Housed in a mule car based on the company’s CTR3 mid-engine chassis, known internally as the Erprober (German for ‘tester’), the in-house-developed 4.8-liter twin-turbocharged unit produces over 1,000hp and 1,000Nm of torque. The car will appear in the Supercar Run twice daily from Friday, July 10, through Sunday, July 12, driven by Tanner Foust, and will be on static display in the Supercar Paddock across the event.

The B8 is a development testbed rather than a production model, evaluating technologies intended for a future RUF vehicle. Development has involved extensive testing across thousands of kilometers, with lubricant partner Motul supporting the program through its range of high-performance lubricants.

“There are moments in a company’s history that define the future,” said company co-owner Alois Ruf. “For RUF, the boxer-eight is one of those moments. A boxer-eight has never been part of our story, or anyone else’s in this form, so we decided to write a new chapter in automotive history. We look forward to letting the engine speak for itself at Goodwood.”

The chassis required stretching by 100mm to accommodate the extra cylinder pair, which drives through a RUF 6-speed manual transmission. The CTR3 was chosen as the test platform to enable the engine’s performance to be evaluated in a high-performance environment while the program remained low-profile.

Though unable to delve into great detail – it is still early days for the project – RUF chief engineer Marc Brunner explained to APTI, “I think the idea has been brewing for many years in the head of Alois Ruf. We’ve always loved the boxer engine, the boxer-six. It’s in our DNA, it’s in our passion. You want to go bigger? Well, just add more cylinders, so we thought let’s go for it. It’s an emotional project, it’s a passion project, and we’re happy that we have an engine running that we can actually run tests and further develop.”

Though unable to provide many insights, Brunner did reveal that the architecture of the engine (which uses a cast rather than a billet crankcase) was based on the company’s CTR Anniversary engine, which was inspired in turn by the Porsche Metzger engines. “For this project we took that and expanded to eight cylinders,” he says. There were some challenges with the extended crankshaft but “we worked with our supplier to get the best of both worlds; we are familiar with the boxer structure and they’re familiar with crankshafts.”

The CTR3 test vehicle running at Goodwood features a bespoke livery created in collaboration with Aloisa Ruf and Optima Batteries, drawing on the yellow associated with the original CTR Yellowbird. The flowing graphic design incorporates the number eight, referencing the B8 designation.

In related news, Dallara appoints Dynisma as technical partner in multi-simulator agreement

The agreement reflects the growing role of high-fidelity simulation in motorsport engineering, as testing restrictions, cost pressures and program complexity increase across the industry.

Dynisma CEO Graeme Cook said, “Dallara’s engineering philosophy places huge value on understanding vehicle behavior and driver perception, and we are proud to support that approach as technical partner. The DMG‑360XY platform is designed to be trusted as a primary engineering tool, and this multi-simulator agreement reflects a shared commitment to realism, correlation and long-term technical excellence.”

As part of the partnership, Dallara will deploy two DMG-360XY simulators across its European and US operations. The first system is scheduled for installation at Dallara’s global headquarters in Varano de’ Melegari, Italy, during Q4 2026, with a second simulator planned for delivery to its Indianapolis facility in Q1 2027.

The DMG 360XY is Dynisma’s most advanced motion system, used by Formula 1, GT and endurance racing organizations. It combines ultra-low latency (under 5ms) with high-bandwidth response exceeding 100Hz, unlimited 360° yaw rotation and 5m of XY travel, delivering sustained motion cues without washouts or motion recentering.

By adopting identical simulator platforms across its Italian and US engineering facilities, Dallara will establish a consistent simulation environment supporting correlation, collaborative development and repeatable results across vehicle programs, driver work and longer-term research.

Andrea Pontremoli, CEO and general manager, Dallara, said, “High fidelity simulation is a strategic asset for our group. Establishing identical, top-of-the-range motion platforms in Italy and the USA supports continuity across our engineering programs and strengthens confidence in how virtual development informs real-world performance.”

