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The following was originally published as "The Car That Inspired a Book: Ryan Snodgrass’ 1976 Carrera 2.7 MFI" by Randy Wells in the February 2016 issue of Road Scholars Magazine:

“To whom much is given, much is expected.”

This might seem like an unusual quote to open an automotive story, but it happens to fit. Ryan Snodgrass of Washington state has made a lot of good decisions in his life, including his choice of career and family. It’s also allowed him to take on the monumental task of researching an underappreciated Porsche that uses the same engine as the legendary 1973 Carrera 2.7 RS.

Road Scholars Magazine last visited with Ryan in December 2015 when editor Randy Leffingwell extolled the virtues of Ryan’s soon to be released book, Carrera 2.7. The 7.5-pound, 406 page reference features 830 beautifully reproduced high-resolution photos, more than half of which have never been seen. It also contains a lot of new information on the ‘74-76 G-series Euro Carrera 2.7, including obscure celebrity cars, racecars, and rare accessories.

So, what is it that motivates someone to take time away from a lucrative career to produce a “bible” on a car that was built for only three years in the mid ‘70s? Well, it might only take one drive in a Porsche 2.7-liter MFI powered 911 to appreciate what propelled Ryan to publish his book using the best paper, inks, and printing presses available.

“I was compelled to do it as a lifelong lover of car books,” explains Ryan. “I had amassed a small library of automotive specialty books and appreciated how the best ones had complementary photos and text that increased one’s connection with a particular car.”

Georg Konradsheim’s Carrera RS was one of those books. Coincidentally, at the same time Ryan was first considering authoring a book, Georg was updating his. After contacting Georg for guidance, Ryan was introduced to his designer, Christoph Mäder. “The two men became good mentors, advisors, and friends, and they supported me throughout the project,” Ryan notes. But perhaps we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves. Let’s look at the car that inspired Ryan’s book.

There is one thing to know about the Euro 1976 Carrera 2.7. It is remarkably similar to the ‘73 Carrera 2.7 RS of Georg’s book. The difference is the ‘74-76 Carrera 2.7 was built on an impact bumper body and interior, instead of the earlier long hood form. The weight and horsepower output of the later Carreras 2.7 is virtually identical, and, as expected, the driving experience is very much the same also. That’s not surprising given the legendary Typ 911/83 2.7-liter RS-spec MFI engine was used in all of these cars.

“I started looking for a ‘74-76 Carrera 2.7 MFI in 2009,” Ryan recalls. “I was surprised by the lack of information available on these models, even on the Internet. In the United States, the model was largely unknown at the time, even to real Porsche enthusiasts, as we never received them as exports because they were non-compliance to emissions standards.”

After a year of searching, Ryan finally found a 1975 Light Yellow Euro Carrera 2.7 stateside. This particular Porsche had been featured on the cover of a magazine and was one of the best-sorted 911s he’d ever driven. Shortly after that purchase, the owner of a ‘76 Silver Carrera called and asked if Ryan wanted to take on a disassembled project. It was Ryan’s complete restoration of this car back to original factory specs that inspired his book.

Undoubtedly, every rest-of-the-world Carrera is a special car. At about 1,635 coupes and 630 Targas, the Carrera 2.7 of 1974-1976 is of limited production, unique character, and historical significance. Total production compares closely to the roughly 1,590 1973 Carrera RSs built. The silver ‘76 911 that Ryan purchased in late 2011 is an especially rare car. It’s a Carrera 2.7 MFI “Sondermodell,” a “special edition” variation of the ‘76 911 with VIN #911 660 9050 (the 40th produced out of 113).

Ryan reports, “The Sondermodell coupes were not standard production 911s. They never appeared in factory brochures, and most Porsche books don’t even reference them. They were only sold in Germany, basically through the backdoor, during the last two months of the 1976 model year. They were the last model-year street Porsche with MFI.”

The Sondermodell has the option code M405. For 1976, that meant several performance items were added, including SC style rear flares, Bilstein shocks, limited-slip differential, 18mm rear anti-roll bar, 6 and 7×15-inch Fuchs, and most importantly the 911/83 RS MFI engine. Weight was trimmed by eliminating the heavy bumper crush absorbers, electric windows, rubber-lined carpet, and carpeting on the door pockets.

There are other unique features original to this ’76 Sondermodell, like the lack of a badge on the rear deck lid, a blue Perma-Tune Ignition box, orange “Langzeit Garantie” galvanized decal, front spoiler, and the attractive early rear whale tail.

Ryan remembers, “911 660 9050 had been sitting in the back of a San Diego body shop in primer for the better part of twelve years. Eventually the owner decided to sell it because he realized he wasn’t going to complete the project anytime soon. When I went to inspect it, parts were strewn in the rafters, storage closets, and in piles around the shop. The chassis had been completely stripped and was just a bare roller covered in layers of dust.”

