Turbo 3.0

Featured in Elferspot Magazine's "5 Really Expensive Porsche Books, But Worth Every Penny" from March 15, 2021:

Expensive as hell, but it works. Many of us in the German-speaking world know this advertising slogan from days long past. Whether the dandruff shampoo addressed back then actually worked is something we cannot prove. But we dare to say that the slogan, which is admittedly a bit dusty, is absolutely true for the Porsche book recommendation that now follow. They are indeed expensive, but they work. And how! Please do not take our recommendations regarding the following Porsche books as a ranking. Each Porsche book has its own special features in terms of content and design, and it would not be possible to make a judgmental ranking here.

1. Porsche Book: Turbo 3.0 -Limited Edition von Ryan Snodgrass

Anyone interested in the history of Porsche simply cannot avoid the subject of the 911 Turbo. The truly excellent book Turbo 3.0 by Ryan Snodgrass delves deep into the development, production, and mystery of the three years of Porsche’s groundbreaking 3.0-liter Turbo models produced from 1975 to 1977.

The book is the result of the most meticulous research and intensive studies in the Porsche factory archive.

This extremely comprehensive compendium attempts to cover everything an owner, restorer, historian, or enthusiast would want to know about the beginning of Porsche’s turbocharged supercar. With a foreword by Jürgen Barth, the Turbo 3.0 book explores the history of the first production turbocharged 911 and delves into the development of turbo road and race cars through great interviews with factory engineers, development drivers, and race drivers. 536 pages, each of them exciting and informative, and 1,508 photos, 754 of them never before published, make the Porsche heart beat faster.

Review of the Turbo 3.0 book in Octane magazine's October 2019 #196 issue:

We'll come clean: this book was released last year but our review copy was mislaid during Octane's hastily carried-out office relocation form Bedfordshite to London. It's author, Ryan Snodgrass, very kindly offered to send us another one—and we're so glad he did, because this is a truly exceptional work.

A companion volume to Snodgrass' previous magnum opus, Carrera 2.7, this mammoth 536-page tribute to the Porsche 911 Turbo is printed on creamy archival paper and presented in a stout slipcase. Pay extra for the 300-off Publisher's Edition and you get an even stouter clamshell box that additionally houses convincing reproductions of Porsche ephemera such as press releases and photos, and actual 35mm colour slides, plus a 20-page supplement on how the book was put together.

Is either version worth the money? Emphatically yes, because the level of detail and the production values are stunning. To give just two examples: expert financial book-keepers were hired to check the production data for all 2819 Turbos built; and because no detailed cutaway drawing was ever made of the Turbo, noted cutaway artist Makoto Ouchi was commissioned to draw on. The print specification—which apparently involved '15-micron stochastic hybrid screens' and 'special wide-gamut inks'—will have any bibliophile salivating over their silkscreened linen slipcase.

Every possible aspect of the 1975–77 Turbo is covered in depth: development, build, mechanical, design, one-offs and special editions, racing versions... There's even a spread devoted to specific tyre inflators, jacks and plastic gloves supplied by Porsche for the Turbo's space-save tyre.

As you'll have gathered, we're impressed. It's taken a while for Turbo 3.0 to make it into these pages, but it was well worth the wait.

—Mark Dixon

We are honored that the Turbo 3.0 book not only won an IPPY Gold medal at the 2019 Independent Book Publisher Awards, but the overall win within one of eight "Outstanding Books of the Year" categories was special, tying for the Best Book Arts Craftsmanship category. This award is extra meaningful as all books published by independent publishers around the world were eligible, not just within the narrow field of automotive books. Tough competition for sure!

The IPPY “rewards those who exhibit the courage, innovation, and creativity to bring about change in the world of publishing,” with the judging criteria “based on quality of content, originality, design, and production with an emphasis on innovation and social relevance.” The eight overall Outstanding Books of the Year categories choose books from "regular entries for being the most heartfelt, unique, outspoken and/or experimental."

