The 1985 RUF BTR II Cabriolet needs no introduction, as it was a hell of a sports car with a ton of power and excellent handling behavior. It won the world’s fastest cars contest by clocking 186.2 mph as the top speed in 1984, which was insane. So here we have an example from the 1985 model year, and it is looking for a new home. There's a good chance that it may go beyond the $500,000 mark before the digital hammer drops, but is it really worth it?

So what’s so special about the RUF BTR II Cabriolet?

RUF started out by building cars with unmarked Porsche chassis, while the engines were bored out and tuned to be more potent than what Porsche used to offer - the same recipe we see in modern RUF models. The 1985 BTR II is a Porsche 930-inspired Cabriolet that has been built and also modified by RUF. This 1985 iteration of the BTR II Cabriolet is among the 30 Porsche 390-based legends straight out of RUF’s factories in Pfaffenhausen, Germany. The BTR II was imported to the U.S. in 2022 from Japan, where it has spent most of its lifetime.

The heart of this beast is a 3.4-liter turbocharged flat-six engine with a 369 horsepower rating. The engine was bored out and upgraded to Mahle pistons, an intercooler, RUF 935-type camshafts, and a larger turbocharger from KKK. As a result, the BTR II engine could draw out 73 horses more than the Porsche 930, when it left the factory. Before the auction, the seller replaced the existing spark plugs, the alternator, and the fuel line. The BTR II engine is mated to a five-speed manual transmission and power is sent exclusively to the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential.

Outside, the BTR II or Gruppe B Turbo is colored in Guards Red. Some of the exterior equipment that RUF fitted include the flared fenders, integrated fog lamps, a “tea-tray” rear spoiler, quad exhaust tips, and a rear panel with RUF branding. In addition, a set of 17-inch RUF Speedline wheels come fitted as standard. The cabin features a contrasting gray dashboard color, gray-colored Recaro leather seats, matching door panels, and carpets. The dashboard has a leather-wrapped steering wheel flanked by the RUF-branded VDO instrument gauges. The digital odometer reads 42k miles (approx.), which is impressive for a 1985 car. As for the interior features, the air-conditioning has been fixed, the windows are power-operated, and a turbo boost controller comes fitted between seats.