With the coupe’s cabin jammed full of parts, it was shipped to Tim Morris at German Master Tech in Bend, Oregon. There, an 18-month ground-up bare metal restoration was undertaken. “We were very careful to ensure that every part was original or correctly date coded. We wanted it to look exactly as it left the factory,” says Ryan. “I did the part sourcing, research and planning, including traveling to multiple private collections and visiting the factory archives in Stuttgart on four separate occasions. The process of going through this restoration proved critical in understanding these cars from the perspective of producing a book.”

In 1976 Porsche switched from doing a partial galvanization to a new process of dipping the entire body of each 911. Thankfully, when Ryan’s ‘76 Carrera was previously painted, the shop didn’t take the paint down to bare metal, which ensured that the original galvanized coating remained on the car. The tub was also very original and rust free except for the battery box and lower windowsills.

Since the Carrera 2.7L MFI motor had not be run for over a decade, it was completely torn down and rebuilt. The final reassembly and tuning was done at Rothsport Racing in Oregon. PMB Performance in Utah restored the stock brakes, and Harvey Weidman of California refinished the date matching Fuchs.

Ryan managed to source all the needed parts including an original black 1976 dash without A/C vents or speaker grills. The interior was then delivered to Tony Garcia at Autobahn Interiors in San Diego. Luckily, Tony found just enough NOS MacLachlan red tartan material to finish the seat inlays. “There is a big difference in the feel, color vibrancy, and crispness of OEM tartan fabric that you don’t get with today’s reproduction,” Ryan states.

At Master Tech, everything, including the wiring harness, was removed before the most methodical final metal finishing, painting and reassembly.

Complete and underway, this Carrera with its MFI induction rewards with a glorious sound and instantaneous throttle response. It has a remarkable feel compared to the US version of the Carrera of 1974-1975, which used the less powerful 2.7 CIS (K-Jetronic) injected engines that meet the California and US emission standards.

Being from the Pacific Northwest, Ryan’s not afraid to drive his Sondermodell anywhere, even in the rain. Along the way he’s won “Best in Class” at the Concours on the Avenue event during the 2013 Monterey Historics week.

Serious automotive collectors consider Porsche’s Carrera 2.7 RS to be the archetypical iconic long hood 911, and deservedly so. For the short hood 911s, the Euro Carrera 2.7 has the same soul and is equally captivating. Ryan knows this and his book portrays the complete story of these remarkable, unheralded sports cars.

The Carrera 2.7 book review in issue #9 of AUTOMOBILSPORT magazine:

Now come on, please - not another Porsche book? On a 911? Well, have some patience, dear reader. For despite the flood of Porsche-related reading material on the market, Ryan Snodgrass has managed to create something extraordinary. The connection to the recently relaunched definitive book on the preceding model becomes obvious at first sight. This is no surprise, as the layout and design for the 1974–76 Carrera 2.7 book was done by the same graphic designer. But it is the content and amazing details that make this one even more special. Snodgrass covers every – and we mean absolutely every – aspect of the initial impact bumper model Carrera, in the process setting a new standard for technical details. There is also a special goody that makes the book attractive for race fans: in a chapter dedicated to the fabulous IROC RSRs, for the first time we've found a complete and beautifully illustrated documentation of the 15 cars that raced in the United States in 1973/74.

Summary: 9.5 out of 10
A brilliant piece on the initial impact bumper Carrera 

German review:

Schon wieder ein Porsche-Buch? Und dann auch noch über einen Neunelfer? Doch Geduld, lieber Leser - in der Flut an Lektüre über die Zuffenhausener Fahrzeuge ist Ryan Snodgrass hier etwas Außergewöhnliches gelungen. Sofort ins Auge fällt die Verwandtschaft zum 2015 neu aufgelegten Standardwerk über das Vorgängermodell. Das verwundert nicht, denn Grafik und Layout kommen aus demselben Haus. Der Inhalt und die Detailtiefe jedoch sind es, die dieses Buch in eine andere Liga heben. Snodgrass behandelt wirklich jeden Bereich des ersten G-Modell-Carreras aufs Ausführlichste und setzt in Sachen technische Details einen neuen Standard. Auch für uns Rennsportfans hält der Autor einen Leckerbissen bereit: In einem umfangreichen Kapitel über den IROC-RSR findet sich erstmals eine vollständige und hervorragend aufbereitete Dokumentation zu den 15 Autos, die 1973/74 in den USA für Furore sorgten.

Fazit: 9,5 von 10
Ein brillantes Werk über den ersten G-Modell-Carrera

Historic Racer's review "The Beautiful Carrera Book":

In this digital age of always on internet, Wikipedia, Porsche owners forums and chat groups, you could be forgiven for thinking that there was little point in buying a book about the Carrera 2.7. After all, any statistics, or information you may need can be found by swiping your iPad around Google for a while. You’re missing the point.

