1989 Ruf 911 CTR Yellowbird

Following rigorous testing, the original RUF Yellowbird CTR was declared 'the fastest Sportscar in the world' by Road & Track magazine. It was the work of Alois Ruf, an individual whose surname has become synonymous with unique, highly tuned Porsches. Although the Pfaffenhausen-based company was started in 1939, it was the RUF CTR that catapulted the company's reputation to worldwide status in 1987. Nicknamed the 'Yellow Bird' for its bright yellow paint scheme, the CTR achieved 211 mph just weeks after the F40 had been the first car to reach the magic 200 mph.

'CTR' is an abbreviation for 'Group C Turbo Ruf'. A total of 29 examples were built from scratch between 1987 and 1996. Other examples were converted from custom cars.

Specifications
The standard 3.2-liter flat-six engine was bored to 3,366 cubic-centimeters, and a DME fuel-injection system developed for the Porsche 962 race car was installed, along with a set of twin turbochargers and intercoolers. The bore measured 3.86 inches, the stroke at 2.93 inches, and it had a compression ratio of 7.5:1. It had a redline of 6,800 RPM. The highly modified engine produced 460 horsepower at 5,950 RPM and 408 lb-ft of torque at 5,100 RPM. Ruf's own five-speed manual transaxle completed the package.

The RUF CTR rested on an 89.5-inch wheelbase, had a width of 69.9 inches, stood 51.6 inches tall, and was 169 inches long. The vehicle's overall weight was reduced by approximately 440 pounds, to 2,535 lbs, by replacing many of the factory body panels with aluminum pieces. The list included the doors, engine cover and hood. Fiberglass bumpers (front and rear) and intake ducts on the rear flares helped reduce the vehicle's drag. The rear wheel arches were widened to accommodate the 17-inch Ruf Speedline alloy wheels wrapped with Dunlop's Denloc system performance tires (215/45ZR-17 at the front and 255/40ZR-17 at the rear). Behind the wheels were 13-inch diameter Brembo brakes.

When the Ruf CTR made its debut at the end of 1987, it had a price of $142,900 (USD).

Zero-to-sixty mph was accomplished in 3.6 seconds. More than just a straight-line rocketship, the 'CTR' Yellowbird subsequently set a Nürburgring-Nordschleife track lap record.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2024