Grab RUF’s first 1988 Porsche 930 Turbo BTR

If you’re a bit rusty on Alois Ruf’s work, get up to speed by remembering that it was RUF who gave the 911 a five-speed gearbox long before Porsche did. The company also gained the German manufacturer’s status, having come up with a number of engine, gearbox, and chassis design patents throughout the decades, including the latest in carbon-fiber tech. In terms of build quality, handling, and performance, RUF went where the bigger Porsche factory just couldn’t in mass production. And once RUF came up with the world’s fastest car with the help of two turbochargers, there was just no stopping the 1987 Yellowbird’s crew.

This brings us to 1988, when RUF launched a series of 25 slantnose BTRs based on the 930 Turbo with the completion of this exact car, #001.

Offered at Mecum’s 2020 Kissimmee auction, the first RUF BTR features the period’s popular slantnose conversion, RUF’s five-speed gearbox, 17-inch wheels, strut bar, front spoiler, and gauges, as well as a bored 3.4-liter engine with upgraded pistons, twin-plug ignition, a sports exhaust, and a bigger turbocharger for a whopping 32-percent power increase at 375 horsepower. Finished in Guards Red, this 930 Turbo-based speed machine has covered just 7264 miles since, gaining RUF’s certification prior to this sale as well.

The auctioneer estimates this Turbo to fetch north of $400,000 in a few days, which is hardly surprising given its rarity and performance credentials—not your regular slantnose 930, but RUF BTR #001.