Waching daily Aug 2 2017

So, here we are.

This is something pretty special.

Yes, for me it is always a new experience,

although I know the car for 30 years,

but it is always a great moment when I can drive

this car.

For sure, I can imagine.

It's such historical significance.

It does. It does. Nobody could foresee that

at that time.

We didn't know it was going to become so iconic.

We were just following our own ideas, what could be made,

how could we improve, the horsepower, the performance, making it a twin-turbo

And bringing in the technology of a Group-C car to a road car.

This is why the name CTR stands for Group-C Turbo Ruf.

Ya, this is well the first, the first of them.

Obviously, it's inspired you to go on

and make a modern recreation as well.

We should come back to that in a moment, but...

I mean, 30 years ago, this exact car, this is your Yellowbird.

this is, this is the one.

Yes, it was never named Yellowbird by us you know

the whole thing was happening just along

the photo shooting on that day, on the 11th of April in 1987

when the Road & Track people came from the United States

and... ah,

had this high-speed contest. It was happening in Northern Germany

at the Volkswagen proving grounds,

which is a very high-speed oval.

By the way, a very nice speed limit sign at the curve,

the speed limit sign says two hundred fifty kilometres per hour.

That's a great one.

That's unbelievable.

But the yellow car standing out, kind of on a day like today.

where the weather has just gotten inclement on us very quickly, but...

the bright yellow of the paint work.

You know, at that time, it was a horrible day from the weather.

It was all raining and dark clouds, and most of the cars had dark colours,

so the photographer was not happy.

This was before digital photography.

And ah so, he loved that yellow car because it was easy for him to shoot.

So, this is how the nickname, Yellowbird came along, you know.

Those were the editors and photographers. They were just playing with words and they ended up with the

word Yellowbird and the car was nicknamed,

and the nickname stayed forever.

I'd been led to believe the chirp of the turbo sounds uncannily like a canary as well.

Right

A shame we have the weather,

but it is a bit like that day I suppose.

Ah the rain's just kicking in.

I mean this, this has gone on now to create

the... the 2017 version that you've… ah…

Yes, the 2017 version is in the footsteps

and is getting ready.

And the fact that we have sold those cars pre-sold them immediately within a few days

shows how well known and how highly the image has been placed for this car for the CTR.

And there is a lot of heritage and history there.

And that makes us very proud.

You know it is ah...

I'm the 2nd generation in this company and the Yellowbird was really the highlight in my career.

And uh... that we can go for a 2nd one, the 2nd generation Yellowbird is a great, great deal for me

and gives me satisfaction, at the end of my 60's!

That I see all that plant has really, really, planted new seeds again and it's coming back.

And people are looking for the 2nd generation. You know, it's fantastic!

And what was sort of the inspiration to recreate that and start working on it?

Well, very simple, we were always talking about what was the real...

Ah...

success story behind the yellowbird.

It was low weight.

Of course, a lot of horsepower, but not crazy a lot of horsepower...

because now the cars become heavier and heavier, horsepowers go much, much, higher.

But there is such a thing as not only the power-weight ratio that makes a car. It's the absolute weight.

You know the absolute weight is really what you need, what you want to feel in a real sporty car.

Where the name sports car belongs to the generic word of the sports car.

This is the idea, it has to be lightweight. You know.

And other people like Colin Chapman were only preaching that.

And I can also only preach that, you know.

When you think about that it's the most important rule that you have to follow; keep your weight down.

Horsepowers are great but every horsepower feels better when the car is light.

If I recall correctly, this car is 1,150 kilos. One thousand, one hundred and 50 kilos?

Well, no, no, this one is 1,250 and the new car will also be 1,210.

OK

Yes, with more horsepower than this car had, but um ah… This is high 400's?

Yes, and I said, how you feel your car, the best thing is, you don't feel it.

You have to drive it and you think you're driving your jeans, you know.

OK

I think that's the best because you don't feel the weight of the vehicle. Because, you're wearing it, like uh...

It shouldn't feel like a coat, it should feel like a light dress.

If I was a lady, you know. It flies through the air.

Uh huh. But this car, this car was sort of a development of an existing model you'd been building.

Yes, this is based on the chassis of the 911 Carrera in the 1980's.

