Reviews

The Carrera 2.7 book wins the Silver Medallion award at the 25th International Automotive Media Competition (IAMC). The IAMC program is designed to recognize and encourage excellence in all forms of automotive media through judging by peer media professionals. Awards were presented Sunday, July 31 the Concours d'Elegance of America at St. John's.

About the Carrera 2.7 book:

Serious automotive enthusiasts consider Porsche’s Carrera 2.7 RS to be the archetypical 911…and deservedly so. The cars are light, responsive, purposeful and the type 911/83 engine delivers scintillating performance. Over the last 40 years the 2.7 RS has been covered in dozens of books and articles. Yet its successor – a car with the identical engine and similar DNA – remains either unknown or misunderstood even by long-time Porsche enthusiasts. That car is the Carrera 2.7 MFI. The Carrera 2.7 book tells 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

"Book of the Month" review in the June 2016 issue of Vintage Cars:

CARRERA 2.7: RIVALUTARE LE "BUMPER"

Nel mondo delle Porsche 911, la parola "bumper" è associata all versioni meno desiderabili in assoluto della mitica berlinetta di Stoccarda. Forse per quella versione base i cui 150 CV, a fronte di 2,7 litri di cubatura, Sembrano una contraddizione in termini con la storia della Casa di Stoccarda. Sta di fatto che dei modelli con i "paraurtoni" necessari a rispettare l'omologazione USA, pochi parlano. E infatti la letteratura al riguardo è scarsa. Ora però c'è chi si è preso la briga di scriverne, con un libro dedicato al-mo dello più prestigioso tra i "bumper, e più che oltre desiderabile più potent: la Carrera del 2.7 1974-1976 Che sarebbe poi l '. evoluzione della mitica 2.7 RS. La prima 911. questa, con il motore MA, cioè a iniezione meccanica di carburante. Una macchina da 210 CV, potent e Aggressiva. che, per stessa ammissione dell'autore, è servita per esplorare lo sviluppo dell 'intera serie -Bumper "(nel codice Porsche le Serie G. H e I) e restituirle dignità collocandola nel solco del momento storico in cui nacque: quello della crisi Petrolifera e dell'austerity. Ecco quindi che sotto questa lente i modelli "sfiatati" (Carrera a parte) assumo-no il ruolo di Spartiacque nella storia della Casa, divenendo quelli che hanno permesso alla Porsche 911 di continuare la sua storia. Come dire che, se a non Zuffenhausen avessero avuto il coraggio di mettere sul mercato questa serie, forse la 911 non sarebbe arrivata fino a noi. Emblematica (e bellissima) in questo contesto è la lettera di fine anno che Huschke von Hanstein, all'epoca direttore comunicazione della Casa, scrive a un possessore di 911 in quel periodo. Lettera nella quale è evident lo sconcerto per il fatto che si sia obbligati a viaggiare a 80 km / h per Risparmiare carburante (i limiti di velocità sono una misura frustrante per i piloti Provetti "), ma anche si conclude con la speranza che" come tutte le cose hanno fine, anche questa austerity finirà, e ci auguriamo molto presto. "Una lettera che mostra, al lettore, quanto in profondità si sia nella ricerca per la andati stesura di quest'opera, divisa in Capitoli che l'sviscerano argomento in tutte le sue sfaccettature: mec-canica, telaio, carrozzeria, interni, modelli speciali, corse, accessori (numerose pagine sono dedicate, per esempio, ai crick, agli attrezzi di bordo e ai ricambi in dotazione per il pronto intervento) e. con una parte che iconografica definire ricchissima e suggestiva è ancora poco. Un libro da intenditori.

