1987 Porsche 930 RUF 3.4 BTR

This absolutely stunning car has been through our portals before.

We remember it very well.

We were hardly likely to forget it, because this is a RUF 3.4 BTR conversion and that means it makes other 930 Turbos seem positively emasculated and gutless.

At the time there wasn’t much paperwork with the car so we were forced to use qualifying phrases like “it’s our understanding”, “probably’, “in all likelihood” and “we’re inclined to believe” in relation to the car’s apparent RUF provenance.

Well, three years on and the current vendor has tracked down all the relevant paperwork and has even taken the car to be serviced by RUF at their Pfaffenhausen HQ in Germany.

While there, he spoke to Alois and Estonia Ruf (the son of the founder and the chief executive respectively), who confirmed the provenance.

We can now state with 100% certainty that this is indeed a RUF 3.4 BTR conversion.

So, what does that mean, we hear you asking?

Legendary Porsche tweakers and fettlers RUF were in the habit of punching out the 3.3 litre flat-six engine to 3.4 litres, adding a twin-plug setup, Carrillo connecting rods, RUF pistons, RUF cams, a larger intercooler and turbocharger, custom exhaust manifolds, upgraded suspension and brakes, and tuning it all up until it was in a state of snorting, snarling fearsome fury.

930 Turbos with a RUF BTR conversion could summon up to 425bhp, depending on the package, which is a considerable step-up on the standard car’s 300bhp.

These seriously tweaked cars went by the internal designation ‘RUF BTR’, with the last three initials being an abbreviation for Group B Turbo.

In RUF’s own words, the BTR, “…was inspired by the FIA Group B regulations of the time, utilising a 930 Turbo as a basis to compete with the fastest products from Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche itself. The BTR was routinely regarded as the world’s fastest accelerating road car at the time”.

Of all the RUF BTRs created between 1983 and 1989, no more than 30 were built by RUF from scratch. The rest were converted from existing 930 Turbos, as was this one – with the work in this case being done by RUF distributor Exclusive Motorcars Inc of New Jersey, one of just two authorised RUF distributors in the USA.

The New jersey connection explains why the car has a 4-speed gearbox, as the then proprietor of the business was of the belief that the 5-speed box wouldn’t be able to cope with the torque.

We have driven this car and can honestly say that we’ve never experienced anything quite like it.

Once you’ve decided to flex your right foot you have a couple of seconds to wait for the turbo to spool up, during which time you should seriously consider the consequences of what you’re about to unleash.

When the power comes online, it doesn’t do so gradually or with any subtlety.

No, it all comes on at once, in a thunderous rush of bonkers acceleration that pins you back in the Recaro seats, flattens your ears against the sides of your head, and flings you through the horizon towards some previously unknown intergalactic constellations.

Everything about the experience of driving this car is visceral, analogue, alive and raw.

It accelerates like a nervous cheetah at a fireworks display, has more torque than the Flying Scotsman and makes a noise like an electrical storm over the Matterhorn.

It’s also incredibly solid and well-built.

The only creaks, groans, sighs, and squeaks we heard were coming from the driver and passenger.

It feels like it’s been machined from a single billet of steel or possibly sculpted in Italian marble.

Mechanically, it feels absolutely spot on, with a superb notchy gear change, great brakes and fabulous handling.

Having bought the car through us at auction in 2021 the vendor has gone on to spend well over £40,000 making sure that the car is the best possible version of itself.

We think he has succeeded in every conceivable way.

What a car.

The car was brought to the UK from America in 2020, having variously lived in Texas, Florida, Arizona, California and Nevada.

It follows that there’s no rust that we can see anywhere on the car.

The bodywork is free of any dents or creases and the black paintwork is glossy and lustrous.

The shut-lines and panel gaps are excellent and the doors close with all the Teutonic weight and precision we’ve come to expect of this era of products from Zuffenhausen.

The RUF-badged wheels are in first-class condition and complement the black aesthetic and aggressive, squat stance perfectly.

The matching Michelin Pilot Sport tyres seem to have plenty of life left in them.

The sunroof works and forms a tight seal. There is no wobble in the tea-tray rear spoiler. The lights and lenses are clear. All trim and badging is in fine fettle.

There are a few light scratches, some stone chips and a tiny raised dink on the frunk lid. There are also a few light scratches here and there on the rear wings and a couple of paint chips on the fuel filler cap.

