As you no doubt realise, there is rather a large motor show going on at the moment. I was going to just leave it to the big boys racing to get their commentary out on the latest and greatest, but in amongst the press release reports about the new Type R Honda Civic is this RUF machine.
It’s a modern interpretation of the legendary 1987 CTR Yellow Bird, which easily the most famous RUF car produced. At this point I don’t feel like I’m going over the top using the word legendary to describe it. In its day the CTR Yellow Bird was based on the 911 Carrera 2. The body was lightened and strengthened, and the turbo charged flat six punched out around 470 horsepower – which at the time made it one of the fastest cars around.
If you’ve never seen this video of the Yellow Bird being manhandled around the Nurburgring then grab yourself a cup of coffee or a juice box and settle in for possibly the best car video on YouTube:
This latest generation model appears to be the modern version of that insanity. For lightness and strength the entire body is carbon fibre and the chassis itself is a carbon fibre monocoque design. The chassis is RUF’s own proprietary design, and even with the integrated steel roll cage the car weighs in at 2,640 lbs. That’s just 105 lbs more than the 1987 version and I know which one I would rather be in if everything went pear shaped at any real speed.
“We began development on the new CTR five years ago with the goal of creating a thrilling, analog driving experience that combines an amazing power-to-weight ratio, manual transmission and modern racing technology,”
And given it has a six speed manual mated to a 3.6-liter twin-turbo flat-six built by RUF delivering a 0-62 mph in under 3.5 seconds and 0-125 mph in under nine seconds… there’s no reason to doubt those words.
It also bears little relation to an actual Porsche underneath the updated take on the 1987 911 Turbo body and an engine in the rear end.
For the number nerds and future Top Trumps games, the figures given are:
Total output of 522 kw (710 PS) at 6,750 RPM and 880 Nm (649 lb-ft) at 2,750 RPM, allowing acceleration from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) under 3.5 seconds and 0-200 km/h (125 mph) under nine seconds. Top speed is 360 km/h (225 mph).
Internally vented and perforated carbon ceramic brake discs (380 mm front, 350 mm rear) clamped by six-piston fixed calipers (front) and four-piston calipers (rear).
Center-locking 19-inch forged alloy wheels and rubber measuring 245/35ZR19 for the front and 305/30ZR19 for the rear.
It’s not often I get over excited by a few pictures of a car, but this one really is a fist biter. It’s now my new mission in life to make sure I at least get to see one in it’s carbon fibre flesh.
