautiful tribute to the Porsche 911

The stunning 2026 RUF Tribute has been unveiled, and it serves as an homage to the Porsche 911 as well as the brand’s decades-long history with the marque.

When RUF debuted its first-ever complete model back in 1977, it was a tuned version of the Porsche 911 Turbo.

Decades on, it unveiled the 2026 RUF Tribute during the 2025 Monterey Car Week.

And the car doesn’t just go by the name Tribute, it’s a truly fitting tribute in every way. 

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The RUF Tribute is a worthy homage to the Porsche 911

Over the years, RUF has released some incredible vehicles based on Porsche models, like this rare Yellowbird Lightweight Porsche, and the 710 horsepower CTR Anniversary that recently went under the hammer.

A couple of years back, to mark the Porsche 911’s 60th birthday, RUF unveiled the Tribute during Monterey Car Week. 

And during this year’s event, it debuted the production version of the simply stunning 2026 RUF Tribute. 

The carmaker has fitted the Tribute with a completely new air-cooled 3.6-liter twin-turbo engine, which is designed to put the driver in mind of an earlier era 911.  

“In our 60-year love affair with the 911, we are bringing back one of the elements that shaped the heart and soul of this iconic masterpiece – the air-cooled motor,” the automaker explained. 

“The rush of the air-cooled engine behind you adds something special to the modern RUF pantheon. 

“It takes the best of the motoring past and injects the technology of the present to create a supercar unlike any other.”

The engine is mated with a seven-speed manual transmission and can produce up to 550 horsepower.

Making an impressive car all the more impressive, the Tribute also meets all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and recently passed emission testing, which is interesting given that emissions were one of the key reasons Porsche switched to water cooling for its 911s during the 1990s.

Of course, the car isn’t just a showing of mechanical achievements; it’s also a real head turner thanks to its classic, sleek design.

Production numbers will be kept low and there’s a bit of a wait

According to Car and Driver, within just minutes of the 2026 Tribute debuting at The Quail, it had already secured two orders. 

But those hoping to get behind the wheel are set to have a bit of a wait on their hands with a reported two-to-three-year waiting time. 

RUF says it can build 30 cars per year, divided between the Tribute, SCR, and Rodeo models. 

The company told the publication it expects to produce between 50 and 100 Tributes over the next years years. 

However, the cars don’t come cheap, with the Tribute starting at $1.7 million. 

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