La 911 del dopo "RS" L'opera omnia sulla 2.7 del '74. Da veri cultori

La Bibbia della Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 MFI (la sigla che identifica i motori a iniezione meccanica) è scritta in inglese. ma non importa. È talmente ricca di notizie, immagini, foto esclusive e descrizioni dettagliate di ogni modello che la lingua è un particolare trascurabile. Con "Carrera 2.7" Ryan Snodgrass ha realizzato per l'americana Parabolica Press un libro davvero unico, facendo dell'accuratezza una dote imprescindibile. Che si percepisce in ogni pagina. partendo da un'introduzione che racconta come d modello 1975 della 911 meriti la medesima attenzione dell'iconica 2.7 RS dell'anno precedente, tesi supportata da spiegazioni sulla tecnica e la struttura della più moderna 2.7. I tre anni della sua stona – compresa tra il 1974 e il 1976 – sono raccontati in 406 pagine suddivise in 9 capitoli; le appendici sono dedicate alle omologazioni sportive. agli equipaggiamenti disponibili. alle modifiche intervenute durante la produzione e alle specifiche tecniche. Se i primi affrontano argomenti tecnici (dal motore all'iniezione. dalla trasmissione alle sospensioni, a freni e ruote), sono divertenti e interessanti i capitoli dedicati alle carrozzerie, con le ricche e spettacolari "cartelle colori" delle tinte disponibili nei vari anni, e agli interni, con la rassegna più completa dei tessuti tartan con cui allestire la seduta dei sedili.

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.

Flat 6 magazine's review in their April 2016 issue:

CARRERA 2.7 : L’ESPRIT DE LA RS 2.7

Les amateurs de la Carrera 2.7 produite, rappelons le, de 1974 à 1976 vont être aux anges à la lecture de livre de Ryan Snodgrass. Pas moins de 406 pages, 686 photos couleurs souvent inédites, 145 noir et blanc et plus de 50 illustrations afin de tout connaître de ce modèle mythique qui a dans ses tripes tout l’esprit de la Carrera 2.7 RS. Edité en anglais, mais très facilement lisible par tout un chacun car il contient tous les éléments à connaître sur le modèle; toutes les options, les codes couleurs, l’historique de fabrication, les diverses évolutions du modèle, bref 405 pages dans l’esprit du livre de référence des éditions TAG sur la Carrera RS. Ryan Snodgrass, grand passionné de ce modèle, a mené une enquête extraordinaire auprès de l’usine afin de récolter toutes les informations nécessaires pour une restauration et une compréhension du modèle.

Une bible incontournable.

Ce livre est disponible pour la somme de 249,99 dollars auprès de l’éditeur Parabolicapress. Plus qu’un livre, c’est une encyclopédie que tout passionné doit avoir dans sa bibliothèque, un guide d’achat et de restauration inestimable. Un chef d’œuvre.

Review of the Carrera 2.7 book by autobuch.guru:

Ein ganz besonders Highlight stellt die erste Rezension auf der neuen Domain autobuch.guru dar. Der Nachfolger des legendären ersten Porsche 911 Carrera RS ist von Autor Ryan Snodgrass nun auch in einem Buch verewigt worden- der Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7. Erschienen ist dies letzten Oktober in zwei verschiedenen Editionen im Verlag Parabolica Press aus den USA.

Bei ersten Begutachten der Lieferung fällt sofort die Ähnlichkeit zum Carrera RS-Buch auf. Sowohl die Aufmachung als auch die edle Verpackungen entsprechen fast exakt dem hervorragenden Standardwerk aus dem T.A.G. Verlag. Hierbei lässt der Autor die Leser aber auch nicht lange rätseln und in der Einleitung weist er gleich auf drei Bücher hin, die ihn nachhaltig beim Umsetzen des Buches beeinflusst haben – der RS-Titel ist selbstverständlich dabei. Sicherlich auch keine schlechte Wahl. Die Umsetzung erfolgt in diesem Fall ausschließlich in englischer Sprache und das Buch ist in zwei Editionen erhältlich. Die hier vorgestellte Limited Edition ist auf 2.500 Exemplare limitiert und die auf 300 Exemplare limitierte Publisher’s Edition ist schon nicht mehr erhältlich. Sie ist optisch direkt am roten statt blauen Leinenbezug zu erkennen und bietet unter anderen auch noch einen Blick auf die Produktion des Buches. Der generelle Inhalt zum Porsche 911 Carrera ist aber selbstverständlich identisch. Noch heute steht der unmittelbare Nachfolger des Ur-RS in dessen Schatten und wird vom Markt noch nicht so wirklich wahrgenommen. Schließlich treibt ihn aber der gleiche Motor mit 210 PS aus 2.7 Liter Hubraum an. Also ein Buch ist dieses Modell im Dschungel der Porsche-Bücher doch sicher wert, oder?