Many thanks to all the contributors to the success of the Turbo 3.0 book: art director Richard Baron; cover artist Guy Allen; cutaway illustrator Makoto Ouchi; photographers Claus Bachl, Michael Furman, and Randy Wells; editors Jonathan Stein and Mary Snodgrass; designer of our first book style Christoph Mäder; prepress support from iocolor with Stephanie Lock, John Bailey, and Gary Hawkey; and the printer Artron Art Group.

Published by Parabolica Press, Turbo 3.0 was officially available for purchase in October 2018. The 23rd Annual IPPY Awards ceremony will be held in New York City on May 28, 2019.

Porsche enthusiast site Elferspot is offering a RARE opportunity to win a copy of the epic Turbo 3.0 book until May 15, 2019. Not only that, they created a quick video to showcase the book for those who have never seen it in person. See more details about the contest on the Elferspot website.

Review of the Turbo 3.0 book in Porsche Fahrer's February 2019 issue: 

Manchmal, wenn Geld und Zeit keine Rolle spielen, entsteht große Kunst, ohne dass die Limitierungen des wirklichen Lebens ihr Schranken auferlegen. Und mit viel Glück wird ein Buch wie Ryan Snodgrass’ Magnum Opus zum Thema 911 Turbo daraus.

Die Masse von 1500 Bildern und Informationen auf 536 Seiten hat das Zeug, den Betrachter/Leser zu erschlagen: Wo beginnen, wenn schon das Kapitel „Accessoires“, angefangen beim korrekten Bordwerkzeug bis hin zum passenden 911-Koffer-satz der Firma Volz, 18 Seiten umfasst? Wohlgemerkt, es geht nur um den Dreiliter-Urturbo der Modelljah- re 1975 bis 1977! Natürlich ist es spannend, die Entwicklung des 911 Turbo nachzuvollziehen, aber richtig aufregend wird es, wenn Text und Bilder tief und detailreich bis hin zum Aufnäher der Sicherheitsgurte in Technik, Ausstattung und Produktion eintauchen. Snodgrass hat sich die Mühe gemacht, auch Sonderanfertigungen und Spezialmodelle zu zeigen, die Spuren im Rennsport nachzuzeichnen und zu guter Letzt JEDEN gebauten 911 Turbo 3.0 mit Farbe, Innenausstattung, Reifentyp bei Auslieferung, Extras etc. aufzulisten. Wenn das Geld also nicht für einen Urturbo reicht, sind 395 Dollar für die Standardausgabe dieses Standardwerks perfekt angelegtes Geld. Ein besseres Buch zum Thema wird es auf absehbare Zeit nicht geben. Fünf Sterne!

Rough English translation:

Sometimes, when money and time are irrelevant, great art emerges without the limitations of real life putting a stop to it. And with luck, a book like Ryan Snodgrass' Magnum Opus on the subject 911 Turbo comes alive.

The massive 1,500 images and 536 pages of information has what it takes to slay the viewer / reader: Where to start, the chapter "Accessories" is 18 pages, starting with the correct tool kit to the matching 911-suitcase set Volz? Mind you, it is only about the three-liter Urturbo the model year 1975 to 1977! Of course, it is exciting to understand the development of the 911 Turbo, but it gets really exciting when text and images immersed deep and detailed to the patch of the seat belts in technology, equipment and production. Snodgrass has taken the trouble to show custom and special models, trace the traces in racing, and last but not least, listing ALL 911 Turbo 3.0 built with color, interior trim, tire type at delivery, extras, etc.  So if the money is not enough for a primal turbo, $395 for the standard edition of this standard work is perfectly invested money. There will not be a better book on the topic for the foreseeable future. Five stars!

We are thrilled that Ryan Snodgrass' Turbo 3.0 book has just been nominated as a finalist in the Book category for Motoring Press Guild's 2018 MPG Excellence in Automotive Journalism Awards. In MPG's own words, the "annual celebration of excellence is intended to inspire automotive journalists, both present and future, to produce work of the highest professional caliber in specific categories."

