The wildest 8-cylinder engine configuration is back from the dead after 50 years

New engines are introduced fairly regularly, usually in response to new emissions regulations, or just to ensure a new generation has a slight bump-up in horsepower and better efficiency figures than the preceding generation. Rarely do such releases cause much of a stir in the auto industry, but every now and again, a design comes along that rightfully steals every column inch available.

One such design has just arrived, courtesy of specialized German car manufacturer, RUF Automobile. Given the obvious Porsche connection, RUF has mainly dealt with flat-sixes over the years, but its most recent release sees the firm update its engine catalog with a configuration many of us likely never thought would see the light of day again: a flat-8.

RUF Revives The Flat-8

It's official, and it's officially a surprise too – who saw the revival of the flat-8 engine coming? RUF did, for sure, and we're glad they did. The latest creation from the power-crazed boffins at its Pfaffenhausen-based headquarters is a twin-turbocharged, 1,000-horsepower, 4.8-liter flat-8; an engine configuration that simply inspires awe.

The engine is known internally as "Erprober" or "Tester", but from now on it shall be dubbed the B8. It comes almost exactly 12 months after Bugatti revealed its monstrous Tourbillon V16 engine, and while we certainly haven't been graced with many V16 engines, the flat-8 is an altogether much scarcer thing. Porsche toyed with a small number of so-powered racers and prototypes in the 1960s, covered further down your page, but this all-new B8 engine is pretty much it for production attempts.

Perhaps the main reason why our world has so scarcely been graced with flat-8 engines is due to the sheer size of them; these are inherently wide, and that makes packaging them into anything other than specialist racers quite the challenge. So, for the same reason Ferrari is one of the only automakers ever to have bothered making a flat-12, the flat-8 has remained really rather illusive, too.

More details on the B8 will be available in due course, but RUF promises the soundtrack is something entirely unique, and with so much grunt hidden within it, no doubt the driving experience will be just as impressive, also. It's being piloted up the famous Goodwood Hillclimb this year at the Festival of Speed, and will be on display, wrapped in the contorted lines of RUF's most formidable production car to date.

RUF Manipulated Its Midship Hypercar To Produce A Test-Bed For The B8

RUF simply does not make ordinary cars. Everything that leaves their factory floor is a high-performance machine, but even with that being the case, finding a platform capable of both taming and even housing this new boxer engine was no easy feat. As it happened, RUF chose a CTR3 to play host to the B8, and for the uninitiated, that's a mid-engine custom creation which somewhat resembles a Carrera GT. Only angrier, and with more power.

A CTR3 was the perfect choice to play host, as the mid-engine design allowed RUF to test the B8 engine without arousing suspicion. It had to be stretched just shy of four inches, but aside from that, cosmetic changes were very much limited. To say the car itself flies under the radar is probably pushing it, as no RUF is capable of that, let alone a CTR3, but the CTR3's silhouette at least allowed the B8 itself to go unnoticed, allowing RUF to test its capabilities in broad daylight, without giving the game away.

Of course, a 1,000-horsepower mid-ship RUF is going to be an absolute riot to drive, we don't need to physically be at the helm to confirm that, but even before being equipped with the B8 engine, the CTR3 was something truly biblical. In its most powerful guise, the Evo trim, the CTR3 kicks out 800 hp from a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six, and is capable of hitting a mighty 236 mph.

It is, or rather was, the most powerful car ever produced by RUF, but this one-off experimental platform now surpasses that record by a huge 25%. Again, the B8-powered CTR3 is just a test vehicle, so no need to start rifling through the couch cushions trying to find enough spare cash to put a deposit together just yet.

However, RUF has confirmed that the test vehicle will shape a future model, so perhaps it won't be all too long before an eight-cylinder, 1,000-hp RUF is ready and available.

The Goodwood Festival Of Speed Was A Fitting Event To Debut RUF's Mighty New Boxer Engine

Where else but the Festival of Speed? It does exactly what it says on the tin, celebrates speed and everything associated with it, and with crowds in the hundreds of thousands gathering there each year, it is the perfect venue. Plus, rather than just putting on a smart static display, the Festival of Speed provides RUF with the chance to let the B8 sing during the Supercar Run, a total of six times across the weekend.

The only slight problem with debuting at Goodwood, is that the place will be littered with exotica, which can make standing out a little tricky – even with a flat-8 under the hood. Fortunately, RUF has an answer for that, in the form of a seriously cool livery which reflects the firm's evolution through the years.

Upon the CTR3's extended lines lies the unmistakable hue of Blossom Yellow, pinched from the simply iconic Yellowbird model. Flowing graphics conveniently incorporate the number eight, and in the words of Aloisa Ruf, artist, designer and face of RUF, it tells the story of the car before anyone ever hears the engine.

The Flat-8 Family Is A Small One, But The B8 Does Have Predecessors

Scour the classifieds all you want, you won't come across anything with a flat-8 under the hood, which is what makes RUF's latest release so interesting. Porsche did get close to bringing the engine-type to production some years ago, and the automaker did make some use of flat-8 engines on the track also. Here's a quick rundown of some of Porsche's most impressive flat-8 efforts:

• Porsche 804: this early 60s racer was Porsche's only ever fully in-house developed F1 car, and powering it along was a 1.5-liter flat-8, with 180 hp at its disposal. It managed to secure victories, which no doubt led to the further development and intrigue of flat-8 engines.
• Porsche 908: a silky smooth racer produced between 1968 and 1971. Only around 31 were ever built, and they took motivation from a 3.0-liter, naturally aspirated flat-8, which produced 350 hp. It was replaced partly by the V12 917, but the 908 still proved a wise choice on certain tracks, thanks to its impressively low curb weight.
• Porsche 914/8: where race meets road, almost. Porsche built two 914-based prototypes with the 908's race engine, complete with all 350 horses. Well, one was detuned and given to Ferry Porsche on his 60th, with 300 hp to play with, and while it never reached production, due to its blistering performance and midship layout, it quite neatly plays the role of Porsche's first supercar.

Sources: RUF