RUF Automotive finally put the infamous “Yellowbird” video on YouTube. I paid real money for the official RUF DVD a few years ago, but to my annoyance I had to play it on my laptop because it was from a different DVD region.
469 horsepower for about 2600 pounds. Even by modern standards, that’s not bad. But the car is certainly a handful, isn’t it? I’ve always thought that Stefan Roser is showboating for the camera. That simply cannot be the fastest way around the Ring, can it?
He took what’s known as the “Clarkson Line.”
It might have been the fastest way on eighties tyres with a tail-happy car that needs revs to keep the turbos spooled. Or at least the most predictable way. His angle is pretty modest most of the time, he’s using all of the track, and he looks relaxed and smooth while doing it. Even when he’s going sideways at a million miles per hour on a narrow track between curbs so high they will send cars flying.
By the way this was one of the first car videos i watched online, back when the only place you could find them was some suspicious download site via a forum-link… And after waiting hours for it to download you find out it’s actually Celine Dions greatest hits and not a car video. The “video” probably also gave your computer Chlamydia.
Where did you pick up your player from? I haven’t been able to find a region-locked DVD player for close to 10 years now - even if it’s a bog-standard Pioneer from Amazon - and the multiregion BD players I’ve picked up are all set to DVD Region 0 as the default.
It was probably at least ten years ago when I bought the DVD. I should try it in my blu-ray player!
It seems with the shifted regions for BD, the electronics makers have just set the general DVD switch to 0.
In any case, I’ll put in a shameless plug for 220 Electronics if you ever buy new; I’m currently using their low buck LG unit and am pleased the kids have lost the remote. My HTC has the IR blaster/remote control feature and their crap-phones don’t.
And from the Things You Probably Don’t Need department, I came across Janis Ian’s extra gear page a week ago, where she’s put up a 1900 Martin 0-28 for sale.
It’s classic, but jeez, woodworkers don’t saw that much. My reference for how a 911 ought to be driven, having never so much as sat in one, is this guy’s lap of Spa which made the rounds a few years ago:
https://youtu.be/CvDD8V9Liq8
The RUF CTR: Every corner is a new chance to die.
Clearly more than one instance of the ol’ Scandinavian Flick evident in the RUF video. Of much more interest were the higher speed sections where the driver had to make an extremely sudden and violent turn of the wheel to keep the car out of the wall. It doesn’t appear to take very much of a bump to get the back end of that thing unstable at higher speeds…and you’d better be a rock star if you want to keep it between the lines.
Progressive oversteer on demand is one thing. A back end that will aggressively try to swap places with the front upon slightest provocation at speeds is quite another.
No thank you.
@carrya1911 writes:
“Progressive oversteer on demand is one thing. A back end that will aggressively try to swap places with the front upon slightest provocation at speeds is quite another. ”
And the ad copy writer hears that about the car and immediately pens (OK, keyboards) the following:
“It is an extremely exciting car to drive.”
RUF driver = big brass balls
…no helmet, no shoes?
I wonder what it’s like to be that comfortable throttle steering a 911 going that fast
back in the days before electronic driving aids, and not much aero either!
back in the days when men were men 😀
that looks like 2 laps edited together?
I would love to be able to watch the full thing, from each camera view
thx for posting…nice to get a decent quality vid of that; I, too have older, grainy copies
My heart flutters a bit every time I see someone go past the place where Lauda crashed. I am sure something broke on his car, it’s not someplace you would otherwise lose control IMO. But what do I know I’ve never even driven there IRL
ps was the RUF on street tires?
That 2012 911 vid is probably no comparison: I bet he is on slicks, and he’s gutted the car, full rollcage, and who knows what other suspension tweaks etc?
the RUF I think was pretty much road car?
FWIW I only saw pictures of the 911 I posted on bias-ply tires, but yes, obviously it’s a
I guess I hit enter.
… obviously it’s a fully-prepped vintage racer, whereas the ‘Ring video is a far less controlled situation.
The Ruf was 100% road car and I’m pretty certain it was on whatever Pirelli radials would fit.
I certainly handled like it was on old typ Pirellies .
That or bias ply .
A fun video to be sure but can’t be the fastest way ’round the Ring .
-Nate