It's an honor to just be nominated for such a prestigious award in the world of automotive journalism. Congratulations to the other finalists in the Book category:

• Hurley: From the Beginning by Sean Cridland
• Twice Around the Clock – The Yanks at Le Mans Vol. I-III by Tim Considine

Hurley is an absolutely fantastic read on one of America's greatest racing drivers, written directly in partnership with Mr. Haywood himself. I haven't seen Twice Around the Clock yet, but I've pre-ordered a copy as it looks like it will provide great insight into the history of American drivers at Le Mans.

Interestingly, MPG finalist nominations run deep with those involved in the Turbo 3.0 project. Richard Baron, the Designer/Art Director for the Turbo 3.0 book, also worked on the MPG nominated Hurley book. And Randy Wells—a 2018 MPG finalist in the Featured Video category for his film ICARUS—photographed many shots that appeared in the Turbo 3.0 book.

The winners in each category will be announced during the awards dinner on February 24th at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Good luck to all.

Review of the Turbo 3.0 book in Flat6 magazine's January 2019 issue:

Pas moins de 536 pages, plus de 1500 photos et illustrations pour la plupart jamais publiées, voici un ouvrage majeur sur la 911 Turbo 3.0. Pour tout savoir, tout décoder du modèle emblématique du milieu des seventies. 

Ryan Snodgrass n’en est pas à son coup d’essai, après avoir écrit et publié en 2015 un ouvrage de 416 pages sur la Carrera 2.7 mondialement reconnu, il a décidé de s’attaquer à la Turbo 3.0 avec succès. Bien sûr le livre est en anglais, mais très facile à lire, et vraiment complet. Toute l’histoire de la Turbo est fidèlement racontée, chaque couleur, chaque option, chaque couleur ou tissu de siège y sont fidèlement répertoriés. Si vous êtes ou avez été propriétaire de cette icône de l’automobile, ou si vous en avez rêvé et que vous en rêvez encore, vous vous devez d’avoir cet ouvrage dans votre bibliothèque, Vous ne pourrez plus dire : « je ne savais pas ». 

Rough English translation:

No less than 536 pages, more than 1500 photos and illustrations for the most part ever published, here is a major work on the 911 Turbo 3.0. To know everything, to decode the emblematic model of the middle of the seventies.

Ryan Snodgrass is not at his first attempt, after writing and published in 2015 a book of 416 pages on the world famous Carrera 2.7, he decided to tackle the Turbo 3.0 successfully. Of course the book is in English, but very easy to read, and really complete. The whole history of the Turbo is faithfully told, every color, every option, every color or seat fabric is faithfully listed. If you are or have been the owner of this car icon, or if you have dreamed of it and still dream of it, you owe it to yourself to have it in your library. You will not be able to say, "I did not know".

AutoMobilia Magazine's latest issue#3 (Jan/Feb 2019) featured "Best Motor Book Buys of 2018" by Ben Horton (of Hortons Books), who had this to say about the Turbo 3.0 book:

July saw Ryan Snodgrass' second book come to market, Turbo 3.0 — Porsche's First Turbocharged Supercar. Another superb offering from Snodgrass, and I personally love his panache for design and layout. He is also one of the pioneers of what I call, the "future of automotive publishing" by giving the customer a lot of specific details. Perfect for anyone who either owns one of the cars or is looking to buy one. This limited edition of 2500 copies has 536 pages and comes slipcased. The book was also nominated for "The Royal Automobile Club Book of the Year."

Review by 9Once Plus magazine of the Turbo 3.0 book:

Ryan Snodgrass, entusiasta del mundo del automóvil especializado end Porsche, acaba de publicar su segundo libro dedicado esta vez a los 911 Turbo 3.0 y que cuenta con un total de 536 páginas y 1.508 fotografías, la mitad de ellas nunca antes publicadas. Un libro fantástico e imprescindible para cualquier propietario, historiador o restaurador, que tiene muchísima información sacada de los archivos de Porsche. Todo ello le ha valido el [nominación para] "Motoring Book of the Year 2018". Pero si queréis un ejemplar tendréis que daros prisa porque se trata de una edición limitada de 2.500 ejemplares que tiene un precio de €399.

