Rare Car Archive

Makes › RUF Germany › BTR · Specialist manufacturer · 1983–1989 Ultra Rare

RUF
BTR

Early RUF-manufactured turbo car (RUF as registered manufacturer); further customer-car conversions not counted

Still being researched: why it matters, identification guide. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.

RUF BTR (Wikipedia article: Ruf BTR)
RUF BTR (Wikipedia article: Ruf BTR)
Photo: TurboRuf · CC BY 4.0
30BuiltIndependently researched
0Chassis documentedin this archive
?SurvivingNot yet verified
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
30 Built
Years
1983–1989
Engine
Air-cooled horizontally opposed six-cylinder, turbocharged, longitudinally rear-mounted · 3,366 cc / 3.4 LFactory: 3,366 cc
Power
275 kW / 374 PSFactory: 275 kW
Top speed
305 km/hFactory: 305 km/h
Body
Not yet verified
Designer
Not yet verified
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityUltra Rare 30 · Built1
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed
Survival rarityNot yet assessed

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Total model productionupper bound of RUF-built BTRs ("approximately 20 to 30 examples"); customer conversions excluded; exact number unknown 301 Factory production Independently researched

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Ruf rebuilt the BTR as a turbocharged, re-engineered Porsche 911 derivative with a re-worked suspension, brakes and transmission.

A 1993 Performance Car road test, reprinted on the Ruf site in 2001, called it the best road car its author drove that year. The reprint gives performance figures that differ from the factory data page; see the notes on the technical fields.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard BTR.

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeNot yet verified
LayoutAir-cooled horizontally opposed six-cylinder, turbocharged, longitudinally rear-mounted2Page headed "911 BTR" (3.4 L); the later 965-based BTR 3.8 (1993) is a different specification.
Cylinders62
Displacement 3,366 cc / 3.4 LFactory: 3,366 cc2Page headed "911 BTR" (3.4 L); the later 965-based BTR 3.8 (1993) is a different specification.
Bore 98 mmFactory: 98 mm2
Stroke 74.4 mmFactory: 74.4 mm2
Compression ratio7.0:12
ValvetrainOne chain-driven overhead camshaft per bank, two valves per cylinder actuated by rocker arms2
Fuel systemMechanical Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, BHKZ ignition2
InductionTurbocharged2
Power 275 kW / 374 PSFactory: 275 kW2Rating: DINRUF also states 374 bhp. Page headed "911 BTR" (3.4 L); the later 965-based BTR 3.8 (1993) is a different specification.
Power at 6,000 rpm2
Torque 480 NmFactory: 480 Nm2
Torque at 4,800 rpm2

Transmission & drivetrain

GearboxRUF five-speed manual2
Gears52
Driven wheelsRear2

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisNot yet verified
Front suspensionMcPherson struts2
Rear suspensionWishbones, torsion bars, anti-roll bar, Bilstein shock absorbers2
BrakesCross-drilled and vented discs front and rear2
SteeringNot yet verified
Body constructionNot yet verified
WheelbaseNot yet verified
LengthNot yet verified
WidthNot yet verified
HeightNot yet verified
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear trackNot yet verified
Kerb weightNot yet verified
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speed 305 km/hFactory: 305 km/h2RUF adds "may vary with gear ratios". Page headed "911 BTR" (3.4 L); the later 965-based BTR 3.8 (1993) is a different specification.
0–100 km/h 4.6 s2
Fuel tankNot yet verified

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    1981 Porsche RUF BTR | Open Roads, April 2021 | RM Sotheby's Level B
    • 30 upper bound of RUF-built BTRs ("approximately 20 to 30 examples"); customer conversions excluded; exact number unknown
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  2. 2
    911 BTR - technical data Level A RUF Automobile GmbH · 2001-01-10
    • Air cooled horizontally opposed 6-cylinder with turbocharger; longitudinally rear mounted (Engine)
    • horizontally opposed 6-cylinder (Engine)
    • Displacement 3,366 cm3 (Engine)
    • Bore x Stroke of 98.0 mm x 74.4 mm (Engine)
    • Compression Ratio 7.0 : 1 (Engine)
    • OHC per cylinder bank; chain driven valve train; 2 valves per cylinder activated by rocker arms (Engine)
    • Mechanical Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system; BHKZ ignition system (Engine)
    • horizontally opposed 6-cylinder with turbocharger (Engine)
    • Power Output (DIN) 275 kW (374 bhp) (Engine)
    • at Engine Speed 6,000 rpm (Engine)
    • Maximum Torque 480 Nm (Engine)
    • at Engine Speed 4,800 rpm (Engine)
    • RUF five speed manual (Transmission)
    • Rear wheel drive (Transmission)
    • Front McPherson-struts (Chassis)
    • rear wishbones, torsion bar, anti-roll bar, bilstein shock absorbers (Chassis)
    • Front and rear cross-drilled and vented disk brakes (Chassis)
    • Top speed of 305 km/h (Performance)
    • 0 - 100 km/h in 4.6 sec (Performance)
    Accessed 2026-11-13

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