German automaker RUF has built some incredible cars over the last 80 years. Although the company is best known for its bespoke Porsche creations, it has occasionally dabbled beyond the 911 automaker. What's common to most RUF models is their rarity, and that's precisely the case with a 1998 RUF Turbo R Limited that has been listed for auction on Gooding & Company. Expected to fetch between $1,400,000 and $1,800,000, this is one of only seven Turbo R Limited models ever built. This car is based on the 993 Turbo version of the Porsche 911, hardly a bad starting point for any specialist manufacturer, let alone one with RUF's expertise.

In 1998, RUF built the Turbo R in honor of the 993 Turbo. It had a revised flat-six engine with 490 horsepower, a modified suspension, an integrated roll cage, and a lot more. Nearly two decades later, in 2016, RUF announced the Turbo R Limited, a tribute to the Turbo R. The Limited is built on new, unused tubs acquired from Porsche in 1998 - hence the 1998 model year. The engine is one of the last of the air-cooled generation. Each one of the seven Limiteds are completely unique and this is the only example to be finished in Riviera Blue with Titanium Grey wheels and calipers.

The 3.6-liter flat-six engine is boosted by twin KKK turbochargers and produces 625 horsepower, making it nearly as powerful as a new 911 Turbo S. It comes with a six-speed manual transaxle and was specified with an optional all-wheel-drive system, carbon-ceramic brake discs, and a lightweight interior with carbon fiber bucket seats. Blue seat belts, a blue tachometer, and blue contrast stitching liven up the cabin, which like the rest of the car is in mint condition. The car has little more than 930 miles on the clock and comes with a RUF 'Zertifikat', books, and the factory dyno sheet. As an ode to the 930 Turbo - which was RUF's first Porsche it worked on - and the company's last air-cooled model, this Turbo R Limited deserves to go to a collector who will appreciate what it represents.