Rough English translation:

Ryan Snodgrass, enthusiast of the world of the specialized automobile Porsche, has just published his second book dedicated this time to the 911 Turbo 3.0 which has a total of 536 pages and 1,508 photographs, half of them never before published. A fantastic and essential book for any owner, historian or restorer, with much of information the sourced from the Porsche Archives. All this has earned him [a nomination] for "Motoring Book of the Year 2018". But if you want a copy you will have to hurry because it is a limited edition of 2,500 copies that has a price of €399.

Review by Porsche Road & Race of the Turbo 3.0 book:

Amongst its numerous attributes, Porsche sports cars have always been about performance, engineering, innovation and being different. From the production of the very first sports car to bear the Porsche name, the 356 which came into this world in 1948, the company has strived to excel with each successive model. In this same mould, the 911 Turbo 3.0 is just one of Porsche’s many milestone achievements that have set this manufacturer apart from the rest of the motor industry.

In the same way that the Atlantic salmon swims upstream against the strong flow of a river to reach the headwaters to spawn, so too has Porsche avoided the easy path to achieve its goals. Many motor manufacturers might claim to have pursued similar ideals over the years, but few have come close to achieving these as consistently as Porsche has done. When the 356 was launched, its design was just so far ahead of anything else on the market, and being streamlined and lightweight, it soon started beating much more powerful rivals in motorsport. When it was replaced by the 911 model, racing drivers and teams loyal to Porsche continued to compete, giving the new model excellent exposure. It was the company’s success with the 917/10 and 917/30 turbocharged race cars though, that encouraged Porsche to experiment with turbocharging the 911’s 6-cylinder engine.

Apart from Porsche’s success with the Carrera 4-cam 4-cylinder engine in the 1950s and early 1960s, the most notable big step forward for Porsche, was in turbocharging the 911 engine. A number of manufacturers had dabbled with the concept, some had mild success even, but no other manufacturer came close to achieving what Porsche did with this technology. When Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann suggested hooking up a turbo to the 6-cylinder 911 engine, many questioned whether this would be manageable, or even if it could work in the passenger car market. History tells us that the 911 Turbo 3.0 launched in 1975 was the big breakthrough that saw Porsche’s sports cars grab the market’s attention. Many sports car loving kids around the world will happily admit to having had a poster on their bedroom wall of the Turbo 3.0 at some point (the Editor included).

Production of the 911 had fallen from a high in 1973 (15,438 units), around the time of the Carrera RS introduction, dropping 47% to a low in 1975 (8189 units). With the launch of the Turbo 3.0 in the spring of 1975, sales of all 911s began to climb again to 10,677 units in 1976 and 13,793 units in 1977. Not only was the Turbo 3.0 flying off the showroom floor, but Porsche was also writing history on the race tracks of the world with its 934 and 934.5 models. Put simply, turbocharging the 911 6-cylinder engine transformed the company from a little Stuttgart manufacturer into a serious contender around the world with both its road and race cars.

It should be remembered that Porsche launched the Turbo 3.0 at a time when other sports car manufacturers were facing bankruptcy, dramatic drops in sales, and increasing demand for cleaner running vehicles. In the face of such daunting odds, the Turbo 3.0 made everyone sit up and notice, from customers to race teams, from rival manufacturers to business and financial commentators. Many thought Porsche would fall on its face, but the reverse happened, and we can probably thank Porsche for being so brave in the face of the oil crisis, and for giving us the 911 Turbo 3.0 model.

The book, Turbo 3.0, written by Ryan Snodgrass and published by Parabolica Press, is an outstanding piece of work. The book’s narrow remit is precisely its strength, because if you are the lucky owner of a 911 Turbo 3.0, then you would not need any other book on this subject on your bookshelf. This exhaustive volume endeavours to cover everything an owner, restorer, historian or enthusiast would want to know about the dawn of Porsche’s turbocharged supercar. Turbo 3.0 covers not only Porsche’s historic 3.0-litre Turbo, but also the development of production-based turbocharged race cars by examining the Carrera RSR Turbo 2.14 and Turbo RSR 934/934.5 race cars.

