Ruf CTR Anniversary 2021 first drive

At each corner then sits a carbon-ceramic Brembo brake disc that, while similar to what you find on the 911 GT2 RS, is unique to Ruf. The 19in wheels that fill their arches so generously are forged centre-locking items whose relatively small diameter is a reflection of the CTR’s compact stature. Not that you would want to leave it there, but you could get this car up into an NCP without hassle. I should probably mention now, in the context of the car’s modest size, its official power output: 700bhp.

So although the CTR may appear to be an anachronism (its glasshouse is exactly to 993 specification) and may sound like an old 911 (albeit an absurdly fruity one), its chassis has more in common with modern Le Mans prototypes than the classic Carrera 3.2 that its bodywork plays on. It’s an undiluted supercar, based on nothing other than Alois Ruf’s desire to do something fresh.

As for the powertrain, it could almost have come from a Group C racer. The 700bhp is paired with 649lb ft of torque, both developed with the help of Ruf’s own titanium internals, new top-end and electronic management. The figures give pause for thought even before you consider the fact that it all flows not through some reinforced torque converter or beefed-up dual-clutch gearbox but through a seven-speed manual.

Ruf’s industry connections meant German engineering heavyweight ZF provided the tiny number of bespoke ’boxes needed, which pair with a dual-mass flywheel in the more ‘rounded’ CTR but a single-mass flywheel in the sabre-sharp SCR – the CTR’s howling, naturally aspirated sibling. Downstream sits a limited-slip differential, entirely necessary.

It doesn't last. Up the ante and you’re obliged to properly engage your brain. The gearbox is tight enough in its action but not the most intuitive. The top-row gates are closely stacked, so it’s easy to overshoot third and snatch fifth while you’re still trying to compute just how far up the road you might be in half-a-second’s time. Which, even on part-throttle, is quite far. Fluff it and select fifth with your foot floored and the CTR would still embarrass plenty of serious sports cars in a straight drag race, but get it right and it accelerates with an outright malevolence that leaves you feeling foggy. It's Ariel Atom-esque.

That said, the motor is inherently so strong that the level of forced-induction assistance is sympathetic rather than intentionally barbaric, and fittingly the delivery is responsive and linear to the very end, with a serrated, yowling engine note that wouldn’t feel out of place in the outgoing 911 GT3. There are no nasty surprises here, either: traction is excellent, driveline shunt is minimal and there’s plenty of throttle-pedal travel.

You start to bed into the car, and become accustomed to something that is, by any reasonable measure, completely out of the ordinary.

So next you start to explore the handling, and getting the best out of the CTR in this area isn’t so easy. It feels almost mid-engined in its balance – neutral and lithe – right up to the moment you try to do something ambitious, when it dispenses with the disguise and reverts to 911 traits. As such, once loaded up, it’s fiercely responsive to a lifted throttle and before that point shoots up on its toes under a trailing brake. The thing simply comes alive about a certain level of commitment.  

Stability out of bends is also immense, for the most part, though I'm reluctant to throw the kitchen sink at this treasured development car. During the CTR’s gestation, Ruf shifted from Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres to Dunlop SportMaxx Race 2s, because the car was considered too edgy and reactive, and that underlying nervous energy is still palpable. The CTR bristles, although always in the context of remarkably flat body control, once the dampers are in the appropriate setting, and disarmingly delicate steering. Just a touch more feedback and it would be world-class. Driven very quickly, the overall sensation is of a small and precise car, but one that’s explosively over-endowed and almost uncomfortably agile at times.