A RUF CTR3 at auction: the Porsche Cayman that wanted to be a Carrera GT

When we think of a tuner, modifications to the exterior, mechanical upgrades, new wheels and so on come to mind, but never anything on the level of the RUF CTR3. The thing is, RUF is not a typical tuner, but a craftsman willing to make his own everything Porsche that passes through his hands, and the case of the Porsche Cayman 987 -the first generation- was no exception. That’s right, the German sports car became a full-blown supercar thanks to RUF, who with great mastery knew how to alter the Porsche Cayman without turning it into a travesty.

The RUF CTR3 is like a Stradivarius, a piece built by hand with great care and attention. In fact, the exclusivity of this German supercar lies not only in the configuration provided by RUF, but also in the fact that its production was limited to 31 units, of which today we have come across one that is going up for auction.

This model stands out above all in its styling when compared with the Porsche Cayman it is based on. It grows considerably, especially at the rear, where it adopts a physiognomy very similar to that of its big brother, the Carrera GT. The front, however, is not exempt from changes, where we also notice greater length and width.

The interior also has some novelties, but the high point of the RUF CTR3 lies in its mechanical section. The German firm drastically reworked the 3.8-litre flat-six engine with the help of two turbos, a combination that raised total output to 700 CV and 890 Nm of torque, figures that allow the CTR3 to reach 100 km/h in 3 seconds and a top speed of 360 km/h.

This unit, finished in grey and contrasted by a red leather cabin, has just 2,631 kilometres on the odometer. It was commissioned by a Californian collector in 2007 and, 13 years later, is looking for a new home through RM Sotheby’s, which will auction it between the 11th and 20th of this same month.

The price it may reach is currently unknown but, given its exclusivity and RUF’s reputation for building sports cars, it is to be expected that it will not be cheap. In fact, we could well be talking about a RUF CTR3 surpassing the one-million-euro barrier, becoming one of the most expensive pieces ever created by the German marque.