Meet the "Frog" that Beat Ferrari and Porsche as the Fastest Car in the World

Thirty years ago, a tiny yellow sports car described as "frog-looking" by a Ferrari executive, took the world by storm when it set the world record as the fastest production car for its time.

This "frog" annihilated the likes of Porsche 959, Ferrari F40, and Mercedes AMG down to a one big, messy pulp.

Thirteen years later, in 2004, it again impressed the audience at the Autocar 0-100-0 challenge when it was able to keep up with other new, more hi-tech supercars without hesitation. A year later, it gained more praises at the Road & Track standing mile contest, with race car driver Steve Miller saying:

"That thing's a blast. It accelerates hard. It's a real old-school car with a lot of torque and power. Just awesome. What a rush. It pulled the whole way through."

Meet the Yellowbird

The yellow car was no less than the Ruf CTR (Group C, Turbo Ruf) -- also known as the CTR Yellowbird or Yellowbird. It was based on the Porsche 911, and was introduced in 1987 by Ruf Autombile GmbH.

It was dubbed "Yellowbird" because it looked like one when it jetted its way across the landscape. Others say it got its name because its blow-off valve sounded like a canary chirping. Whatever the case, this light, 2,535 lb hunk of metal can really fly on the road.

The Ruf-CTR used a twin-turbo, 469-hp engine that can churn out 408 lb-ft of torque. It can go from 0-60 mph in 3.65 seconds, with a top speed in excess of 210 miles per hour (340 km/h).

"Frog" Made in Less than a Week

Alois Ruf, the founder of Ruf Automobile, recalls how they were able to finish the car in no less than a week.

"It was rainy. April, lousy weather–just black sky. And the cars were running at high speed, throwing water. It was crazy," he said.

Ruf also fondly remembers how a marketing director at Ferrari once told him, “I know, your car, it works. It’s a very good car. But look, next to a Ferrari, it looks like a frog.”

"Viral Video" in the 80's

Back in the days when the term "going viral" sounded a lot like you're getting sick, the Yellowbird achieved "video" notoriety when it was featured drifting on one of the most dangerous tracks in the world.

The drive was captured in the epic tape entitled: "Faszination at the Nurburgring CTR RUF", and was driven by no less than the fearless road warrior / test driver Stefan Roser. The video showed him wearing no helmet, with only a shirt, simple jeans, and a pair of socks and loafers to pad him around. You can view it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTGvHskGKI4

Yellowbird's Resurrection

Now on its 30th anniversary, Ruf has revived the iconic Yellowbird and has released its modern-day version this year.

According to Ruf, everything is new, and the only thing they retained was the rear-view mirror. The car is also fitted with more modern gadgets together with better safety features like ABS brakes and traction control.

Only 30 Yellowbird cars have been produced, and unfortunately, there are only a few of them left.

"Actually, we've sold pretty much all of them. It's amazing how things have developed since we unveiled the car. As soon as photos and information surfaced on the internet we received phone calls from enthusiasts as far as Sweden and Japan who placed an order without having seen the car in person. There's a lot of trust and credibility behind this model, which makes us feel good," says Ruf.

Interestingly, the German word 'Ruf" translates to "call" in English. Another popular definition of this word also means "good reputation."