Currently offered for sale at RM Sotheby’s with an estimated value between $800,000 and $1,200,000, this RUF BTR4 is one of the rarest and most desirable Porsche-based performance cars of the 1990s. Built in limited numbers by the renowned German manufacturer, it combines RUF’s engineering expertise with Porsche’s iconic 964 platform to create a car that remains highly sought after three decades later.
RUF began as an aftermarket tuner of Porsches, but in 1981, it gained official manufacturer status from Germany’s TÜV, allowing the company to issue its own VINs under the “W09” designation. The first car to carry this identity was the BTR of 1983, based on the Porsche 930 Turbo.
A decade later, the BTR evolved into the 964-based BTR 3.8, featuring an enlarged 3.8-liter engine derived from Porsche’s 3.6 Turbo. RUF added a proprietary six-speed gearbox, bespoke suspension, and 18-inch Speedline wheels. The all-wheel-drive BTR4 followed, of which only nine examples were produced.
This example is one of those nine, documented by a RUF letter of authenticity. Originally delivered new to Japan in 1994 via Ishida Engineering, it was finished in Polar Silver with a black leather interior and equipped with a wide array of RUF options, including the six-speed gearbox with short shifter, larger fuel tank, leather steering wheel, unique gauges, Bilstein suspension, front wing, exhaust, and even “Japan Rear Seats.”
Source: RM Sotheby’s
