Ruf CTR3 Clubsport: just 7 built, the mid-engined 911 Porsche never made

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Ruf built just 30 examples of the twin-turbocharged CTR3 and just seven Clubsports.

This CT3R Clubsport was displayed at the Geneva Motor Show back in 2018.

Matching the Oak Green Metallic exterior is eye-catching green tartan in the cabin.

There’s no shortage of options for anyone shopping in the multi-million-dollar supercar or hypercar bracket, but most buyers gravitate toward the familiar names. The Ruf CTR3 Clubsport rarely makes that first cut, which is a shame, because it stands among the most interesting cars in the segment and gets overlooked next to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, and even Koenigsegg.

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You see, while Porsche pondered whether a mid-engined 911 belongs on the road one day, Ruf answered that question years ago and built the car to prove it.

Read: The Rarest Ruf 911 Ever Made Spent Decades In The Shadows. Now It’s Back

Ruf launched the CTR3 in 2012, building it around a bespoke billet-aluminum spaceframe supplied by Multimatic, the outfit behind the Ford GT, then wrapping it in a lightweight Kevlar-carbon-fiber composite. That spaceframe runs roughly 11 inches (27.9 cm) longer than a standard 911, which opens up the room needed to sit the flat-six ahead of the rear axle. The lineage traces to the 997-generation Porsche 911, but the mid-engine layout puts its stance closer to a 918 Spyder.

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Total production of the CTR3 was capped at just 30 units worldwide, of which only 7 are Clubsport versions like this. This car, heading to auction during Monterey Car Week , is the one Ruf presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2018, and it was also the first CTR3 fitted with a PDK transmission rather than the outdated sequential gearboxes of earlier examples.

Germany’s Forgotten Supercar?

Jorge Guasso/RM Sotheby’s

This CT3R Clubsport is painted in Oak Green Metallic, which looks absolutely superb, as do the silver five-spoke wheels. There are plenty of exposed carbon fiber parts, including the front splitter, rear wing, and roof scoop.

Power comes from a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six producing 766 hp. That’s enough to send the CTR3 Clubsport from zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) in three seconds flat and on to a top speed of 236 mph (380 km/h), helped along by a curb weight that sits just a hair over 3,000 lbs (1,360 kg).

Jorge Guasso/RM Sotheby’s

The interior gives you plenty to appreciate as well. It is clad mostly in black leather but has green-and-red tartan fabric on the seats, with quilted stitching. Other highlights include several carbon fiber accents, such as on the gauge cluster, as well as the black-and-green leather floor mats.

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RM Sotheby’s is handling the sale and expects the car to bring between $1.7 million and $1.9 million. Whether it clears that estimate depends on how many collectors recognize what Ruf built here. We’ll find out when the hammer falls during Monterey Car Week. Until then, you can check out the full listing here .

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Jorge Guasso/RM Sotheby’s