The dream machine

German  sports  car  manufacturer  RUF  Automobile  celebrated an historic  moment  in  its history  with  the official  launch   of  its  new  factory  at  the  Bahrain International Circuit.

The occasion was marked by taking the hundreds of assembled guests and the entire  automotive  world  by surprise  with  the launch of its  all-new  flagship model, the RUF CTR3 supercar.
RUF  has  become  the  first  sports  car  manufacturer  to  build  a  factory  in  the  Middle  East.  
The beautifully-designed facility will  become  a new  hub for  RUF customers  in  the  Middle  East  and Asia alongside the marque’s traditional home of Pfaffenhausen, situated in southern Germany’s Allgäu region. It will also be the main production facility for the all-new CTR3 worldwide.
The  factory,  designed  by the  team  led  by Hermann  Tilke,  creator  of the  Bahrain International Circuit,  features  an  eight-storey  34-metre  tall  glass  tower  topped  with  the  iconic  Arabic  tent roof  so  familiar  from  the circuit’s  grandstands  and  Sakhir  Tower.  
The  tower  is  flanked  by  the preassembly  and  assembly  wings,  and  visiting  customers  will  receive  their  newly-built  RUF model in the VIP lounge on the top floor when the completed car arrives on a spectacular lift.
“Just one year  ago we  came  to Bahrain and laid  the foundation stone to this building with His Highness  the  Crown  Prince  Shaikh  Salman  bin  Hamad  bin  Isa  Al  Khalifa,”  said  Alois  Ruf, managing  director  of  RUF  Automobile.  
“Back  then  we  stood  in  a  tent  and  displayed  a  small model car; now we have an entire factory and the sight and sound of the CTR3 in the flesh, our most advanced vehicle to date and one which will be built here in the Kingdom of Bahrain at the BIC.”
Among the  many important  anniversaries  being  celebrated  by  RUF  Automobile  in  2007 is  the 20th   anniversary  of  the  RUF  CTR,  the  now-legendary  ‘Yellow  Bird’  which  became  the  fastest production car available in the world.
The unveiling of the RUF CTR3 marks a departure for RUF Automobile,  but  one  that  follows  the  purity  of  performance  design  for  which  the  company  is renowned.
The  CTR3  stands  alone  as  the  first  RUF  vehicle  to  have  a  unique  chassis  construction,  with bespoke  coachwork  made  from  high-tech,  lightweight  Kevlar.  The  styling  of  the  mid-engined car  is  curvaceous,  redolent  of  the  sculpted  sports  car  designs  seen  racing  at  Le  Mans  in  the 1950s   and   1960s,   designed   by   talented newcomer Ben   Soderberg.   
The   3.8-litre   twin-turbocharged  car  delivers  a stunning performance:  0-100km/h  coming  in  3.2  seconds and a maximum speed of 375km/h.
 A  cosmopolitan gathering  of 250 guests and media were present from all around  the world for the occasion, many of whom having flown in specifically for this event including Brazil’s Minister of  Energy  and  Mines,  40  members  of  the  Japanese  motoring  press,  representatives  of  the international  motoring  press, RUF  customers from  as  far  as  Guadeloupe and guests  from Formula One. 
“Some  people  think  we  chose  this  date  to  launch  the  CTR3  because  of  the  Gulf  Air  Bahrain Grand Prix,” said Alois Ruf.
“It is true: It is one of the main reasons why we chose to bring our company  here  because  we  believe  that  the  passion  for  performance  and  for  motoring  in countries who host Formula One is significantly higher, and that means not only customers but workers, sharing excitement for what we do together.”
Currently RUF  is going through the responses to job advertisements placed in Bahrain.
Initially there will be  around 15 engineering positions and a host of  support staff vacancies to fill, with close  liaison  and  training alongside  the RUF  team’s  German engineering  team both in  Bahrain and  Pfaffenhausen.  
Already the factory has received  500  applications  for the  jobs:  a response which Alois Ruf described as ‘fantastic and filled with quality.’