Luca Bergianti, director of vehicle dynamics and performance at Dallara, said, “At Dallara, virtual development is becoming central to how we engineer our vehicles. The vehicle model now acts as the key integrator of all disciplines, allowing us to validate technical choices in a virtual environment before producing physical components.

“Advanced simulators embed virtual tools into the engineering process, helping us improve performance, uncover opportunities and anticipate issues early on. Dallara’s choice of Dynisma as a partner reflects this shared vision, as we push high-fidelity simulation, realism and development efficiency to the next level.”

As well as supporting internal development, the simulator platforms will form part of Dallara’s wider engineering infrastructure, covering long-term vehicle development, research and selected collaborative programmes.

Related news, ORECA selects Siemens’ Simcenter to support motorsport development programs

By integrating advanced hardware and software into a unified interior solution, XiM27 demonstrates user-centric innovation in line with emerging trends, which underscores the company’s position as an industry leader in smart cabin development, the auto maker said.

Designed around scenarios

The XiM27 is designed around a reconfigurable cabin that can shift between a driver-focused layout, a face-to-face lounge, a relaxation setting or a mobile workspace within seconds, with the aim of enabling occupants to use travel time more productively or comfortably depending on their needs.

When parked, swivel seating and social layouts support conversation and shared activities, while automated-driving scenarios open the interior to more restorative experiences shaped by lighting, sound, seating posture and climate.

Flexible architecture

“The cabin components and innovations are production-ready, designed from day one for safe, comfortable experiences in and above AD Level 3, so time in the car finally feels as valuable as time at home or in the office,” said Patrick Nebout, CTO of Yanfeng Technology.

The concept features several seating innovations, including a system that automatically adjusts seat position, firmness and temperature based on learned user preferences. The platform supports modular layouts across three rows, with a face-to-face seating lounge, a rocking seat, a second row that converts to a flat bed, and a third row that can switch between cargo and lounge configurations.

A centralised domain controller connects the XiM27’s interior systems – including infotainment, seating, climate control, door panels and ambient lighting – enabling the cabin to reconfigure between working, relaxing, sleeping and entertainment settings. The interior also incorporates foldable tables, multiple screens and full-length floor rails running the length of the cabin, enaling seats and floor consoles to be repositioned independently.

Holistic wellness, intelligent HMI and immersive lighting 

The cabin “prioritizes user well-being and intuitive human-machine interface (HMI) interactions”, Yanfeng said. In the front cabin, a 35.4in Panoramic head-up display is integrated into the instrument panel, offering clear visual information alongside subtle ambient lighting. To facilitate transitions between manual and autonomous driving, the steering wheel automatically folds into the dashboard.

Passenger well-being is a central design theme, with comfort features designed to support longer travel periods. These include an adjustable ventilation system with variable air distribution, and a sliding and rotating centre console incorporating a dual-zone refrigerator, wireless charging, an extendable worktable and an active oxygen generator with blood oxygen monitoring.

The XiM27 cabin incorporates ultra-thin wrap-around light strips, 3D dynamic light-transmitting surfaces and touch-interactive LUXkin materials, combined with tactile smart materials and integrated displays. Yanfeng said the lighting concept is designed to make the cabin feel responsive to occupants rather than purely functional.

The XiM27 received the Red Dot Design Concept Award 2026.

Related news, Curiosity Lab launches program to support growth-stage AV companies

On June 24, Vehicle Tech Week association partner ASAM hosted the ‘Standardization in the age of AI’ roundtable attended by representatives from passenger and commercial vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, software companies and autonomous-driving firms to discuss a challenge facing every industry: the impact of AI.

Senior professionals from Avatr, Bosch, Valeo, Cariad, Volvo, ZF, Nissan, Iveco, Bugatti Rimac, Mercedes-Benz, Chery Europe, ADASTec, Forvia and CLAAS and more – with roles ranging from UX designer, software architect and NVH engineer to buyer, global testing director and AD/ADAS performance test manager – explored how AI is reshaping the role of standards across the automotive ecosystem. Discussions focused on where standardization is breaking down, AI’s impact on interoperability, industry collaboration versus competitive advantage, the role of organizations such as ASAM and AUTOSAR, and how innovation can be aligned with shared frameworks.

