2008 Ruf CTR3
Spark - S0717 (resin)
Published 07/03/18
Though many may think that Ruf is only a company specialized in tuning Porsches, that’s far from the truth. Ruf Automobile GmbH is actually a German car manufacturer, and their cars have unique VIN. All Ruf vehicles are derived from unmarked Porsche chassis, called BIW (“body in white”), that receive highly modified bodies and engines built in-house at Ruf’s factory in Pfaffenhausen, Germany.
The CTR3 is the third model of the CTR series to come from Ruf (Group C, Turbo Ruf, 3rd generation). First displayed in 2007, the CTR3 was available from 2008 to 2012, and it undeniably looks like a vintage Porsche. That’s because Alois “Louis” Ruf, the company’s chairman, asked his design team to design a car that had similar lines to his all-time favorite car from Stuttgart: the 1953 Porsche 550 Le Mans Coupe. And it’s the first Ruf based on a model that is not a 911.
Ruf produces the CTR3 using a BIW of a Porsche 987 Cayman. More precisely, Ruf uses the 987’s front platform (basically from the A-pillars forward). But the the rear is completely original, a tube frame design (or “birdcage” as Ruf calls it). The engine then goes at midships and the wheelbase is 21 cm longer than what you see on the Cayman.
The engine is an in-house hand-built Porsche-derived 3800 cm³ boxer-6 boosted by twin KKK turbochargers that produces 691 hp. On a svelte 1375 kg car like the CTR3, that means going from a standstill to 100 km/h in only 3.2 seconds, and it can reach 373 km/h. Aside from the aluminum Porsche doors and hood the rest of the body is all done in carbon fiber and made totally by Ruf. So are the front and rear fenders, with a curvier profile, and the windshield is much shorter then what you see on the Cayman. Also, the CRT3 doesn’t have a rear window, but a rearward mounted camera that displays its image on a screen on the dash.
In general terms I’m not very sympathetic towards “tuned cars”. Well, even though I do have one in the Garage. I, like many, thought that Ruf was only a company that developed aftermarket engine and body kits. Like Gemballa or Techart. But after some research I found out that Ruf is actually a manufacturer . They develop and build engines and structural parts, therefor, they’re not just tuners, far from that. And once again my readings and research made me spend money…. So now I have a Ruf in the Garage. But come on, that’s a cool car or what 😎? And, with supercar performance. Besides, the model is terrific, Spark did a fantabulous job on it.
PS: BTW, you pronounce “roof”, and not “rough”- yeah, I also pronounced it wrong.