Basically, it’s all really very good indeed and the car’s condition is excellent even for its age, never mind its mileage.

The condition inside is equally impressive, particularly when you consider that this is a car that first put its rubber on the road in 1987, the year Terry Waite was kidnapped and Withnail & I was released.

It really is in time-warp condition and it’s hard to think that the car is 37 years old.

Functional rather than luxurious, it’s nonetheless a fine place to spend some time, and pretty much everything is in exemplary condition.

The black leather seats have only the lightest creasing and are firm, supportive and as comfortable.

The rear seats are pretty much unmarked. The frunk is clean, pristine and contains a space-saver spare.

The carpets, mats, door cards and headlining are good. So, too, are the classically minimalist dashboard and controls.

Nothings rattles or shakes. Everything feels solid.

One RUF-spec departure from the norm is the inclusion of a turbo boost gauge where the clock would normally be.

A replacement clock now sits in the passenger footwell, just to the right of the gear lever.

The handbrake gaiter is a little loose at the base and there’s a thin crack across the fan button on the centre console.

The four-way electric controls on the passenger seat are now three-way. The vendor found that one connection was acting as a parasitic drain on the battery and disconnected it.

The vendor has dyno tested his car (when the adjustable boost was set to 1.5 bar), found that it was good for 400bhp and was, in his words, utterly ballistic.

He has since set it to just below 1.0 bar and temporarily disconnected the adjustable boost control.

We fully agree with him when he says it’s still plenty fast enough (and that’s a massive understatement).

Besides, you could always reinstate the adjustable boost control if you’re feeling sufficiently brave.

The car’s mechanical credentials are very good and it completed its trip to RUF HQ and back (through France, Lichtenstein and Switzerland) without missing a beat.

The vendor tells us that, when called upon to reach 150mph on the autobahn, it did so without complaint and felt totally stable and planted at that speed.

The undersides seem to be very well preserved. Everything is straight, clean and wears a good coating of wax/bitumen.

As ever with a 911, there’s really not much to reward anyone who peers into the engine bay. All the important stuff is hidden from view. What we can see, however, looks fine, and it’s an impressively clean and tidy place.

Dominating the engine bay is a far bigger than normal intercooler. There is also an info plate declaring that this car’s engine is the RUF BTR variant.

The car’s history owes everything to the vendor’s global detective work in tracking down previous owners, speaking to Alois and Estonia Ruf, and generally digging for info and data wherever he could unearth it.

It has a service book covering part of its time in the USA. It has a couple of Porsche books/manuals. It has two sets of keys.

It has various spec sheets relating to RUF options available through the New Jersey RUF distributor, some photographs of the car outside RUF HQ and others of it having a European-spec fuel injection system fitted by Porsche whisperer Mike Roberts in Jan 2022 at a cost of £1,500.

The engine was removed, inspected and a new engine loom was fitted by Porsche specialists Performance & Classic (P&C) at a cost of £5,000 in October 2021.

A full £14,000 mechanical restoration was carried out by P&C in June 2022 and, in January 2023, the vendor parted with another £21,000 at P&C having everything and anything else sorted and fettled. The work is itemised and costed in the history.

This is one of our favourite ever cars; and we’ve seen and driven a lot of cars.

RUF has worked its sorcery on an already legendary model, the 930 Turbo, and taken it to entirely new performance levels.

The vendor’s daily drive is a Ferrari SF90, however he tells us that the RUF BTR is far more engaging and thrilling to drive. That’s saying something! He is only parting company with this fabulous beast of a machine for one reason… when he went to RUF’s Pfaffenhausen HQ he unexpectedly found himself ordering a brand new, 510bhp RUF SCR model.

Not only is this very special 930 Turbo RUF 3.4 BTR an utterly fearsome road weapon, it is also in first-class mechanical condition and drives like a new car.

Honestly, we wish it was ours.

The number plate RUF 930A will be staying on the car if the vehicle is to stay in the UK if the car is to be exported then the seller will be keeping the plate.

There is also a small amount of outstanding finance on the vehicle, which you will be provided the details on upon conclusion of the auction to pay directly to the finance company, and the remaining balance to the seller.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £110,000 - £130,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am- 12pm or 2pm-4pm. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.