As a specialist in standardization for automation and measuring systems, ASAM examined where AI and standardization meet, namely:

1. Consumption layer – chat tools, agents, notebooks and dashboards where intent becomes a question.
2. Interface layer – formats, APIs, query languages, and the contract a tool docks against.
3. Data layer – the governed substrate: files, databases, catalogs, etc.

Facilitated by Dr Ralf Nörenberg, member of the board of directors at ASAM, the discussion opened with the observation that AI systems operate with varying levels of autonomy and can generate predictions, recommendations, decisions and content. While definitions broadly agree on these characteristics, uncertainty remains over which systems fall under the scope of AI.

“The business has changed, and structure is no longer a given,” said Nörenberg. “What changes is how we interact with data; what never changes is the need for the data to mean something. But the question is not standards or AI; it is which regime the task is in, and whether the access layer stays standardized enough for AI to reach the data at all.”

Participants split into two groups to discuss their current and future use of LLMs, skills development, process changes and model training, while identifying the most important developments to monitor.

Findings

Vishnu Vardhanan Asvatha Narayanan, function owner – system engineer at Valeo, led the first group.

“We discussed the standardization of the vehicle, which is very much needed,” said Narayanan. “AI requires consolidated input data and standardized output data across suppliers. Once both are standardized, AI can be used more effectively. However, expertise is still needed to verify and validate the results.”

The group highlighted the importance of clear contracts between layers and pipelines, warning that without them, systems can fail regardless of the quality of the output. Traceability between inputs and outputs was also identified as critical for effective AI deployment.

The second discussion was led by Markus Bachmaier, deputy general manager at Mitsubishi Electric Automotive Europe.

“Our conclusions were similar,” he said. “Standardized rules for AI agents could be beneficial across different use cases, particularly where large data layers are involved. Different users may require different views of the same data, but standardized approaches could make information more accessible and consistent.”

The group also explored the role of standards in reducing liability and whether organizations such as ASAM could provide automated validation environments to offer reliable and liable results. However, participants acknowledged the challenge of standardizing outputs from large language models, which can vary depending on when, how and by whom questions are asked, especially considering LLMs adjust themselves to the history of each author of spoken questions.

Looking ahead

Vehicle Tech Week Europe will return to Stuttgart on June 2-3, 2027, comprising Automotive Testing Expo; the new Advanced Chassis & Powertrain Showcase; and the evolution of Autonomous Vehicle Tech Expo into Intelligent Vehicle Expo and Automotive Interiors Expo into Automotive Design & In-Cabin Expo.

Read more about Vehicle Tech Week Europe.

Read more about Automotive Testing Expo Europe 2026.

For further information, contact Charlotte Sanchez Iggulden (charlotte.Iggulden@ukimediaevents.com)

For details on ASAM’s standards, please visit their website.

Through the program, selected companies may receive funding ranging from US$25,000 to US$250,000 to support deployments on Curiosity Lab’s autonomous mobility route in Peachtree Corners in the US state of Georgia. The program is designed for companies with technology that is ready to move beyond the lab, beyond the closed course, and into live operating conditions.

Curiosity Lab is a living laboratory for place-based deployment in metro Atlanta, built to help companies test next-generation technologies in an active city environment. The autonomous mobility route includes a nearly four-mile smart mobility loop along Technology Parkway and State Route 141, with dedicated autonomous vehicle lane segments, shared and mixed-traffic roadway, enhanced sidewalks, rights-of-way, smart city infrastructure and real destinations throughout the corridor.

The test lab recreates a real city environment with active traffic, intersections, sidewalks, business entrances, commercial activity and public infrastructure. For autonomous mobility companies, it creates an opportunity to validate technology in the kinds of conditions that matter for commercialization, customer adoption and scale.