While I love the digital age, there’s something about a good quality book that creates a sense of occasion when you sit down to open it. The first time you lift the hard cover, there is a wafting scent of fresh print. A really well produced hard back book is a tactile thing to be enjoyed.

When the book contains a wealth of information and is quite clearly a labour of love by it’s creator, it becomes something that deserves long term book shelf space. Before reading Carrera 2.7, I had always considered the model to be a tiny aspect of the Porsche 911 story, a stop gap model that bridged the gap between the iconic 2.7RS and the start of the EFI 3.0 and 3.2 litre cars.

While that may be one way to consider the model, Ryan Snodgrass’ comprehensive book shows just how pivotal the ‘Euro Carrera’ 2.7 model was, both in the influence over subsequent models and the effect on the 930.

Ryan’s book contains a huge amount of information, but unlike many technical Porsche books, he keeps it flowing and it’s easy to read and understand.

If you’ve ever wanted to know exactly how Mechanical Fuel Injection worked, or how the 915 gearbox goes together, or even the tiny details of the differing wheel arch shapes of the 911 models, then this book will answer your questions. 

Ryan spent an awful lot of time waist deep in the Porsche archives, the result is probably the most thorough book ever on the first of the Impact Bumper Porsche 911s.

Depending upon your mood, the book can either serve as a useful reference tool, or simply be an enjoyable read over a glass of whatever is your favourite. Printed on high quality, silky smooth paper stock and shipping in a stout slip case, the high quality feel of its construction reflects the quality of the content.

Whatever your personal preference in the Darwinian evolution of the Porsche 911, you are remiss if you do not add this book to your collection.

Liebe zu Ihm (Love for the Porsche) published the following review of the Carrera 2.7 book in March 2016:

From time to time, there's a new book published that excels in about everything. Style, design, research, the passion it is written with. Carrera 2.7 by Ryan Snodgrass definitely belongs in the list of these absolutely stunning books that should be in the library of any self declared Porsche fan.

The legendary 1973 Porsche Carrera RS has been the subject of many books. However, its successor has been ignored from a long time when it comes to decent specialized literature. Now the gap has finally been closed.

The author, Ryan Snodgrass, has spent hours and hours researching period literature and documentation, private collections. Combine this with the support of the Porsche Archives, and the result is a book that literally contains anything you would want to know about the Porsche 2.7 Carrera.

Not only brings the author lots of detail about anything that led to the development of the Porsche Carrera 2.7 to continue history up to the last production model, including the 'Sonderwunschen' cars that have been built. The extensive lists on chassis numbers, engine numbers, specifications, together with the hundreds of never published before pictures, both b/w and color, and the dozens of charts and publications make this book  the ultimate source to research when restoring a car.

Only superlatives for this book. A must have for any Porsche collector. Better be quick, only 2500 copies of the blue Limited Edition are available. The book will probably sell out completely and become a collectible exactly as the first Carrera RS edition by Konradsheim.

“They were fire-breathing monsters spitting fumes in their wake. The MFI system produced by Bosch had been developed by the race teams to provide ample fuel flow with smooth and quick throttle response . . . and remarkably quick throttle response was what you got. Floor it in an MFI engine and OPEC cheers.”

This lament by a Porsche owner explains why the subject of this book, the cars with the 2.7L motor with mechanical fuel injection, have “historically been overlooked by the general public and remained unknown to all but the most astute Porschephiles." And now there’s a book to right that wrong; and not just a book but the book. Truly, Carrera fans never had it so good!

Sports Car Market's review from the March 2016:

One hot topic in the auction world is the astounding growth of values of the Porsche 911. And of the 911 production cars, the RS is considered by many to be the quintessential 911. All of which led to a ’74 911 Carrera 2.7 RS MFI hammering at RM Sotheby’s Monterey this year for $374,000.

For those of you unfamiliar with the intricacies of the 911 world, you now have a source as detailed and informative as you can imagine in Ryan Snodgrass’ deep dive into the history of one of the rarer examples: the Carrera 2.7 MFI.

The Carrera 2.7 RS was introduced in 1973, as Porsche focused more energy on racing production cars (the RS is for Rennsport, or racesport).

Many of the original RS orders were part of a sleight-of-hand trick the factory used to get to the 500 cars needed for Group 4 homologation, with buyers lining out an order form for the race version, then amending it at the dealer for a con- version to the touring setup.

By 1970, the end of the “long-hood” era for the 911 was at hand, with the body redesigned to incorporate safety bumpers, and bringing in the famous whale tail spoilers on some models (not allowed in Germany thanks to the safety bureaucrats).

