Carrera 2.7 Book Update (December 2014)
Porsche enthusiasts email me several times a week for info on the upcoming book covering the Carrera 2.7 MFI and so I thought it was time to publish a public update on the project. The end is in sight, but there is still quite a bit of work left even after the last word has been typed. The exact release date is TBD, though by the end of January we should have a good idea when it will be available for sale.The majority of the book has been edited at this point by an automotive editor as well as copyeditors, and most sections have undergone a deeper technical review by really knowledgable Porsche enthusiasts. That said, even the final copy is a moving target as almost weekly some new nuance is discovered that requires re-researching details to ensure the book is as accurate as possible. As with all books, articles, etc. there will be mistakes, but hopefully they will be few and far between.
Approximately 300 pages have been laid out at this point and seeing the results are quite motivating. This was no small task, but I think it is important to produce a book that people love to spend time with, rather than just partially reading once. At the end of October the first round of studio shoots were completed in North America, with a second studio shoot that should occur by the end of January. This was an extremely rewarding step forward, particularly as the photos were integrated into the existing book layout. Each new photo brings the book to life and I hope readers enjoy the depth and diversity of photos as much as I have.
The book will be approximately 375 pages, filled with high quality images, detail shots, period photos and significant exploration into all aspects of the mid-1970s Carrera model. Even the most astute Porsche enthusiast should learn some new things and owners of other period Porsche, such as the 3.0-liter 930 Turbo, will find it to include a wealth of information not found anywhere else.
Thanks again to all the contributors who have given feedback, suggestions, photo contributions and, most of all, have been patient with the project. Happy Holidays!
Anche in News
Rivista Octane - Recensione Turbo 3.0
Review of the Turbo 3.0 book in Octane magazine's October 2019 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
Il caporedattore di Panorama sceglie Turbo 3.0 come miglior libro
"Ryan Snodgrass's book on early Porsche Turbos is probably the greatest single model book that I've ever seen in my life. I have not been able to put it down since getting it. It is just full of every bit of geeky goodness about those cars. It is phenomenal."
Of course, when asked at 0:28:07 by Mark Green if manifested into a car, what kind of car would Robb Sass be, his affinity for the Turbo was clear. Sass answered he'd like to be a 1975 or 1976 Turbo Carrera, the first generation Turbo: "I think that they are kind of a little bit edgy. It was the height of the malaise era. A car I really respect as when everything else was slow and crappy, you had this car that would go 0 to 60 in about 5 seconds. Performance on par with a muscle car from ten years before at a time when people were building the Mustang II. If I could aspire to be any car...I'm not a 75-76 Turbo Carrera, but if I could that is probably what it would be as it was so shocking and so surprising and a little bit unpredictable." "Porsche never got the memo that the malaise era was going on."
Il libro Turbo 3.0 vince MOTORWORLD Buchpreis
The Turbo 3.0 book wins first place in the coveted MOTORWORLD BUCHPREIS for the Markenbuch category (best book for a single brand), which honors the best car books of the year. The award ceremony took place on Thursday, May 23, 2019 inside the Arthur Bechtel Classic Motors showroom at the Motorworld Stuttgart V8 Hotel in Böblingen, Germany.
For almost 20 years, noted automotive historian and journalist Jürgen Lewandowski has presided over the Autobuchpreis which honors the best works produced each year on automotive and motorsports topics. For 2018, MOTORWORLD Group became the primary sponsor for the Autobuchpreis, hosting the event and judging team of Jürgen Lewandowksi (chairman of the jury), Andreas Dünkel (Motorworld Group Chairman), Mark N. Backé (Grand Basel Chairman), Vittorio Strosek (Strosek Design), Michael Stoschek (Brose Chairman), Christian Steiger (Classic Cars Editor-in-Chief), Dr. Andreas Kaufmann (Leica Camera Chairman) and Robertino Wild (Capricorn Chairman).