One of the most-praised sports cars of the ’80s was the Ruf CTR, better known by its nickname, the ”Yellowbird.”
The CTR was a high-performance monster, based on the Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 but with extensive modifications aimed at incredible speed and handling, built by the German tuner Ruf Automobile. The CTR was a monster of a car, the twin-turbocharged flat-six engine and light body eclipsed the supercars of the day, setting new levels of performance.
A Porsche Reinvented
Instead of using Porsche’s factory turbocharged 911 (the 930), Ruf decided to base the CTR on the 911 Carrera 3.2 platform. This remained a lightweight affair and with aggressive aerodynamics, it formed the basis for a performance monster.
Key modifications included:
Aluminum panels for the hood, doors and engine cover.
Fiberglass bumpers to help reduce weight and improve aerodynamics.
Rear wheel arches pumped out to fit bigger wheels.
Rear air intake ducts for better cooling of the twin intercoolers.
A full, integrated roll cage — not just for safety, but to help reinforce the chassis.
Power and Performance
Ruf engineers didn’t just modify the engine; they redesigned it from the ground up. It was then bored out from 3.2L to 3.4L, and twin turbochargers were mated to it to further increase its output.
Engine Specs:
Engine: 3.4L (3,367 cc) twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 469 hp @ 5,950 rpm (some dynamometer tests indicated as much as 500 hp)
Torque: 553 Nm (408 lb-ft) @ 5,100 rpm
Redline: 6,800 rpm
Porsche had opted for the 4-speed transmission in the 930 Turbo because of durability concerns, but Ruf designed its own bespoke 5-speed manual gearbox, with gear ratios adjusted for max performance on both front.
Unparalleled Speed
When it bow in 1987, the Ruf CTR absolutely shattered expectations, with performance numbers that matched or surpassed the era’s top supercars.
Acceleration & Speed Stats:
0-60 mph: 3.65 seconds
0-100 mph: 6.71 seconds
0-150 mph: 14.59 seconds
0-200 mph: 35.57 seconds
Standing mile: 27.7 sec @ 189.1 mph
Then: Top Speed: 213 mph (342 km/h) The fastest production car in the world at that time.
The Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959, by comparison, were the speed kings of the late ‘80s. Of course, the Ruf CTR trumped their top speed and solidified Ruf’s engineering chops.
Handling and Braking
Pure speed is worthless without control, and the CTR brought it in every dimension:
Suspension improvements helped stability at speed.
Ruf Speedline 17-inch alloy wheels offered greater grip.
Fast deceleration was ensured thanks to the Brembo braking system (330mm rotors).
Dunlop Denloc tires provided excellent grip for hard driving.
These changes turned the Yellowbird into the stuff of track-day legends, with the car nabbing one of the fastest unofficial lap times of all time around the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.
A Collector’s Dream
Only 29 factory CTRs were built by Ruf, and an estimated 20-30 customer-supplied 911 Carreras were converted by Ruf. Each car was hand-built to order, and originally cost $142,900 (about $362,000 in today’s dollars). And given its relative rarity and racing pedigree, the Yellowbird is still among the most desirable classic supercars out there.
The Ruf CTR “Yellowbird” not only broke records, but reset the industry standard of what a modified Porsche 911 could deliver. Its effect can be seen in Ruf’s later models—and in modern high-performance Porsche tuners, who are still pursuing ever-closer limits of velocity and engineering. Over 30 years later, the Yellowbird is still one of the undisputed legends of the supercar world.
