European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 16, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Focus on the ctr the project name for the Ruf twin Turbo car is project ctr a for group c engine Alois Ruf explains to for Turbo and a for Ruf. The ctr twin Turbo is the firm s most recent development the engine mated to a Ruf five Speed transmission there will soon be a six Speed the engine transmission Assembly mounted in a specially modified porsche carrera911 Chassis. The prototype ctr underwent a series of development and durability tests before serving As the basis for a limited production run. The car has passed All of the tests for Normal Road use As prescribed by the Deutschen tech Ischen  Tuv in Germany and will soon meet the . Standards set by the environmental Protection Agency Ruf said. Ruf s other Turbo car the single Turbo bar with a top Speed of 186 Mph when used with the Carrera body already meets Epa requirements. The More expensive ctr twin Turbo is sold in Coupe design the bar May be ordered in Coupe Targa or convertible design. The ctr twin Turbo s engine utilizes a pressure sensitive electronic control system developed by Ruf in collaboration with the Robert Bosch company and it is nearly maintenance free no ignition or fuel adjustments Are necessary. The 3.4-liter engine has a separate Turbocharger and inter cooler for each Cylinder Bank providing quicker response and higher flow rates than a single Turbo. Because of the additional Power and top speeds the 13-Inch disk brakes must be of the highest order Cross drilled and ventilated. Further safety engineering includes the Ruf 17 Inch wheels mounted with the Denlock system safety tires developed by Dunlop and also used on the factory produced porsche 959. As the tires have run Flat capabilities no spare tire is necessary. The ctr body is extensively modified although in appearance it is not much different from the current Model porsche Carrera. To improve aerodynamics rain gutters Are removed and Ruf design front and near spoilers Are installed. Rear fenders Are slightly flared and the Chassis is reinforced at All critical joints and suspension mounting areas. To reduce weight the front fenders Hood and doors Are constructed of aluminium Alloy. Ctr technical data engine air cooled six Cylinder horizontally opposed soc 3.4-liter. Bore and stroke 98.0 x 74.4mm compression ration 7.5 1 output 469 horsepower Din at 5,950 rpm electronic fuel injection and Bosch me. Transmission Ruf five Speed with limited slip differential. Suspension front Macpherson struts torsion bars Bilstein Gas Shock absorbers Stabilizer. Rear trailing arms torsion bars Bilstein shocks Stabilizer. 0 brakes front and rear ventilated and drilled discs Ruf four Piston calipers. Wheels front 8x17-Inch 215/45 vr-17 tires. Rear 10x17-Inch 255/40 or 17 tires. Weight 2,530 pounds maximum 3,400 pounds. Power weight 5.5 pounds horsepower. Performance 0-60 Mph 4.0 seconds 0-100 Mph 7.6 seconds 1/4 mile 11.7 seconds top Speed 213 Mph Price 290,000 Marks or about $156,000 without tax. Manufacturer Ruf automobile a Mph min Delheimer Strasse 21, 8949 Pfaffenhauser West Germany. Phone 08265-1012. . At first glance the dual Turbo yellow Bird looks like a thousand other porsche 911s. But it runs like one in a million with a top Speed of 213 Mph. Flying in the yellow Bird two Hundred sixty. Two Hundred eighty. Two ninety. Three Hundred. Three ten. Three twelve. That s it Alois Ruf was speaking from the Driver s seat of his ctr twin Turbo and we had just hit 312 Kilometres an hour that s the equivalent of 196 Miles an hour on a slightly foggy Back Road in Southern Bavaria. On a race track Ruf would have gone faster. The super High Speed ride in this specially built 470-horsepower, $156,000 machine was the highlight of a Day we spent with Ruf at his Ultra modern Headquarters in Pfaffenhauser West Germany. Pulling into the company parking lot after the run Ruf smiled and said now it s your  we changed seats strapped on the racing harnesses and charged off. Ruf s warning to watch for cars turning onto the Road from the Many Side roads there in the boonies was duly noted. It is difficult to describe the Joy of driving this Bright yellow porsche based car. Ruf affectionately Calls it the yellow Bird and it is this car along with his earlier single Turbo bar that has brought him and his firm International Fame. The yellow Bird is the fastest Street Legal car in the world. It attained that distinction during a Road and track test of eight exotic sports cars 18 months ago hitting 211 Mph on the Volkswagen test track in Wolfsburg West Germany. That Speed was recorded by sex world driving Champion Phil Hill of Santa Monica Calif. In a More recent Competition at the test track in Nardo Italy the yellow Bird beat the Field by recording an Speed of 213 Mph. Ruf s other car the bar Turbo Carer a also won the Road and track world s fastest car Competition honors in 1984. Now let s return to driving. As we Don t zip around in $156,000 sports cars every Day we took it a bit easy at first but the yellow Bird was not difficult to drive. Exciting yes. Difficult no. The six Cylinder twin Turbo engine emitted a deep rumbling sound at Idle but once under Way it was More like a shriek. Gear changing was lightning fast the car s official Zero-to-60 Mph time is four second the rear wheels spinning right through third gear. The car literally seems to blast off and the punch from the turbos is just that pow we hit a top Speed of 161 Mph in just a Short distance and we slowed the car Clown often to have the Joy of running through the gears again. The acceleration was breath taking. Passing other vehicles was immediate. It did not take Long to acquire full Confidence in this car one that needs Only 1.8 Miles to reach 200 Mph. But looking Back on those runs we find it easier to appreciate the yellow Bird s performance As a passenger. It s a much different feel. Without the steering wheel in your hands you can Only hold on and Admire the Road holding which bordered on the uncanny during Ruf s Flat out turns. As a passenger one could also appreciate the speeds better because you could watch the scenery Flash by much like looking out the window of a jetliner during Takeoff. During our drive we were amazed by the performance but we also found the yellow Bird quite civilized. The five Speed Gearbox was easy to use whether changing up or Down. And double clutching produced a Beautiful slipping sound. Magnificent at Speed in the High Rev zone the car also proved surprisingly tractable at Low revs. One could drive it daily under All traffic conditions with no problems whatsoever except for coming up with enough Money to buy it in the first place. After our run Ruf invited Jerry Pearce to drive. Pearce president of the porsche club of America Germany Region for three terms had arranged the Day s visit and we had driven to Pfaffenhauser together. Pearce owns a porsche 911 and a 944 and is a fanatic of this Marque. During our years of motoring with 5fars and stripes we be had some great runs with some top Drivers. Scotland s Jackie Stewart on the old  on the French Paul Ricard circuit in a racing Ford Capri with the late Gerry Birrell of Scotland in a group 2 Long distance racing Capri with englishman de Nelson in a Ford Gt-40 in the Good old Days and with the late Harald ertl of Austria in a Bow m1 at Bockenheim. These Are among the most memorable outings there were Many others. We be also had our own driving fun in such High powered beauties As the Ferrari 328 its the Ferrari powered Lancia Stratos rally car the Bow m3 and porsche 928, to name a few. Now the attainment of 196 Mph with Louis Ruf in his yellow Bird ctr twin Turbo on the Back roads of Bavaria adds another chapter. And it did t even take place on a race track. . February 16, 1989 stripes Magazine 11