Ruf Rodeo Is Ready to Yee Haw

• The Ruf Rodeo is a new Safari-style sports car ready to go off the pavement.
• It has a 610-hp flat-six, manual transmission, adjustable all-wheel-drive system and all-terrain tires.
• The interior has a Ralph Lauren Ranch theme.

If the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato and Porsche 911 Dakar are for the 0.1% of supercar owners who'd dare to rip their six-figure sports car down desert two-tracks, then the Ruf Rodeo is for the 0.01% who really want to turn heads at the staging area. This Safari-inspired retro sports car has a claimed curb weight of only 2,756 pounds and 610 horsepower, all controlled with a manual transmission.

Ruf touts the Rodeo's carbon-fiber bodywork and monocoque structure supported by a hidden steel roll cage. Mounted behind the rear axle, a water-cooled turbocharged 3.6-liter flat-six engine develops 610 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. Power goes to all four wheels through a six-speed stick. Even more impressively, the Ruf-developed AWD system — featuring limited-slip differentials front and rear — can vary the torque split between the two axles through a dedicated screen on the dash. You can't do this in the Porsche or Lamborghini, and it should make ripping around in the sand and dirt in the Rodeo that much more fun.

The Ruf Rodeo has up to 9.5 inches of ground clearance and recovery points up front. Pushrod-actuated coilovers and adaptive dampers are bolted longitudinally up front and transversely on the rear axle. "Ruf Rodeo" branded Goodyear all-terrain tires (size 235/55 on all four corners) are mounted on 18-inch center-lock wheels that are stopped by carbon-ceramic brakes.

Ruf says that it designed the interior with inspiration from the Ralph Lauren Ranch in Colorado. The Western-themed upholstery adorns the seatbacks, door panels, dashboard and headliner. Customers can specify the Rodeo in one of five tasteful color options: Signal Orange, Olive Green, Bitter Chocolate, Burgundy Red and Aga Blue.

Edmunds says

Slightly lifted, Safari-style sports cars with all-terrain tires are becoming increasingly common after the Porsche 911 Dakar and Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato made their debuts. If you've got the money to spend and the desire to go fast off-road, the new Ruf Rodeo should provide the thrills and analog feel missing in the Porsche and Lamborghini.