Curiosity Lab is looking for growth-stage companies and innovation teams working on autonomous mobility technologies, including autonomous passenger shuttles, low- or high-speed autonomous vehicles, autonomous delivery vehicles, sidewalk or curbside delivery robots, autonomous logistics and last-mile mobility systems and robotic mobility systems.

Applications must be submitted by 11:59pm Eastern Time on July 24, 2026. Selected projects will take place in Peachtree Corners between October 1, 2026, and September 30, 2027.

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The companies will collaborate with a leading UK OEM to tackle the issue of thermal runaway (TR) in EV battery systems.

TR is a significant challenge in EV technology. Lithium-ion battery cells used in EVs can, under certain fault conditions, heat uncontrollably, creating a thermal chain reaction that may propagate across a module or battery pack and potentially lead to fire or explosion. Global regulators and manufacturers are increasingly strengthening safety expectations for battery technologies in response to growing awareness of the issue.

The 12-month UK collaboration will develop and evaluate AeroMotive, a UK-made aerogel-based EV thermal runaway barrier solution being developed for use in next-gen battery systems. The technology uses thin, lightweight layers of highly insulating anti-thermal propagation (ATP) material to limit heat transfer between cells and mitigate the propagation of TR.

CamMotive will design a testing and validation program to evaluate the solution’s performance under various conditions. This includes specialist prismatic cell swelling and compression testing to analyze the impact of forces on battery cell longevity and safety and optimize the performance of the ATP pads.

Luke Barron, senior engineer at Cambridge-based CamMotive, said, “This ground-breaking project will deliver critical research and testing methodologies that make EV batteries safer. By advancing UK innovation in battery technology, we’re helping to accelerate the transition to safer, cleaner, high-performance electric vehicles.”

The project is supported by the UK government’s £4bn (US$5.4bn) Drive35 program, delivered by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Innovate UK.

Related news, ORECA selects Siemens’ Simcenter to support motorsport development programs

The MagicCAR Compact Plus covers network, infotainment, functional, quality and endurance testing for ECUs, supporting OEMs and suppliers across the development process from initial validation through to series production.

The compact benchtop test system features an integrated, programmable power supply with switchable terminal signals and precise current measurement. At the same time, it provides realistic residual bus simulations, including diagnostics and SecureOnboardCommunication (SecOC), across all relevant automotive communication protocols: CAN-FD, LIN, FlexRay and Automotive Ethernet.

In combination with expandable fault modules, targeted interface and robustness tests can be carried out. Critical communication states can be simulated and analyzed in a reproducible manner to verify the behavior of ECUs under realistic fault conditions. And for extended test scenarios, additional external devices such as loggers, multimeters, oscilloscopes or signal generators can be integrated into the system.

The MagicCAR Compact Plus incorporates an integrated onboard logging function, recording communication data from ECU interfaces in real time to an internal SSD. This enables continuous recording at high data rates while reducing the need for external logging hardware, particularly for data-intensive applications such as automotive Ethernet or domain controllers.

Related news, Kvaser launches PCIe 4xLIN four-channel LIN interface

The company has adopted the Siemens’ Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and Simcenter Optistruct, part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, to support its high-performance motorsport programs, including its Le Mans 24 Hours hypercar program with Ford Motor Company.

ORECA is using the STAR-CCM+ software for CFD workflows and multi-physics simulations combining aerodynamic, thermal and brake-related effects, alongside Optistruct for optimizing carbon fiber composite layups to balance stiffness and weight in performance-critical components. The tools form part of ORECA’s broader adoption of simulation technology across its motorsport development programs.

“ORECA was looking for a simulation environment that could support accelerated and more streamlined workflows from design through simulation while enabling new types of multiphysics analysis,” said Jean-Philippe Pelaprat, head of aerodynamics at ORECA Group. “Siemens’ simulation software gives our engineering teams the flexibility to run more advanced simulations and optimize composite structures in a highly demanding motorsport environment.”

