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Love for Porsche – Turbo 3.0 Book Review
The Turbo 3.0 book is just as the car : a benchmark
The automotive industry had not easy times in the mid seventies. New safety and emission regulations were imposed to them, and the oil crisis left quite a trace in the period. Porsche had some dark times too with diminishing sales. Dr Ernst Führmann, designer of the iconic 4-cam Carrera Engine, was the CEO of Porsche in that period. In Can-Am races, the turbocharged Porsche 917/10 and Porsche 917/30 had proven its reliability. So Ernst Führmann had the idea of putting a turbocharged engine in a street legal Porsche 911. The idea of the Porsche 911 Turbo was born.. a story that still continues.
Ryan Snodgrass of Parabolica Press, known from the excellent Carrera 2.7 book, took a dive in the history of the Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0 liter, nicknamed the Porsche 930. Ryan Snodgrass used all possible material to his disposal. The Porsche factory archives were of course an important source of information, but that was not enough for the author. Ryan Snodgrass interviewed people involved with the design of the Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0, as well as mechanics, test drivers, engineers, racers and owners. The enormous amount of information is compiled in the book “Turbo 3.0 – Porsche's First Turbocharged Car”. And just as the Carrera 2.7 book, the Turbo 3.0 book became a one- model only encyclopedia. A book any Porsche enthusiast needs to have in the library.
It is hard to imagine how detailed the Turbo 3.0 book is. That makes it a perfect source for perfectionists, restorers and historians. As you could expect of a book like this, there is a list of all the chassis numbers with information like the color the car left the factory, type of engine and gearbox and the option list for that particular car. But there is more useful information. How many of you know all the different possible colors for a Turbo 3.0? And did you know what the toolkit should look like? The Turbo 3.0 book has plenty of detailed information about all possible colors. The chapter about the interior has pictures and information of all upholstery available at the time. All gauge variations are described as well as the radios that could be ordered at the factory.
In the 536 pages, literally nothing remains uncovered. The privateer racing exploits of the 3.0 liter Turbo are included as well as the development of the cars that directly derived from the Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0: the iconic Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.1, the Porsche 934 and Porsche 934/5. “Turbo 3.0 : Porsche's First Turbocharged Supercar” was among the 6 books shortlisted for the Specialist Motoring Book of the Year Award of the Royal Automobile Club. Even though it was another book that ran away with the award, being on the shortlist is an honor on its own. And to be honest... well deserved. This book sets a new standard and it will become the reference for the Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0 without any doubt. It is worth every cent. This book should be in any automotive library. You can order it directly at Parabolica Press.
Porsche Klassik – Turbo 3.0 Preview
Porsche Klassik magazine printed a short preview of the Turbo 3.0 book in its latest November 8, 2018 issue #14 (see rough English translation), with notice that the more in-depth review will appear in the following issue.
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 is surprised 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 version for 595 dollars, the 5.8 kilogram heavy work with its 536 pages per volume is the reference work par excellence - the limited to 2,500 copies normal edition costs 395 dollars. In the next issue of PORSCHE KLASSIK we will dedicate a larger story to this extraordinary book and its author.
2018 RAC Specialty Motoring Book of the Year Results
While the Turbo 3.0 book did not win, it was an exceptional honor to just have been shortlisted for the 2018 Royal Automobile Club's nominees for Specialty Motoring Book of the Year.Congratulations to the winning author Karl Ludvigsen and publisher Evro Publishing Ltd for producing an excellent book and taking home the prestigious RAC award with "Reid Railton: Man of Speed. The RAC event was a fantastic assembly of automotive industry leaders, publishers and authors; with spirited discussions on the future of book printing, contrasted with the expansive history of the automobile.
Producing a work such as the Turbo 3.0 could never happen alone. Thank you to the countless number of supporters, but especially Richard Baron for the art direction and layout of the Turbo 3.0; illustrator Guy Allen for the cover art; Christoph Mäder for setting Parabolica Press's design direction with our first Carrera 2.7 book; Guy Morrison, Claus Scheucher, Michael Furman, Randy Wells, and numerous other photographers for splendid imagery; artist Makoto Ouchi for the highly technical bespoke cutaway of the 1975 Turbo; Jonathan A. Stein and Mary Snodgrass for critical editing of both books; the exceptional support and encouragement from Dieter Landenberger, Jens Torner, Tobias Mauler and the rest of the Porsche Museum Archives; proofreaders Richard D. J. Hill, Nathan Merz, Chris Powell, among others; Stephanie and Gary from iocolor prepress/printing; and all the enthusiasts and fans on forums worldwide who participated in discourse affirming—as well as busting—myths of the 930 Turbo.
With the release of the Turbo 3.0 book, I believe the "proof is in the pudding" and we have achieved our goal of dramatically raising the bar for automotive—and all—historical books moving forward.
https://turbo30.com/
Turbo 3.0 Shortlisted for RAC's Specialist Book of the Year 2018
The Turbo 3.0 book has been shortlisted for the prestigious Royal Automobile Club's "Specialist Book Of The Year" 2018, one of the most prestigious awards in the automotive publishing industry. The winner will be announced at the annual awards event, hosted October 31st by respected broadcaster and journalist Simon Taylor at the Club’s historic Pall Mall clubhouse.
