RUF CTR3

While in Zuffenhausen near Stuttgart already very neat sports cars arise in mass production, a few kilometers south in Pfaffenhausen RUF builds special sports cars based on body shells from Porsche on behalf of customers and in small series. With one exception: in 2007, they presented the mid-engined supercar CTR3, which only took over the front end up to the A-pillars of the Porsche 911 generation 997. Behind that follows a chassis made from steel, aluminium and kevlar-carbon composite material developed jointly with the Canadian company Multimatic. The rear lights come from the first Cayman generation 987.

The chassis carries a 3.8 liter six-cylinder boxer engine directly behind the passengers, that is based on Porsche parts, but was upgraded by RUF with two turbochargers to full 700 hp. Originally there was only a six-speed sequential gearbox available to transfer that power to the rear wheels. Later, the adaption of Porsche’s double clutch transmission for even quicker gear changes followed. Perforated and ventilated carbon brake discs are used to bring the supercar safely back to a stop.

2012 followed the introduction of the CTR3 Clubsport with more downforce from a bettered aerodynamic including a bigger carbon rear wing as well as a power increase to 777 hp. Overall, RUF built only 25 copies of both variants up to today. These went to customers all over the world, as well in Europe and Asia as in North and South America. The second-built vehicle went to its first owner in the US, who ordered extras worth nearly 25,000 euros. These included a paint-finish in matte ‘Chroma Flash Hologram’, lipstick red leather, stone-grey carpets and Alcantara parts, a hydraulic lift-system for the front axle, a tire pressure monitoring system, six-point harnesses and a comprehensive entertainment system including navigation modul, telephone modul and 6-disc CD changer.

The first owner was followed by a few more car collectors in the US, who had this CTR3 in their garages for a while within the past ten years. But all of them preferred to look at the car rather than drive it. Only 1,563 miles are on the odometer. Bonhams is now auctioning off the supercar as part of their The Quail Lodge auction during Monterey Car Week, expecting a hammer price between 700,000 and 900,000 US$. In May RM Sotheby’s auctioned a new CTR3 Clubsport for just over 1.1 million euros.

Images: Bonhams