RUF 3400S Review

Are you a poser or a purist? Be honest. Provided you don't crash into a parked car while clocking yourself in a shop window, there's nothing wrong with buying a sports car to flatter your ego. But if you're more concerned about perception than performance, the RUF 3400S is not for you. It's a Porsche Boxster. Yes, RUF have modified this particular version to blast from zero to sixty in well under six seconds and out-corner a Ferrari, but it's still a hairdresser's car. Compared to the fearsome 911, the Boxster has about as much street cred as a dark blue M&S suit. Ah, but if you are a purist, get ready for a treat. You'll already know the Boxster has one-up on its 911 stable mate: a mid-engine layout. (For the blissfully ignorant, the 911's engine sits behind the rear wheels. During heavy cornering, the car must use clever tricks to stop the rear end from saying, 'Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I'm the leader.') What purists can't know- at least until they drive the 3400S- is the Boxster's true magnificence. The official Porsche product just doesn't have enough power to exploit the Boxster's dynamic capabilities. In other words, it's too damn slow.

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