One-Off RUF Project Dragon Heads to Auction: Sole 621-HP Supercar Estimated at Up to $8M

At the November Retromobile New York sale at the Javits Center, one of the rarest modern German supercars will cross the auction block: the RUF Project Dragon. Built as a true one-off, the car blends classic 1990s engineering heritage with contemporary bespoke craftsmanship. Auction house Gooding Christie’s, which announced the consignment, set the pre-sale estimate between $6 million and $8 million.

The sports car is finished in a bespoke Dragon Fire Orange paint. The bodywork makes extensive use of lightweight carbon fiber, while its aggressive styling was penned by Tony Hatter—the legendary designer behind the iconic 993-generation Porsche 911.

A 1998 Chassis Assembled Only in 2024

The car’s origin story is unusual even for RUF’s exclusive collector circle. It is built on a historic monocoque with an original factory W09 VIN, which the company officially assigns to its ground-up vehicles as a certified German manufacturer. This chassis was the final unused shell left over from the production of the iconic track-focused CTR2 Sport models of the late 1990s.

A dedicated client convinced company head Alois Ruf to put the spare monocoque to use and build the ultimate road weapon. As a result, the sports car is listed in the official auction catalog as a 1998 model, even though final assembly at the Pfaffenhausen factory wrapped up only in March 2024.

Mounted in the engine bay is a hand-built 3.6-liter air-cooled twin-turbo flat-six. The twin-turbocharged unit produces 621 hp at 6,500 rpm.

Its engineering package includes:

• Bilstein PSS10 adjustable coilover suspension with custom damping rates;
• a carbon-ceramic brake system with enlarged calipers;
• a RUF IRC roll cage integrated into the chassis structure;
• OZ Racing center-lock magnesium racing wheels;
• a handcrafted interior featuring contrasting orange stitching and carbon-fiber bucket seats.

The unique supercar has seen virtually no track time: the odometer shows a gentle break-in mileage of just 759 miles (around 1,221 km).

Restomod or Factory Original

The astronomical valuation stems from the brand’s pedigree: RUF is not an aftermarket tuner, but a bona fide independent automaker whose vehicles bearing authentic W09 VINs command auction prices on par with the rarest factory Porsche prototypes.

Unlike fashionable restomods from the likes of Singer, Project Dragon stands apart because it was engineered, welded, and dialed in directly at the historic manufacture by the same team behind the original CTR Yellowbird and CTR2.

The sale will take place on November 20–21, 2026, with no reserve—meaning the lot will go to the highest bidder regardless of the final amount. From October 8 through 12, the car will be on view at an invitation-only preview at Christie’s Rockefeller Center gallery in New York.