The arrival of the BTR marked the beginning of RUF’s global reputation, establishing it as the most highly regarded of Porsche tuning firms. The BTR was inspired by the FIA’s Group B regulations, using the 930 Turbo body and 935-sourced engine internals as a basis with which to produce a 375-horsepower, 190-mph sports car that was then successfully tested by journalists against the fastest contemporary models from Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche.

While RUF was able to provide aftermarket BTR upgrades to an owner’s vehicle, it also provided complete cars hand-built from “bodies in white” obtained directly from Porsche, which received their own unique “W09” RUF chassis numbers. The exact number of BTR examples produced is not known, but it is thought that only approximately 25 units were handcrafted from the ground up on blank RUF chassis. Widely regarded as the fastest-accelerating road car in the world during production, the BTR was consistently revised from 1984 until 1993 with performance modifications running from their earliest BTR I, to the latest and most extreme BTR III—of which one such outstanding example is presented here from the Dare to Dream Collection.

This menacing BTR III “Flat-Nose” Cabriolet was sold new on 5 December 1990 to RUF Canada. In addition to its rarely seen body configuration (Cabriolet, Flat-Nose, with Turbo S rear air ducts), this car’s monstrous list of specifications is made all the more uncommon by the quadruple-black color scheme requested by its original owner; the body, leather upholstery, wheel faces, and cabriolet top are all rendered in the same sinister shade.

Power is derived from a 3.4-liter, flat-six-cylinder RUF engine producing 408 horsepower by way of a massive single K27 turbocharger and Bosch DME Motronic engine management system. Period press tests note that late BTR III builds such as this specification can achieve a top speed “in excess of 205 miles per hour.” Notably, this particular BTR III is fitted with the RUF-developed six-speed transaxle. Additionally, this BTR III’s accompanying RUF production certificate notes the fitment of air conditioning, Recaro CSE seats, a Sony sound system, power windows, alarm, 17-inch Speedline light alloy wheels, 105-liter fuel tank, sport mirrors, and a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel which fronts a tidy suite of RUF instrumentation.

As presented today, it remains remarkably preserved with a high degree of original finishes throughout, its numbers-matching engine and gearbox, and just 2,072 miles indicated on its odometer since delivery at time of cataloguing. Since entering the Dare to Dream Collection in March 2014, this incredible BTR III “Flat-Nose” Cabriolet has been enjoyed for approximately 650 miles of fair-weather use. Under the consignor’s care it has been subject to more than $6,100 of routine mechanical servicing and cosmetic preservation.

No two RUF products are created equal, and this BTR III is unequivocally a one-off creation of the most extreme and distinctive variety.