Yeah

Which at that time was still the lightest chassis that was around, you know.

But it still had hundreds of kilos to take out of it.

Ya, ya, I mean, today with the new technology by using carbon and lightweight steel construction.

You can go lower in the weight, you know. This is what we're achieving in the new car.

And and you've used some, you know, some very modern new technologies to create that to make the new car.

Yes. I mean it still has a very familiar look...

when you look at the new CTR.

But it isn't the whole under where entire new car and has nothing to do with the former 911.

Be it the suspension or be it the frame construction, the top, everything.

Yeah

Although, the size of the greenhouse and of the cabin is untouched, it's still the same, you know.

Also, the overall length. But the new car has 70 millimetres on the wheelbase.

So therefore, we are improving the straight-line performances, which is also important.

I like that it's making you smile I'm seeing!

There were… I believe there were 29 of these? Originals?

29, 29 originals were built, yes.

29 of them. Thirty years ago. Thirty of the new cars.

And 40 million came in the video games.

40 million, can you believe it? Really!?

Ya, well I mean…

So, we're also past production.

I mean, video games often coming off the back of THAT video I should say.

The Nurburgring Nordschleife. The Yellowbird.

Yeah of course, the Nordschleife, that was another story, you know that was…

that made the Nurburgring very famous as well because the Nurburgring was not so well known at that time.

Most of the times it was confused with Nuremburg, you know, Nuremburg, and so on.

Still people confuse it, but I think it was very good propaganda for the Nurburgring.

That video.

And the video was a byproduct of our portrait that we made, you know.

Because we didn't anticipate a movie, a film, that would go over the whole Nordschleife.

The whole full length, you know. That was not intended.

We just said maybe there were some real guys who want to see the whole Nurburgring so while we are here

and we're spending all that money with a helicopter and so on, we might as well do a whole lap.

Yes!

And this is how it came about.

Yeah

It was fascinating.

We were actually awarded by the British press, the motor press, as the best automotive movie.

Oh really?

Yes, that was about 10, 15 years ago we got that.

Was very nice! For sure. I think it was EVO Magazine.

Yeah!

And I always love going to the Pistenklause and always watching the video playing on the screen while eating a steak.

I think one of the craziest things certainly for me is that this car is actually a year older than I am.

It was capable of, in miles per hour, 213 mph

faster even than the 959 Porsche launched at the time, faster than Ferrari's F40.

Yep, it gets a move on very quickly, doesn't it?

Now we need the sunglasses again.

Yeah, the weather today in and out of the rain clouds. See, there at Ruf, there is no rain.

I'm sorry for making you take it towards the rain, but what, what an experience this is!

It's….

It's something special to...

Yeah...

I think one of the biggest things for me is how much you still enjoy this.

This car, still to you, clearly means quite a lot. It has a lot of significance.

And…

Ya… I am a little bit out of words!

There were several people who wanted to buy this baby from me… I can imagine!

I was reluctant to sell it. And I'm glad, I didn't sell it. It's a piece of me, piece of our history, it's our landmark.

It's important.

Is it 'the' car for you?

I love many other cars too. You know, I have a whole harem of cars!

Ya, I'm sure, but I mean of the cars that wear your name?

Ya, of course. This is the most famous and it's the car that I love the most. There's no question.

Well, maybe, even with the new one, with the new ones up and running.

But I mean, it's fun how you work on projects that are so different between each other.

You know, looking at this car, looking at the CTR3 Clubsport, completely different ethos.

The CTR3 Clubsport, of course, this is another era, another type of an animal, you know.

Which is clearly different, but it started this way, you know.

And originally, we wanted to make this car also with a lot more different style in the body.

But then we thought no, we better don't touch that because the 959 was expected to come out

and this was the car that is supposed to beat everything and we had a lot of respect for that.

So we said, let's stick with the technical side of it, just make a couple of subtle differences to the body.

Where we can improve something in the aerodynamics and so on, but we didn't make radical changes in the body.

But there were sketches. This car was supposed to be called; the 945R.

That was the idea at that time, ya. Alright.

Absolutely breathtaking! OK good, Alright!

Excellent! Thank you very much! Thank you!

Thank you! Thank you, Tim! Appreciate it!

Looking forward to watch it on the screen! Thank you! Alright.