766-HP RUF CTR 3 Can Reach Mind-Numbing Speeds, Won't Go Cheap

You may think that German-built cars of the 21st century are somewhat boring. And some of them are, but then again, not all cars are meant to be exciting. But if you know where to look, you'll find quite a few spectacular machines that are still built in Germany. And if you can't set your nostalgia aside, then you're in luck. That's because the list of cool cars will get larger the farther back in time you'll go.

At one point in time, someone decided that a regular Porsche isn't fast enough and that it needs improving. So it's no wonder that Ruf became a legendary company. In 1987 their CTR set the record for the world's fastest production car, with a speed of 211 mph (339 kph). A Ferrari F40 could only go as fast as 199 mph (321 kph). The 1995 CTR 2 took things even further by raising the bar to 217 mph (350 kph).

Ruf had once again built the fastest car in the world, but that was a short lasted victory due to the launch of the McLaren F1. But of course, their journey was far from over. The year was 2007, and the Carrera GT was nearing the end of its production cycle. The V10-powered supercar had an output of just over 600 horsepower. The Ferrari Enzo was already sold out since 2004, and that was rated at 651 horsepower, and it had a top speed of about 221 mph (355 kph).

On the 20th anniversary of the Ruf CTR, the German tuner launched the third iteration of their masterpiece. It looked like a supercar, and the performance numbers were there to support that claim. The twin-turbo flat-six had an output of 691 horsepower and 656 lb-ft (889 Nm) of torque. This thing may have been related to the Porsche Cayman, but it had enough grunt to scare off even the mighty Carrera GT. Only about 30 units were ever built.

But this is where the story becomes even more insane. In 2012 Ruf unveiled the Clubsport version, and that meant an increase to 766 horsepower and 723 lb-ft (980 Nm) of torque. The CTR 3 Clubsport weighed around 3,035 lbs (1,377 kg). With a 0 to 60 mph (96 kph) time of 3 seconds, it could go all the way up to a whopping 236 mph (380 kph). At this point, we're already entering Bugatti territory!

I've had the chance to see one of these cars with my own eyes during the 2016 Gumball 3000 rally. Still to this day, it is one of the rarest, most amazing vehicles I have ever witnessed. And in case you'd fancy one in your garage, there's a black unit for sale in the United Kingdom. This car is chassis number 8, and it was built in 2010, coming out of the Ruf "factory" as a standard CTR 3. So, would you still pull the trigger?

When the Clubsport specification was presented in 2012, the owner of the car wanted to opt for the upgrade, which happened in 2013. This is pretty much a race car for the road, and you only need to look at the specs to figure that out. Not only does it have a dry-sump oil tank, but that's also gold-leaf coated for optimum heat insulation. Then you notice that it has a Porsche 997 GT2 motorsport clutch system.

This won't be ideal as a daily, that's for sure! With 3 previous owners, it's surprising that its odometer reads 9,631 miles (15,500 km). Thank God this isn't another garage queen! Now, you know that this isn't going to be cheap when you notice that there's no clear price tag attached to it. A few years ago, a 2018 Ruf CTR 3 Clubsport sold for €1,107,500 ($1,259,017) at an auction in Monaco.

Ok, this isn't powered by the magnificent V10 that was used on the Carrera GT, but the CTR 3 has more power and torque, and it's rarer! It wouldn't come as a surprise if the seller would be asking about $1,5 million for this vehicle. There are a few things you might want to consider before deciding on this vehicle. The rear, Clubsport-distinctive spoiler is nowhere to be seen on the car. But what may be worse than that, if you aren't living in Japan, Australia, or the United Kingdom, is the fact that this is an RHD car.