Das Buch startet schließlich mit einem Vorwort von Dr. Georg Konradsheim und einer Einleitung des Autors. Das erste Kapitel „Carrera unveiled“ zeigt die Hintergründe und Entwicklungen bis zum 911 Carrera auf. Dabei geht es nicht nur um fahrzeugspezifische Details, sondern auch die in diesen Jahren bestimmende Ölkrise und die daraus resultierenden, strengeren Vorschriften. Diese sorgte untern anderem dafür das der Carrera mit dem 210 PS-Motor nicht in den USA angeboten wurde. Dazu wirft das Kapitel einen Blick auf die Performance und zeigt auch schon die Produktionszahlen und die damaligen Preise auf. Zum Schluss bietet es noch einen Original-Testbericht aus der englischen Zeitschrift Motor.

Im zweiten Kapitel wird die Technik der kompletten Kraftübertragung vorgestellt. Neben dem Motor und deren Seriennummernaufschlüsselung sowie die verwendeten Aufkleber (!!!), bietet das Buch auch einen nicht weniger intensiven Blick auf das Kraftstoffsystem und das Getriebe. Dabei lässt sich wirklich schnell die sehr gewissenhafte und extrem detaillierte Aufarbeitung erkennen. Mit zahlreichen Hinweisen wie die unterschiedlichen Seriennummern der einzelnen Komponenten identifiziert werden können ist hier nur ein kleines Beispiel für die Gewissenhaftigkeit zu nennen. Wirklich beeindruckend sind auch die zahlreich verwendeten Bilder und Zeichnungen die einen unglaublich tiefen Einblick in die Technik zulassen.

Alle Bestandteile des „Rolling Chassis“ sind im selben Stile Inhalt des dritten Kapitels. Hier werden das Fahrwerk, die Bremsen, die Felgen und die Reifen ins Rampenlicht gestellt. Gerade die Aufarbeitung der beliebten Fuchs-Felgen ist für viele Enthusiasten des Porsche 911 eine unendliche Quelle in denen jedes noch so kleine Details beschrieben wird. Von der reinen Größe zu den verwendeten Lackierungen oder Polsterung bis hin zu den benutzten Abdeckkappen und deren Ausbleichung der verwendeten Farbe ist wirklich alles zu finden. Wieder nur ein Beispiel für die unglaubliche Detailverliebtheit.

Das Kapitel 4 zeigt alles rund um den „Body“ des 911 Carrera und zeigt wie immer auch die Entwicklung in den drei Jahren in denen das Modell produziert wurde. Konnte zunächst noch der klassische Entenbürzel-Spoiler des Carrera RS bestellt werden, so wurde dieser in Deutschland wegen zu großer Verletzungsgefahr für die Fußgänger verboten. Mit dem neuen, rundum gepolsterten Spoiler konnte der Carrera schließlich auch in Deutschland wieder zugelassen werden. Dieser wurde zum ersten Mal auf der Frankfurter IAA im Jahr 1973 an der 911 Turbo-Studie präsentiert. Während der Produktionszeit des 911 Carrera kamen gleich zwei Versionen von diesem Spoiler zum Einsatz. Alle Entwicklungen findet der Leser im Buch wieder. Dazu behandelt das Kapitel noch die Themen der Einführung des G-Modells, die Verstärkungen Getriebetunnels zur besseren Steifigkeit der Karosserie, die Verzinkung, die erhältlichen Farben, die äußeren Verzierungen, die Lichter und die verwendeten Embleme und Aufkleber. Auch die Aufschlüsselung des Chassis-Nummern sowie die landesspezifischen Plaketten werden nicht vergessen.

Kapitel 5 zeigt alle nur erdenklichen Details zum Interieur auf. Die Vorstellung der erhältlichen Sitze und deren Polsterung mit diversen Materialien sowie die möglichen Kombinationen mit den Teppichen werden wiedermal mit viel Liebe zum Details vorgestellt. Das Armaturenbrett mit all seinen Elementen und auch die möglichen Radio-Kombination werden fast schon selbstverständlich auch vorgestellt.