“We never fail to be amazed at the quality and variety of titles that our experienced judges propose for the Awards, and this year is no exception,” said Peter Read, the Club’s Motoring Committee Chairman.
The judging panel consists of of six experts who are totally independent of the Royal Automobile Club and represent the UK’s most informed motoring literary critics. The judges include Gordon Cruickshank (Motor Sport magazine), Mark Dixon (editor of Octane magazine), Ben Horton (independent motoring bookseller Hortons Books), Mick Walsh (editor of Classic & Sports Car), Christian Whitehead (motoring department of London bookstore Foyles) and Tom Wiltshire (book reviewer for Auto Express).
Zwischengas — Carrera 2.7 Book Review
Noch ein Buch über den Carrera RS 2.7? Nein, dieses Mal geht es um den Nachfolger, der als sogenanntes G-Modell zwar die gesamte Technologie erbte, sich aber mit seinen Faltenbalg-Stossstangen optisch deutlich vom wertvoll gewordenen Vorgänger unterscheidet.
Ryan Snodgrass verdient sein Geld als Software-Ingenieur, seine Liebe zu Porsche entstand unabhängig davon. Und es muss echte Liebe sein, wenn man sich derartig tief in das Thema hineinkniete. Snodgrass nutzte ein “Sabbatical”, um aus dem vielen Material, das er zum Porsche Carrera 2.7 MFI, gebaut zwischen 1974 und 1976, gesammelt hatte, ein Buch zu komponieren, das kaum eine Frage offen lässt.
Das Buch ist so erfolgreich, dass der Autor postwendenden einen Verlag gründete und 2018 das nächste Werk, dieses Mal zum 930 Turbo, nachschob.
Es ist sicherlich kein Zufall, dass Snodgrass bereits im Vorwort des englisch gehaltenen Buches seine Vorbilder bei der Konzeption seines Carrera-2.7-Werks nennt, nämlich Matthias Bartz’ Dino Compendium und das Carrera-RS-Buch von Konradsheim/Gruber.
000 Magazine – Turbo 3.0 Book Review by Kerry Morse
A few months ago, I picked up a rather large package at the post office, brought it home and—it being the end of a long day—put it aside. After dinner, I opened the box and discovered a book full of boost.
You may be familiar with author Ryan Snodgrass’ freshman effort, Carrera 2.7, a first-rate reference book that fit right in with the new edition of Carrera RS from TAG. Both titles are considered go-to-books for settling matters of originality, and there was every reason to expect that the long-awaited sophomore offering from Snodgrass would follow the established format.
This time, however, Snodgrass enlisted as art director Richard Baron, whose body of work would fill a few bookshelves. Baron’s stylistic shift has given Turbo 3.0 a separate identity, in much the same way that a 1976 911 differs from a 1976 930. The core remains, but the differences are immediately apparent and very pleasing.
The organization seen in the previously mentioned books was used to form this one’s structure: chassis numbers, color codes, optional equipment, promotional campaigns, literature, tool kits, racing variations. All are where they should be, along with a narrative of the concept, development, introduction, and production run for 1975–1977. A more suitable title for this comprehensive study is The Really Big Book of the 3.0 Liter Turbo.
Sports Car Market – Turbo 3.0 Book Review
“Exhaustive” doesn’t even begin to describe Ryan Snodgrass or his opus on the Porsche 930 3.0 Turbo. Let’s start near the back, on p. 452. Here, along with a handy production-data decoder for the model, is an exhaustive list of EVERY 930 from 1975 to 1977, including paint, interior, engine, gearbox, tires, distributor, de- livery and completion date — plus a synopsis of installed equipment. This level of detail is emblematic of Snodgrass’ work. He is a former software engineer, and his love of Porsches led him to start his writing career with Carrera 2.7, now followed by Turbo 3.0.
It’s a thick, 10.5-pound, beautifully printed, designed and written book on the car that Porsche used to repudiate the awful cars that came out of the mid-1970s, when fuel economy and safety were the highest representation of the art, and performance was an ugly stepchild. Using turbo technology and knowledge gained from racing the 917, the Carrera 3.0 was an antidote to the times.
While only 2,819 of the 3.0 Turbo cars came out of the factory, they had an outsized impact on the market (with prices to match, as a first-year 930 is going for around $150,000). Sometimes called the “doctor killer” for the dangerous intersection of high-horsepower, turbo-lag and a lack of skills behind the wheel, the 930 was actually a touch slower than the mechanically injected 2.7-liter predecessor. But that was mostly down to extra weight that balanced the increased output, mostly thanks to safety equipment (thanks, Ralph Nader!) demanded at the time. Heck, safety was such a top-of-mind item that there were threats to kill all convertibles in that period. So the introduction of the 930 was certainly counterintuitive — and well-received by enthusiasts.