“Our collaboration with ORECA shows how Siemens Xcelerator empowers engineering organizations to push the limits of performance through simulation-driven engineering,” said Sam Mahalingam, executive vice-president of simulation, HPC and AI, Siemens Digital Industries Software. “By bringing advanced CFD and composite optimization together within a digital twin environment, we’re giving customers the tools to explore bold new design approaches and drive innovation in some of the most demanding, competitive engineering programs in the world.”

Related news, Göpel Electronic introduces universal control solution for single and endurance tests of vehicle components and interiors

Designed for desktop, industrial and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments, the low-profile PCIe card integrates galvanic isolation with synchronized timestamping, giving engineers reliable, system-level visibility when testing and debugging LIN networks.

The Kvaser PCIe 4xLIN provides four individually galvanically isolated LIN channels through a single PCIe card. FPGA-based Kvaser LIN-IP technology enables communication up to 20 kbaud with 1µs timestamp resolution, enabling developers to capture timing-sensitive events with high precision and improve visibility during debugging and validation. The interface also supports simultaneous operation with multiple Kvaser interfaces, enabling test setups to scale as system complexity grows.

Kvaser CCO Thomas Roberts said, “LIN continues to play a critical role in modern vehicle architectures, particularly as the number of distributed electronic functions grows. As systems scale, the challenge isn’t just accessing LIN data but in capturing and correlating it reliably across channels and interfaces. That’s exactly what the PCIe 4xLIN is designed to address.”

Faster integration with existing tools 

The tool is fully compatible with applications built on the standardized Kvaser LINlib, and integrates into existing setups without requiring software changes. Applications developed for other Kvaser LIN hardware can run without modification.

The interface supports both Windows and Linux and works with the Kvaser CANlib SDK, which includes LINlib and other APIs, examples for C, C++, C#, Python, Delphi and Visual Basic. It is installed directly in a PCI Express slot and powered through the host system, reducing cabling and simplifying integration in compact systems and test racks.

Accurate, system-wide time synchronization 

The tool supports Kvaser’s software-based TimeSync, helping engineers maintain synchronized timestamps across multiple devices and systems. In distributed test environments, this improves event correlation across LIN and CAN networks while reducing manual log analysis.

On Linux platforms, the interface exposes a PHC device for time synchronization to a host-referenced clock source, using standard tools such as phc2sys. This provides a robust foundation for synchronized logging, automated testing and accurate event analysis across connected systems.

Designed for demanding environments 

The Kvaser PCIe 4xLIN has been engineered for industrial and embedded systems, and operates in temperatures from –40°C to +85°C. Its low-profile PCIe design includes both short and long mounting brackets for flexible installation.

A single 26-pin high-density D-SUB connector provides access to all four LIN channels, enabling compact system design. Typical applications include ECU development, automotive body electronics, HIL testing, multi-channel logging and industrial LIN communication systems.

Related news, Göpel Electronic introduces universal control solution for single and endurance tests of vehicle components and interiors

To address this requirement, Göpel Electronic has developed the SmartController – a universal control solution designed for demanding individual or endurance tests, presentations and functional demonstrations, as well as laboratory applications that combines modern hardware, flexible software architecture and intuitive operating concepts in a compact system.

The SmartController is based on the proven Serie62 G CAR 6281 hardware platform and offers a modular architecture with versatile interfaces. With this, Göpel Electronic has created a universal hardware foundation that can be used across projects and customized as needed.

The SmartController supports up to eight bus interfaces, providing comprehensive support for automotive communication standards such as CAN, CAN-FD, LIN and Automotive Ethernet, including residual bus simulation, diagnostics and monitoring. The integrated Ethernet and wi-fi connectivity enables seamless networking and easy integration.

The generic software framework architecture ensures that future projects and new requirements can also be implemented efficiently. This makes the SmartController suitable for both long-term endurance tests and dynamic development and presentation environments.

A key feature is the tablet control framework, which enables modern and convenient operation. Its uniform structure enables use in various projects while maintaining a consistent user experience. Features such as the Sticky Keys input assistance (Touch ‘n’ Click/Make ‘n’ Break) support ergonomic and safe operation, Göpel said.

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