Among Ruf’s many creations, the retro styled Ultimate is one of the rarest. And the one you see here is claimed to be the only one in the U.S.
Ruf is probably most famous for the original CTR “Yellow Bird” launched in 1987, and the Ultimate pays tribute to that car. Launched in 2016, it’s based on a donor 993-generation Porsche 911 chassis, but with carbon-fiber bodywork backdating its appearance to that of the earlier Yellow Bird.
In a way, the Ultimate was a precursor to the CTR Anniversary unveiled in 2017. With that car, Ruf went even further and designed its own carbon-fiber tub, rather than using an existing chassis. Like the Ultimate, the CTR Anniversary had carbon-fiber bodywork replicating the look of the original CTR Yellow Bird.
Ruf Ultimate
The Ultimate is powered by a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged flat-6 producing 582 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque. It drives the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual gearbox. When new, Ruf claimed a 211-mph top speed.
Ruf has continued with the retro theme since launching the Ultimate and CTR Anniversary. In 2018, it unveiled the SCR, also using a bespoke carbon-fiber chassis like the CTR Anniversary, with a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-6 producing 510 hp.
And in 2020, Ruf announced a restomod version of its 964-based RCT. Dubbed RCT Evo, it’s still based on the 964-generation 911 and features an air-cooled turbocharged flat-6 like the original RCT. However, the modern version delivers 425 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, enabling a 199-mph top speed, according to Ruf. The company also has restomod options for most other Porsche sports cars from the 356 up to the 993-generation 911.
Keyword: There's now a Ruf Ultimate in the US