To call Alois “Louis” Ruf a tuner is akin to calling a Porsche an average car. Forget underestimation -- that’s sacrilege to the reputations of both.
Many assume RUF history to be recent, as the man and his Porsche-based creations have only received widespread exposure in the last couple of decades. In fact, the RUF family business was established by Louis’ father, Alois Senior, in 1939, just eight years after Ferdinand Porsche fired up his own operations. The senior Ruf was less interested in sports cars and more focused on running his gas and service station based in Pfaffenhausen, Germany, which he later expanded into a tour-bus-building operation. As an apprentice to his father, and after wrenching on Porsches, Louis acquired the need for speed. In 1975, the first RUF-fortified Porsche 911 debuted, and it’s been non-step ever since. Enthusiasts fondly recall reading about the aptly-named RUF Yellow Bird hitting 211 mph in 1987. Impressive then, and, as a testament to the quality of RUF’s build, the car reportedly runs just as well today.
Ruf has been busy ever since, taking already-impressive Porsches and making them his own. He’s officially a manufacturer, so it’s incorrect to call his creations RUF Porsches. In fact, he set out to create a totally RUF supercar from the wheels up, but found the task a bigger challenge than first imagined. He obviously had one hell of a Plan B -- the RUF CTR3. With production underway and split between Pfaffenhausen and RUF’s new factory at the Grand Prix facilities in Bahrain, the CTR3 delivers near-Bugatti Veyron performance at about one-third the price. Is this car for real? Time for a closer look.
CTR3 was evaluated based on its cumulative luxury and practicality, relative to other supercars. Fifty points are possible in each category for a top score of 100. Read on to learn if RUF CTR3 comes close.
the luxury ride
Marking a departure for RUF, the CTR3 has noticeably different bodywork than a 911, especially aft of the front fenders. That’s partially due to the 911 GT3 RS bits in front, with an original tube frame to the rear, coengineered with the Canadian firm Multimatic. Tying it all together is the mostly carbon fiber bodywork from 26-year-old freshman designer Bennett Soderberg. The 1953 Porsche 550 Le Mans Coupe is said to be the main inspiration, and the influences are apparent, but cues from other models can be seen here and there.The CTR3 may look like a Porsche, but only the hood, doors and lights remain original. A usable rear window is sacrificed in the process, but RUF will equip your car with a camera to monitor the rapidly vanishing traffic in your wake. In all, I challenge you to find another manufacturer who can re-body a production car with such natural-looking results.
The cabin hasn’t been overlooked, receiving the typical RUF addition of a full safety cage. Not only does RUF understand that his customers may have more cash than skills, but he also pampers with a completely reupholstered leather and Alcantara interior.
Looks and leather are nice, but the real appeal of any RUF is the performance. The 3.6-liter, flat-6 Porsche engine is twin-turbocharged, twin-intercooled and extensively massaged. By the time they’re done, the engine displaces 3.8 liters and produces 700 horsepower, with 657 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough even to make one of RUF’s old tour buses scoot. In the 3,086-pound CTR3, it’s amazing: 0 to 62 mph is accomplished in a flash -- just 3.2 seconds. Shifting through the sequential six-speed manual and maintaining a heavy right foot will quickly get you to the claimed 235 mph top end. Behind the 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, the carbon/ceramic cross-drilled and vented antilock brakes feature 15-inch rotors clamped by six-piston aluminum calipers.
The verdict
The only way the CTR3 could feel more like a Porsche would be if Louis Ruf were on the factory payroll. Still, the car maintains a unique character; it’s breathtaking in its performance yet fuss-free in its operation. It’s like most any Porsche, only more so.Luxury score: 50/50
the practical ride
Mileage details are not among the impressive stats published by RUF, and not even my most inquisitive investigative curiosity could manifest the bravery or stupidity to ask such a question. RUF didn’t breed this baby for economy, and owners wouldn’t give two hoots if the going rate (estimated at $519,000) tripled before the first cars roll out. Having said that, I suspect that the CTR3 will run at about mid-pack among other high-buck, low-volume exotics.What matters more than the city and highway numbers is the way the CTR3 will stay bolted together, for 200 mph-plus blasts or otherwise. Given RUF’s history and the tendency for its cars to age gracefully, even under hard use, I have no reason to suspect the CTR3 will break tradition. But if anything does break, the RUF Auto Centre in Dallas will gladly make things right. Still, I can visualize more RUFs visiting the Auto Centre’s facilities for social calls than for anything else.
How would the CTR3 function in traffic on a road trip to Dallas or even on a jaunt to the nearest racetrack? Given the Porsche-based mechanicals and the RUF reputation, you are in full control of the drama. If you have the mettle to resist temptation, you’ll get no argument from the CTR3 and, as you cruise down the road, you’ll get more attention than a dirty-talking Angelina Jolie. All eyes will be on you in traffic, but beware, as your eyes won’t see as much; forward vision is great, lateral vision is acceptable, but even with the rear-facing camera, anything else involves guesswork and prayer.
The verdict
Compared to other rare-air exotics, the RUF isn’t very demanding in its care and feeding; it feels great at any speed. The CTR3 is built to be enjoyed regularly without putting a team of skilled engine techs on retainer. Just don’t spoil the fun by trying to change lanes without a spotter.Practicality score: 46/50
and the total is…
Numbers don’t tell the full story. If they did, even Louis Ruf would be hard pressed to justify a several-hundred thousand dollar premium for his CTR3 over an off-the-rack Porsche 911. Even a near-perfect total score in my evaluation falls short of this car’s merit. Everything is fully justified and makes perfect sense when the CTR3 is experienced firsthand. Only, that’s going to be the tricky part: RUF plans to build just 50 of these gems over the next three years, so I suggest you avoid using the word “tuner” when begging for yours.96/100
Resources:http://www.rufautocentre.com/
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=7&article_id=5331
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