Im Kapitel „Special Models“ werden alle besonderen Modelle in der dreijährigen Bauzeit vorgestellt. Hier stellt der Autor zunächst die Fahrzeuge die auf den internationalen Messen vorgestellt wurden vor. Dann findet sich der erste Turbo, welcher Louise Piëch zum 70. Geburtstag überreicht wurde und auf Basis des 911 Carrera 2.7 entstanden ist, wieder. Auch die speziellen Carrera für Count Rossi. Huschke von Hanstein und Ferry Porsche werden vorgestellt. Das Testfahrzeug für den neuen 3-Liter-Carrera findet sich eben so wieder wie ein exklusiv ausgestattetes Modell zur Demonstration in Arabien – quasi der erste Carrera im Turbo-Look. Dazu noch die nur fünfmal gebauten 911 Carrera mit Sportomatic, die Sondermodelle zum 25. Firmenjubiläum und die Targa für die belgische Polizei. Zum krönenden Abschluss wirft das Buch noch einen Blick auf das nur in Deutschland erhältliche Sondermodell des Modelljahrs 1976. Der Carrera 3.0 war offiziell erhältlich, aber Porsche hatte noch diverse Restbestände vom 2.7-Liter-Modell. Diese konnten mit der Bestellung des speziellen Zusatzpakets M405 vom Käufer auf den Basis-911 weiterhin geordert werden. In allen offiziellen Unterlagen und Preislisten tauchte dieses Paket aber nie auf. So entstanden noch 133 weitere Modelle des Carrera 2.7 im Modelljahr 1976, inklusive der 20 Targa für die belgische Polizei.

Der Einsatz des 911 Carrera auf den Rennstrecken wurde von Porsche zunächst nicht aktiv verfolgt. Zwar wurde das Modell in der Gruppe 3 von der FIA homologiert, aber der Einsatz wurde zunächst den Privatfahrern überlassen. Das Kapitel „Racing“ zeigt alle Einsätze des Carrera auf, wo vor allem der Rallyesport im Mittelpunkt stand. Porsche schuf aber im Jahr 1974 für die erste Saison der IROC-Meisterschaft 15 identische Porsche 911 IROC RSR. Diese wurde in vier Rennen von Rennfahrern aus diversen Rennserien um die Kurse von Riverside und Daytona gescheucht. Die Fahrzeuge zeigten schon erste Elemente der späteren RSR wurden aber nicht homologiert, da die Serie nicht unter dem Banner der FIA lief. Die in unterschiedlichen bunten Farben lackierten Rennwagen wurde per Los vor jedem Rennen den Fahrern zugeordnet und durch weitere ungewöhnliche Maßnahmen wurden die Rennen sehr spannend.

Das achte Kapitel zeigt noch die möglichen Accessoires des 911 Carrera. Hier startet der Autor mit den Anleitungen, den Schlüsseln und dem Erste-Hilfe-Koffer. Dann werden neben den Helfern für die Reifenreparatur auch das Bordwerkzeug und ein exklusives Gepäckset vorgestellt.

Das letzte Kapitel zeigt dem Autor bekannte Literatur zum Fahrzeug auf und stellt neben der Betriebsanleitung auch Prospekte, Poster, Werkstatthandbücher und auch Polstermuster vor. Selbst hier schlüsselt das Buch die Produktionsnummer der Literatur auf!

Im abschließenden Anhang finden sich die Homologationspapiere, eine Auflistung aller möglichen Optionen, die zahlreichen Änderungen in der laufenden Produktion, eine Auflistung aller verwendeten Seriennummern und die technischen Daten.

Fazit: Was für ein unglaublich detailliertes Buch! Für den bisher kaum wahrgenommenen 911 Carrera 2.7 mit dem Motor des ersten RS ist es ohne Frage das Standardwerk! Ein Juwel in jeder Buchsammlung und ein Must-Have für alle 911er-Entushiasten. Eine feingliederige Umsetzung scheint kaum möglich und der Leser wird sicher nix vermissen. Die fast schon fanatische Aufarbeitung aller Seriennummern ist sicherlich dem Hype der Matching-Numbers-Exemplare geschuldet. Das Layout ähnelt dem der Carrera RS-Buches sehr, zeigt aber auch hier seine elegante Seite und wirkt sehr aufgeräumt.
Die technische Umsetzung von Druck und Bindung, sowie das hochwertige, verwendete Papier werden den grandiosen Inhalt absolut gerecht. Hier können keine Mängel festgestellt werden.

Zum Preis von ohne Frage recht stattlichen knapp 220 € erhält der Leser quasi eine Bibel zu einem einzelnen Modell aus der langen Reihe der 911-Tradition. Der schnelle Ausverkauf der Publisher-Edition kommt nicht von ungefähr und auch die 2.500 Exemplare der Limited Edition werden sicher nicht mehr lange erhältlich sein. Hier gilt es schnell zuzuschlagen um sich ein echtes Meisterwerk der Automobil-Literatur zu sichern.