The Bosch mechanical-injected 1974 MFI was not sold in the U.S., with 2.7s coming here using CIS (Continuous Injection System) to meet federal smog laws and mileage standards, thanks to the first Arab oil embargo.

Bravely, Porsche continued to make high-performance cars in a world mad for economy.

Not being a domestic offering, the Carrera 911 RS 2.7 MFI has been a quiet outlier, though the auction world is catching up. For Snodgrass, the MFI was the perfect story, a way to tell the entire RS tale using a deep focus on one particular model.

It’s a massively researched and illustrated history — and as good as the car.

Provenance: There is amazing detail that can only come from factory records, and Snodgrass had great access to them, as well as to Porsche fanatics from around the world.

Fit and finish: Beautifully printed, with more than 700 color photos, all packed into a quality slipcover; the book is hefty, smart and well designed.

Drivability: There is no shortage of superficial motoring books, collections of images with the odd fact or two. These are the kinds of books that give you 10 minutes of pleasure and are never considered again. At the other extreme, there are the arcane, detailed single-marque or model collections of obscure facts and serial numbers — of little value except to the other guy with the car. But in Carrera 2.7, Snodgrass has created the middle ground, a readable look at a special time at Porsche, built around one special model. There is plenty of detail for the potential owner or restorer as well, but first and foremost, it’s a good read.

Carrera 2.7 is one of those Porsche books you just cannot put down. It is a perfect example of how to write a modern super detailed and beautifully designed text on a specific car. Author Ryan Snodgrass, who looks after the carreramfi.com website in the USA, is a confirmed fan but this work on his favourite model excels in terms of research, writing style, design and the huge amount of contemporary and studio photography. This lavish ($250 USD) slip-cased book details every aspect of the story behind the first full production 911 Carrera.

The 1974 models were the next step in Zuffenhausen's then-established routine of introducing bi-annual major upgrades to the 911 series. The top-of-the-line range model had been planned as a 2.7 911S, with the free-revving engine first used on the previous year's RS. However, the new G-series models were much more than that – adopting the required impact absorbing bumpers and a whole new interior. The use of the revered Carrera name upset many purists, but it was an essential gilding to the top production model at a time when Porsche faced stalling sales and possible bankruptcy caused by the 1973–74 OPEC oil embargo. Although not available in the USA, Porsche treated its customers in other markets to a RS-powered thoroughbred. The Carrera 2.7 was the last in the line of pure-bred 911s, before ever more restrictive regulations took the 911 in a different direction.

This absorbing book details all the development that led to the final production models and includes fascinating sections on the Sonderwunschen (special wishes) cars, the other sections covering the technical specifications, colours, options, literature, motorsport and even the tools included with the car. It is a fantastic work and an essential for any serious Porsche book collector.

– GT Porsche magazine 

Classic Porsche magazine reviewed the Carrera 2.7 book in the January/February, 2016 issue #33:

Over the last 40 years the 1973 Carrera 2.7 RS has been covered in dozens of books and articles, yet its successor, the Carrera 2.7 MFI – a car with the identical engine and similar DNA – remains either largely unknown or misunderstood, even by long-time Porsche enthusiasts. This new work tells the complete story of these remarkable, yet unheralded sports cars.

The Carrera 2.7 book has been meticulously researched using the Porsche factory archives, private collections, period documentation and intensive study. With over 800 photos in its 406 pages, author Ryan Snodgrass's masterwork has covered everything anyone would ever want to know about this intriguing model.

Content includes comprehensive discussion of original options, photos of key details, insights into factory production and competition history. A considerable amount of this material has never before been published. Although primarily focused on the MFI-equipped Carrera 2.7, this book will also prove valuable to enthusiasts of any of the Porsche 911 and 930 Turbo models produced during the mid-1970s.

A Limited Edition of 2500 numbered hardcover copies have been produced in, enclosed within a protective slipcase. Price? £166.25, and worth every penny.

The new Carrera 2.7 book was listed in the #1 spot on Total 911's "2016 'MUST READ' LIST" in issue #135: 

"This limited edition tome, of which 2,500 numbered copies have been printed, tells the complete story of the Carrera 2.7, a car relatively unknown compared to its similar-engined RS predecessor. Expertly researched and written by Ryan Snodgrass, this comprehensive compendium gives Carrera 2.7 fans and owners all the information they will ever need."

Total 911 magazines's 2016 "MUST READ" book list:

1. Carrera 2.7 by Ryan Snodgrass
2. Carrera RS by Georg Konradsheim & Thomas Gruber
3. Porsche Turbo by Randy Leffingwell
4. Porsche Sounds by Dieter Landenberger
5. The Complete Book of Porsche by Randy Leffingwell
6. Porsche Drive by Jan Baedeker