And well-received is what this book should be. It’s an instant classic in the category of single-model history and detail.
Provenance: 
Ryan Snodgrass brings a software engineer’s hyper-fo- cus and demand for perfection to his second book. Turbo 3.0 is an intense, deep dive into the history of the model and every scrap of information available.
Fit and Finish: 
This book is simply beautiful. The claimed (I didn’t count them) 1,508 photos and illustrations are beautifully reproduced on quality stock. The overall design is understated and serves the content. The entire package is top-shelf.
Drivability: With Turbo 3.0, Ryan Snodgrass has reset the bar for any future Porsche book. The text is smart, lively and easy to read, supporting an incredible amount of information. At $395 for one of 2,500 copies of this limited-edition tome, you can expect the same appreciation in value as in the car — even as you appreciate Turbo 3.0 as a resource and good read.
Autobuch.Guru – Turbo 3.0 Book Review
Mit dem Turbo erweiterte Porsche sein Produktportfolio im Jahr 1974 nach oben und stand hiermit in direkter Konkurrenz zu Ferrari, Lamborghini und Co.. Das zweite Buch des amerikanischen Verlags Parabolica Press nimmt sich dem Turbo 3.0 an, der nur für einen recht kurzen Zeitraum produziert wurde, ehe er vom Turbo 3.3 nahtlos abgelöst wurde. Abermals erhält man hier ein Prachtband über einen weiteren speziellen Porsche 911.
Das Buch kommt wie der Titel zum Carrera 2.7 in zwei Editionen in den Verkauf, wobei zu Rezension die üppige Publisher’s Edition zur Verfügung gestellt wurde. Diese kostet 599 € statt der 399 € für die Limited Edition, wobei beide Bücher selbstverständlich limitiert sind. Die Limited Edition kommt im klassischen Schuber daher und ist auf 2.500 Exemplar limitiert. Die Ausstattung entspricht somit der Edition vom Carrera 2.7-Buch. Die Publisher’s Edition hingegen kommt in einer sehr aufwendigen Box daher, die beim ersten Begutachten einen gewaltigen Eindruck hinterlassen kann. Lediglich 300 solcher Bücher werden auf den Markt kommen und zeichnen sich auch durch eine Nummerierung und die Signatur des Autors aus. Das Öffnen der Box bringt die das in rot gehaltene Buch zum Vorschein, welches durch ein Band herausgeschoben werden kann. Erst auf den zweiten Blick kann man noch weitere zusätzliche Features entdecken, die sich hinter einem schwarzen Blatt verbergen. In der darunterliegenden Mappe finden sich zahlreiche Archiv-Materialen, die teilweise aus dem Porsche Archiv wieder neu reproduziert wurden. So finden sich neben Pressemitteilungen sogar Dias und Werksfotos wieder. Ein toller Fundus, der einen Einblick in die Archiv-Arbeit ermöglicht. Passend hierzu findet sich in der Publisher’s Edition auch der zweite Teil der Behind the Scenes wieder, in dem auch intensiv die Arbeit nach seltenem Archiv-Material erläutert wieder. Diese 20-seitige Broschüren liegt ebenfalls der Publisher’s Edition bei. Ein durch und durch beeindruckender Auftritt, den das Buch hinlegt.
Speedster Magazine — Turbo 3.0 Book Review
Panorama Magazine – Turbo 3.0 Book Review
Following its domination of the Can-Am racing series in 1972 and 1973, Porsche used its experience with turbocharging technology gained in motorsports for serial sports car production. Launched in 1975 with a turbocharged flat-six engine, flared wheel arches to accommodate wider wheels, and unmistakable “whale tail” rear spoiler, the 930 Turbo was revolutionary in its performance. It was the fastest German production car upon its introduction, helping Porsche to fortify its reputation as a seminal sports car manufacturer.
Following in the considerable wake of his award-winning Carrera 2.7, author Ryan Snodgrass again hones in with laser-like focus on just a single variant of the iconic 930 Turbo—the earliest 3.0-liter examples produced from September 1974 through June 1977—tracing the model’s roots and origin during an era that is often referred to as a dark time for performance cars.
RS Magazine – Turbo 3.0 Reviewed in 2018 Father's Day Books You Want
Ryan Snodgrass is an excellent storyteller who proved capable of making the subject of a single Porsche model – the 911 Carrera 2.7 MFI – engaging reading supplemented with exceptional documentation. That book had no shortcomings.
However, when Snodgrass set out to relate the planning, engineering, styling, and development history of the Typ 930, he used his own work as his benchmark. Then he reset it a great deal higher with his latest book turbo 3.0. This work – throughout – tends to humble the word “encyclopedic” as Snodgrass explores every element of turbocharging and the turbocharged Porsche 911 in detailed photos, diagrams, and documents. There are pages (and pages) of paint color representations, a complete series on actual cars, and an astonishing chart identifying ALL Turbo 3.0 colors and the frequency of their appearance in 1975, 1976, and 1977.