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RUF CTR 3 CLUBSPORT: The Craziest “Porsche” Ever Made
Words Marco Rallo / Photos RUF
2007. RUF, historic name inextricably linked to the Porsche brand, decides to build the ultimate supercar on the basis of 2 different coupes from Stuttgart: the Cayman 987 and the 911 Turbo (generation 997.1). To reduce everything to a minimum, they take the best of each and lengthen the chassis, thus moving the engine in mid-rear position, modeling the first real car body made by RUF on this new skeleton. It is called CTR 3 and is a sensational show stopper.
If at the front it might in fact look like a standard Cayman, the side view leaves no room for doubs and confirms how much the goal of the German tuner is to bring to mind the unmistakable lines of the racing cars of the 50s and 60s, all with a tail enhanced by the lengthening of the platform, capable of accommodating a 3.8-litre flat-six able to ground 691 horsepower and 889 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. It’s easy to imagine that behind the wheel it will be anything but a sports car easy to tame, also due to the fact that traction is only on the rear axle.
The CTR3 is not a mere exercise and soon proves to be a proper project capable of dispensing strong emotions – and shivers – to those lucky enough to get a seat behind the wheel. There is a 6-speed sequential gearbox and last but not least, the overall weight does not exceed a ton and a half (1,377 kg), so as to offer impressive performance on the straight and handling that makes it deadly even through bends. Fancy some numbers? 3.2 seconds for 0-100 kph and a top speed of 375 per hour, which can also be reached without apparent effort. The CTR 3 was produced in only 31 specimens, which helps to make it even more special.
In 2012 it’s time to keep up with the increasingly fierce competition and RUF, which has never been on the sidelines, updates the CTR 3 with the Clubsport version, which intervenes on the mechanical compartment in order to reach 766 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and a torque of 980 Nm, always at 4,000 rpm. The Clubsport introduces the possibility of equipping the CTR 3 with an even faster 7-speed dual clutch, while chasing a 0-100 kph brought to just 3 seconds flat. A dream produced in only 7 units.