In a letter from the author that accompanies each book, Snodgrass tells the reader that it was his desire to raise the bar for quality and research, in the publication of top-line books. He has indeed succeeded in achieving both goals, admirably. Without any doubt, this is one of the best researched books on the subject of Porsche production cars yet, and the quality of writing and presentation, ensure that it will stand out in the market. But the book is no lightweight, comprising 512 pages, and with book dimensions of 280 x 320 mm tall, this is a substantial piece of work, but be assured, you won’t find a better piece of research and writing on this model anywhere.

Individual chapters cover: Turbocharging Roots; Porsche Turbo Arrives; Drivetrain; Rolling Chassis; Body; Interior…and much more. There is a chapter devoted to motorsport, and then separate sections covering Accessories, Literature, and Production Data with several Appendices closing out the book. As a Turbo 3.0 owner or enthusiast, you will not want to be without this book, as for example, from page 452-497 the author has listed the production data on all 2819 Turbo 3.0 chassis. After this follows many pages giving Production Changes: Engine; Gearbox; Rolling Chassis, and much more.

This is truly a comprehensive, all-inclusive publication and you will be glad that you have a copy on your bookshelf. The book is offset printed on the highest-quality paper and enclosed within a protective slipcase, but only 2500 individually numbered hardcover copies of the Turbo 3.0: Limited Edition will be sold.

If you really want to get the full works, then the exclusive Turbo 3.0: Publisher’s Edition is offered in an individually signed and numbered series and limited to just 300 copies. Only available direct from Parabolica Press, the Publisher’s Edition differs from the Limited Edition with several unique and extra special surprise features included within a bespoke clamshell box designed specifically for the Publisher’s Edition. Additionally, the Publisher’s Edition carries on Parabolica Press’s theme of offering a “behind the scenes” look into aspects for how each book is produced. The Turbo 3.0 Behind the Scenes Supplement continues where the Carrera 2.7: Publisher’s Edition Supplement left off by exploring the deep research necessary to produce books at this level, peering through the viewfinder of several photographers and, finally, understanding how artistic concepts become reality for several commissioned illustrations.

The purchase price is not insignificant, but you will not be pleased when they are all sold out, so get your copy now!

Porsche Klassik magazine printed a short preview of the Turbo 3.0 book in its latest November, 2018 issue #14 (02.2018) (see rough English translation), with notice that the more in-depth review will appear in the following Porsche Klassik #15 issues to be released in Spring 2019. 

Turbo, Turbo über alles

Ryan Snodgrass hat vor zwei Jahren die [Carrera 2.7 MFI] Bibel geschrieben und nun überrascht der Software-Ingenieur mit einem opulenten Band über den 911 Turbo 3.0, der auf 536 Seiten wirklich alles Ober den ersten Elfer mit Turboaufladung und dessen Rennvariante 934 erzählt. In der auf 300 Exemplare limitierten Luxus-Variante für 595 Dollar ist das 5.8 Kilogramm schwere Werk mit seinen 536 Seiten Umfang das Referenzwerk schlechthin — die auf 2.500 Exemplare beschrankte Normal-Ausgabe kostet 395 Dollar. Wir werden in der nächsten Ausgabe von PORSCHE KLASSIK diesem außergewöhnlichen Buch und seinem Autoren eine größere Geschichte widmen.

Rough English translation:

Turbo, Turbo over everything

Ryan Snodgrass wrote the [Carrera 2.7 MFI] bible two years ago and now the software engineer surprises us with an opulent volume about the 911 Turbo 3.0, which on 536 pages really tells everything about the first 911 with turbocharging and its racing variant 934. In the limited to 300 copies luxury [Publisher's Edition] version for 595 dollars, the 5.8 kilogram heavy work with its 536 pages per volume is the reference work par excellence - the normal [Limited Edition] is restricted to 2,500 copies and costs 395 dollars. In the next issue of PORSCHE KLASSIK we will dedicate a larger story to this extraordinary book and its author.