For people who love Porsches, Alois Ruf’s interpretations are the objects of lust. We haven’t been behind the wheel of a new Ruf since driving the venerable CTR3 supercar in 2008, but that doesn’t mean Ruf hasn’t been busy. Since then, he has introduced new “S” and “R” versions of the RT 12, the soon-to-be-produced RGT-8 powered by a naturally aspirated 550-bhp flat-crank V-8 and lastly, the stunning soft-back Targa you see here, the RT (Ruf Turbo) Roadster.

Built as an homage to the original 1967 Porsche Sicherheitscabriolet (“Safety Cabriolet,” aka Targa), Ruf starts with a 911 Turbo S Coupe and chops the top half off. In its place, a shortened windshield, robust chassis-integrated rollbar, removable 2-piece Alcantara-lined carbon roof and soft-zippered folding polyglass window form the basis of the new silhouette. Add to this custom aero-enhanced front and rear fascias (with Ruf’s signature intercooler ducts), sport mirrors, fixed carbon wing and a special matte-gray iridescent paint, and you’ve got the short list for why someone would pay €330,000 for this car.

In proper topless guise, the roof pieces store securely beneath leather buckle straps under the rear canopy that cleverly tensions and slackens electronically. The effect, achieved with fewer sound-deadening elements between you and the engine, is a high-def orchestra of whooshes and roars that are simply the byproduct of brilliantly powerful hardware