Who is Ruf?
Ruf is a family-owned sports-car maker based in Bavaria, Germany. The company began as a workshop and built its reputation through specialist work on Porsche-based cars. It is now an independent manufacturer in its own right, making complete cars as well as carrying out conversions and restoration work.
That background helps explain Ruf’s distinctive place in motoring. Its cars draw on familiar sports-car shapes and ideas, but Ruf’s identity is more than a badge or a set of upgrades. The company is known for taking a focused approach to performance cars, with engineering and small-scale craftsmanship at the centre of its work.
Ruf’s model lines
The Ruf names listed here are Ruf and CTR3. Ruf covers the earlier model entry, while CTR3 is the later line. The name Ruf can describe the maker as well as a model, so the two entries represent different points in the company’s story.
Ruf’s wider range has included cars closely connected to Porsche designs and more bespoke projects. The CTR3 belongs to the latter tradition: it is a distinct sports-car line, developed as a successor to earlier CTR models. The unusual placement of its engine behind the cabin gives the car a different character from Ruf’s more familiar rear-engined coupés.
How the range developed
The years shown run from 1987 to 2023. The earlier Ruf entry spans 1987–1988, placing it at the start of this timeline; the CTR3 appears from 2018 through 2023. The long gap between them reflects how Ruf’s model names and projects have evolved, rather than a continuous run of one unchanged car.
The CTR name is part of Ruf’s history, and the CTR3 carries that thread into a more modern, purpose-built sports car. Its design and layout mark a clear change in direction from the company’s earlier Porsche-based work. The range represented here therefore moves from an early Ruf model to a later, more individual line.
Markets and electrification
Ruf appears in United States official EPA registration figures. The EPA uses its own test procedure, so its fuel-economy and emissions ratings are not directly interchangeable with European WLTP or NEDC figures, or with Canada’s 5-cycle results.
The model names shown are combustion-era sports cars; no electric or hybrid line appears here. Ruf’s identity in this period remains closely tied to specialised performance cars and the evolution of its CTR family.
Questions and answers
Where is Ruf based?
Ruf is a family-owned manufacturer based in Bavaria, Germany.
Which Ruf models are listed?
The listed model names are Ruf and CTR3.
What is the CTR3?
It is a later Ruf sports-car line and a successor to earlier CTR models, with a distinct mid-engined layout.
In which market do Ruf cars appear?
They appear in United States EPA registration figures. EPA testing differs from European WLTP and NEDC procedures and Canada’s 5-cycle test.