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.

Glen Waddington's Book of the Month review in Octane April 2016:

IF YOU'RE THE SORT of person who loves to read books about Porsche this one is guaranteed to have you craving a very particular version of it. Snodgrass has dedicated this beautiful 406-page book (hardcover plus slipcase) to the impact-bumper 911 2.7 Carrera with mechanical fuel injection, built from 1974 to ‘76.

Why is it special? A crucial question. Rightly. Snodgrass has identified the car that came after the legendary (there really is no more appropriate adjective) and increasingly valuable I973 Carrera RS 2.7. The 2.7 MFI hasn't been on the collector radar in anything like the same way. though it performs just like the RS. Admittedly it's rare, yet it's still a 911 that the merely wealthy (rather than mega-rich) can afford. That situation may change once collectors looking for The Next Big Thing have read this.

Within you will find 684 colour photos and a further 146 in black-and-white, of which more than 530 have never previously been published. There are also 50 illustrations. including technical diagrams. As for the story, well, that would be the wrong word. Instead, this is a treatise borne of painstaking research into the production of the car and all its technical aspects.

Sounds a bit dry, but it's not. Take, for example the section devoted to dampers. The 2.7 MFI was available as standard on Boges or optionally on Konis or Bilsteins. They were colour-coded so that the workers building the car (and there are lots of photos taken on the prediction line, courtesy of the Porsche archives) could easily tell them apart — and so could any subsequent owners who were keen to find out whether their car was on the correct set-up. We can proudly report that all UK-market cars were supplied with the sportiest Bilsteins fitted as standard.

There are specification tables, reprints of old magazine road tests. some gorgeous spreads devoted to all the colours available for each model year - illustrated in each case with a huge grid of small profile photos — plus period ads and explanations of how various technical aspects work; not least that Bosch fuel injection. There's also a section devoted to wheels, both the Fuchs and ATS cookie-cutter type, plus the development at aerodynamics from duck-tail to whaletail — which all happened with the MFI.

Many will think £195 is a lot to pay for a book, but the production values alone make this one look like it should cost a lot of money. On that basis, paying an extra fiver tor a signed version seems like a comparative bargain.

Benjamin Shahrabani's review from Petrolicious on February 18, 2016:

The finest books boast well-written stories, but to rise to the top, even the best writing needs to have great design to back it up. Think back to the last good book that you read. It doesn’t matter what the subject was, but chances are that you don’t know what the font was, or even remember many details of what the page design looked lik… or how the chapters might have been arranged. Good book design is something you would probably never notice unless it did not exist.

They say, "don't judge a book by its cover," but that is exactly how Carrera 2.7: 1974-1976 and Aston Martin DBR9: The Definitive History should be judged—both the titles and their superb construction tell you exactly what's inside them. These books work!

The legendary Porsche 911 Carrera RS of 1973 resulted from the factory's realization that the weight of its 2.4-liter 911S production model was holding back its development potential for racing. Therefore, the company decided to build and homologate a special lightweight variant for Group 4 GT competition purposes. Demand quickly overwhelmed the initial supply, and although 500 units were initially planned, production ceased after 1,580 units had been produced by the time production ceased in July 1973.

For 1974, newly enacted safety standards in the United States, one of the company’s largest markets, heralded the end of the “long-hood” chassis. The new “G-prefix” series of that year brought with it a shortened hood, impact bumpers, revised lighting, and a plethora of other changes. The Carrera name continued on Porsche’s top-of-the-range model, and a limited number of high-performance lightweight Carreras emerged from 1974-1976 for European markets only.

While never branded an RS by Porsche’s marketing department, these "Euro Carreras",  as they came to be known, retained the legendary Type 911/83 2.7-liter, 210 hp engine with Bosch mechanical fuel injection, the same engine as fitted to the legendary 1973 Carrera RS. However, following in the footsteps of its iconic predecessor was always going to be a tough act to follow—and for a long while the model was misunderstood.

Sabu Advani's Carrera 2.7 book review at Speedreaders.info:

“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! In short order, two important books have come out, and each/both qualify for Book of the Decade status. They are entirely sympathetic and complementary, even in terms of level of magnification and general appearance. The author of this book acknowledges a debt of gratitude to the other author—who wrote the Foreword to this one! Also, both books were designed by the same person and are physically so similar that one fits into the other’s slipcase. While both parties are quick to say that the latter is coincidental, both authors obviously knew they were writing for the same audience—anyone with Porsche 911 and 930 Turbo interests—and that both books will surely live side by side.

