While most car enthusiasts look towards Porsche every single time the German manufacturer improves so much as a light bulb on one of their models, a very select few still eagerly direct their attention to Ruf.

Looking back at their history, you’ll almost get the sense that Ruf has always been the proverbial “Elephant in the room”. While they might be officially recognized as a manufacturer by the government, with certified VIN/serial numbers (making their cars genuine production models), some people still see them only as a tuning company – much like how we tend to look at Brabus.

In reality, that notion couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, Ruf also operates as a tuner, but also restores classic Porsche and Ruf models to pristine condition – which is something that often gets overlooked.

So yes, there’s clearly more to them than meets the eye, though if you were to ask the average millennial, they’d probably tell you that Ruf makes those weird cars you generally have to “settle” for when playing racing video games – since not everyone can get a Porsche license, currently belonging to Electronic Arts (EA).

Right now, you can dust off your controller and dive into any Forza game, Driveclub, Grid, Assetto Corsa, Project CARS, The Crew or Gran Turismo game and you won’t find a single Porsche in there. In fact, Need For Speed and Real Racing are the only two franchises where you’ll be able to drive these cars.

So what does everyone do? Well, they use Ruf, as a sort of compromise. The thing is, these cars are anything but a compromise. Even if you can get behind the wheel of every single Porsche factory model in history, missing out on beasts such as the CTR3 Clubsport or the RTR would be a massive shame.

Now what’s so special about these cars you ask? Well, starting from “the bottom” you’ll find the Boxster-based Ruf 3800S, which may not look particularly menacing, but thanks to 420 PS, 450 Nm (331 lb-ft) and a top speed of 303 km/h (188 mph), it will absolutely destroy any Boxster you decide to feed it – including the GTS PDK and the Spyder.

The 3800S will also hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.1 seconds, about half a second quicker than the fastest production Boxster you can find.

Next up on the Ruf hierarchy is the 525 PS, 500 Nm (368 lb-ft) RGT 4.2, which looks a lot sportier in 2015 than in previous years, while still staying true to its basic concept.

This right here is a naturally aspirated machine, that features a tuned chassis, less weight, a wide-body kit, and an integrated roll cage. Flat out, you’ll be doing 322 km/h (200 mph) in this car and that’s faster than the 560 PS production 911 Turbo S.

Available with both rear wheel drive and all-wheel drive is the gorgeous Ruf Turbo Florio. This model basically has everything you might love about the 911 Targa, while adding 630 PS and 825 Nm (608 lb-ft) to the mix. That’s good enough for a top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph) which, in case you haven’t noticed, is basically how we’re grading these cars.

Now since you probably don’t have all day, I’m just going run through the two fastest Ruf models money can buy and then you can decide just how cool they are compared to whichever Porsche you want.

In this corner, coming in at 802 PS, 990 Nm (730 lb-ft) of torque and a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph) – which is hypercar territory by the way – is the one and only Ruf RtR.

The RtR is basically a wider Rt 35, available only as a rear-wheel driven model with a manual transmission. Yeah, you read that correctly. And just when you were about to argue in favor of the 911 GT3 RS as being top dog, right?

Aside from that, the RtR also features a stiffened chassis, bigger brakes, a motorsport-derived rear wing and of course an integrated roll cage, making it one of the most hardcore machines on the planet. Seriously, this thing is Pagani-quick.

But now, here’s our main protagonist, the very best Ruf has to offer in terms of performance, the delightfully retro-modern CTR3 Clubsport.

While at first you might be tempted to think this car is based on the Carrera GT, don’t, because technically you’re looking at the most hardcore Porsche 911/Cayman hybrid ever thought of. Rated at 777 PS to go with 980 Nm (722 lb-ft) of torque, the CTR3 Clubsport is capable of reaching 380 km/h (236 mph), making it one of the fastest cars in the world.

The CTR3 Clubsport isn’t actually a Cayman though, because Ruf designed the body themselves and built it on a dedicated platform. They did however use the Cayman’s mid-engine arrangement and sort of its rear taillight design, but that’s about it.

Now that we’ve run through some of their models, do you guys think the automotive industry should pay more attention to Ruf in general? Even consumers, those who can afford these types of cars at least, shouldn’t they consider buying one of these instead of whichever lighter Porsche/McLaren/Ferrari/Lambo model comes out?

It’s those people who generally pride themselves in owning that one truly special car (or cars), and if you stop to think about it, it doesn’t get a lot more special than at Ruf Automobile.

PHOTO GALLERY