RUF
CTR3

Why it matters

The CTR3 was RUF's first mid-engined car and its first model not based on a specific Porsche, although it still takes the front structure of a 911 GT3 RS. It was meant as RUF's step toward building its own supercar and was aimed at the Enzo and Veyron class, with a claimed top speed of about 233 to 235 mph.

How rare is it?

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

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

• RUF CTR3 (Wikimedia Commons: Ruf CTR3)
  Photo: MrWalkr · CC BY-SA 4.0
• RUF CTR3 (Wikimedia Commons: Ruf CTR3)
  Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0
• RUF CTR3 (Wikimedia Commons: Ruf CTR3)
  Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0
• RUF CTR3 (Wikimedia Commons: Ruf CTR3)
  Photo: MrWalkr · CC BY-SA 4.0

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

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

History

The project began as a clean-sheet design called R50, of which two prototypes were built, but the effort needed for series production proved too great and the car was re-engineered around the front platform of a 911 GT3 RS. The CTR3 was unveiled in April 2007 at the opening of RUF's new factory in the grounds of the Bahrain Grand Prix circuit; Road & Track reported that the Crown Prince of Bahrain had been struck by RUF's Yellow Bird in its 1987 "World's Fastest Cars" story. The body was drawn by Bennett Soderberg, then 26.

Road & Track expected customer cars from October 2007 at 380,000 euros and a plan for 50 cars over three years across Bahrain and Pfaffenhausen; evo quoted 420,000 euros. A later CTR3 Evo raised output to 800 hp and 730 lb-ft with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a claimed 236 mph, following the CTR3 Clubsport.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

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

Identification guide

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

A CTR3 has a carbon-fibre body (aluminium Porsche doors and bonnet, Porsche head- and tail-lights) over a steel tube-frame rear subframe, called the "birdcage", engineered with Multimatic; the wheelbase is 10.8 in longer than a 911's and the car is about 5 in wider and 4.5 in lower. The twin-turbo flat-six sits ahead of the rear axle, the transmission is a six-speed sequential manual built by Hor, and there is no rear window (a camera is used instead).

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   2018 RUF CTR3 Clubsport – Sports Car Market Level C

   • 30 approximate ('fewer than 30'), of which 7 Clubsport

   Accessed 2026-11-11
2. 2
   Ruf CTR3 Level C evo

   • sits in front of rather than behind the rear axle; based on the 996 Turbo's powerplant
   • Aluminium alloy, dohc per bank, four valves per cylinder (Specifications)
   • Bosch Motronic engine management, multipoint fuel injection (Specifications)
   • Six-speed sequential manual, rear-wheel drive, limited-slip differential (Specifications)
   • Six-speed sequential manual (Specifications)
   • rear-wheel drive (Specifications)
   • MacPherson struts, coil springs, dampers, anti-roll bar (Specifications)
   • Multi-link, push-rod-operated coil springs and dampers, anti-roll bar (Specifications)
   • 380mm carbon-ceramic discs all round (Specifications)
   • It tips the scales at 1400kg

   Accessed 2026-11-13
3. 3
   2008 Ruf CTR3: A first step toward supercar supremacy Level C Mike Monticello · Road & Track · 2007-05-21

   • 3.6-liter Porsche-derived twin-turbocharged flat-6
   • increased to 3.8 liters by Ruf
   • twin-turbocharged flat-6
   • Horsepower 700 bhp @ 7000 rpm (Specifications)
   • 700 bhp @ 7000 rpm (Specifications)
   • Torque 657 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm (Specifications)
   • 657 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm (Specifications)
   • used a Porsche 911 GT3 RS front platform; rear is a tube frame design
   • 15.0-in. drilled & vented composite discs, ABS (Specifications)
   • Aside from the aluminum Porsche doors and hood the rest of the body is all Ruf and done in carbon fiber
   • Wheelbase 103.3 in. (Specifications)
   • Length est 175.0 in. (Specifications)
   • Width est 76.5 in. (Specifications)
   • Height est 47.2 in. (Specifications)
   • Claimed top speed is 233 mph
   • 0-60 mph est 3.2 sec (Specifications)

   Accessed 2026-11-13