But, they are different books about different things. Specifically, the Snodgrass book is about a subset of the Carrera family, the 2.7 MFI (1974–76) that is the successor to the 2.7 RS the Konradsheim book examined. Either book could have come to market first and in fact the Snodgrass book would have been first if QC issues had not repeatedly delayed it. On the other hand, the order of the book releases now matches the order in which the cars came out!

Many people have been watching the skies for this book for a long, long, long time. Since it was meant to be superlative in terms of research and also production values, the author rightly strove to achieve the best possible result—even if that meant delays. That this is his first book is immaterial; if anything, he fully embraced the notion that you can make a good first impression only once!

And just to get it out of the way, while the price may seem steep it is [a] entirely justified in terms of the quality of the product and [b] a pittance compared to the run-away prices of Carrera cars these days. If you are in the market for this model, or a restorer, this book is indispensable. The author writes, “It is my goal to see this reference book in a place of honor on every serious Porsche enthusiast’s bookshelf.” It surely will be. (Hey, if you were smart enough to buy one of the only 2500 copies, you could reduce your purchase price by charging others for the privilege of drooling over (over, not on) it.

How thorough is this book? If you can’t tell one model year from another by the shape of the glovebox knob, look no further. Is Madras leatherette redder than Russet? Ever seen a Targa Roof Repair Manual? What finish should be on the wheel lip? The reason for singling out such minutia is to convey to the expert reader, i.e. the one who can fully appreciate the enormity of the scope, that if a book turns over those kinds of rocks then it “obviously” will cover such basics as the model-specific design and engineering angles, along with marketing, specs, and production numbers etc.

Moreover, Snodgrass is mindful of the timeline, specifically the incongruity of bringing a high-performance car to market in the 1970s, which is largely the reason it was not offered in Porsche’s largest market, North America. Worse, the model that did come here, the superficially similar 2.7 CIS, had lesser performance—again, a factor of the timeline, although, for once, the federally mandated impact bumpers actually benefited the looks of the car because they resulted in a shortening of the hood.

While to the man in the street a 911 is a 911 is a 911, Snodgrass begins by sorting out the family tree and the intricacies of nomenclature and the attending differences in spec. Those who find such things tedious should know that there will also be dozens of examples of “decoders” for anything from VIN numbers to components/assemblies to paint tags. Speaking of paint, one reason for the book’s delay is the author’s laudable—and in the end successful—effort to correctly reproduce the cars’ colors (above), including metallics. If you know printing technology you’ll appreciate how difficult this is. And let’s not even talk of 20 tons of “defective” paper. In fact, Snodgrass who was new to all this himself, includes a 16-page “Behind the Scenes” supplement to the special Publisher’s Edition (left, already sold out, note the different colors; limited to 300 numbered and autographed copies, $349.99, ISBN 978-0-9962682-0-2) that explains book production processes most readers would never know or think about.

Coverage of the car is divided into major build groups, and a chapter each is devoted to special models, racing, accessories, and literature accompanying the car (i.e. manuals and such) or used in-house (technical/service manuals etc.). Appended are a reproduction of the homologation forms, 1974-76 equipment lists and production changes by model year and market-specific, as well as specs and a Bibliography. No Index, you grumble? Well, regrettably, that’s only available with the Publisher’s Edition.

The text is most comprehensively augmented by illustrative material drawn from a variety of sources including the Porsche Archive and includes a cutaway drawing, factory blueprints, various exploded components, graphs, and reproductions of letters, memos (some translated), period road tests, and advertising material. Quite a bit of this has not been published before. A good number of photos of cars and details are also specific/new to this book (the complications of which are also discussed in the aforementioned Supplement).

As the flagship MFI is “the best of what Porsche had to offer” so this book is the best that is available for this model. An ex-Amazon engineer (love/hate your Kindle??) Snodgrass only wrote it because he was about to buy an MFI and couldn’t find any decent literature. This review could be three times longer to properly enumerate all its virtues—even if you don’t have a Porsche-shaped bone in your body the book will be a serious treat for any bibliophile.

Snodgrass says he can feel another book stirring in him—maybe it’ll be Ferrari-themed because in his long-ago university days, that was one of his early automotive interests.

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.