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“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.

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.

Lorsqu'il dévoilait son Carrera 2.7 MFI book en 2015, Ryan Snodgrass ne s'attendait pas nécessairement à ce que son oeuvre devienne un nouvel étalon-référence dans la littérature automobile super-spécialisée (comprenez les livres dédiés à un seul modèle). Il a été encensé par la presse et a collectionné les Trophées. On imaginait le prochain opus, qu'on savait consacré à la 911 Turbo 3.0, d'une égale qualité. Et puis non, l'auteur n'a pas su s'y tenir... il a poussé tous les curseurs au maximum!

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.

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.

Enough with the preliminaries. Yes, this book is an “event” unto itself—not least considering its arduous and oft-delayed production path—and while the turmoil probably put a few nails into its perfectionist author-publisher’s coffin, it’ll give you the entirely uncommon thought that there is, still, intelligent life out there. If you are a 911 fan, especially a Turbo fan, none of this will matter because you already know that, based on the strength of the author’s previous work, this is not a book you can afford to be on the fence about. Only 2500 copies (plus 300 in the $595 Publisher’s Edition that was used for this review) exist anyway, so, spool up that turbo and get your order in.  

Interesting perspective from Ben Horton of Horton's Books in the Feb 28th issue of Autocar magazine discussing potential collectible books, including the Carrera 2.7 book:

What’s the next best thing to buying a Porsche Carrera 2.7? Buying a book about it.

Specifically, Ryan Snodgrass’s definitive guide to the model, published by Parabolica Press in 2015 and called, helpfully, Carrera 2.7. Just 2500 were printed. There are about 300 copies of the Limited Edition version left, each costing £225. Sounds a lot? Don’t worry: in two years your investment could be worth £1000.

Voici une belle découverte faite par hasard qui mérite un intérêt tout particulier pour tout passionné d’automobile et de Porsche : le livre “Carrera 2.7” écrit par Ryan Snodgrass, publié par Parabolica Press. Ce très beau livre de 406 pages, en édition limitée (2500 exemplaires), écrit en anglais, traite des Porsche 911 de 1974 à 1976 motorisées par le fameux 2.7 l de 210 ch de la Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7. C’est une véritable bible sur les modèles 911 ayant été équipés de ce fabuleux moteur Flat 6 doté d’une injection de carburant mécanique (MFI).

Much has been written about the Porsche 911, in fact there are few manufacturers in the world, that could boast as having as many books written about one of their models. But as can be expected, many of these books cover selected top models, and those perceived as less salubrious models are usually relegated to books covering all models.  Fresh attention though has been directed at the classic car market in recent years, with the result that prices have been rising steadily for the more sought after models. Those who are fortunate enough to be Porsche enthusiasts, will have seen the prices of the Carrera RS 2.7 skyrocket, although...

CARRERA 2.7 BIBLE: Spare a thought for the poor old Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 of 1974. Until recently, it was almost invisible in the shadow of its more illustrious sibling, the Camera 2.7 RS. And yet the Camera 27 shared an identical engine and much of its DNA, including the wide-hipped shell, with the attention-grabbing RS. Of late, market values have grown to reflect its true place in the Porsche pantheon. And now you can celebrate this relatively unsung hero with a new book dedicated to the model…

We are ecstatic that the Carrera 2.7 book has been shortlisted for the "Publication of the Year" category in the prestigious 2016 International Historic Motoring Awards (IHMA). Considered to be the "Academy Awards" of the historic automotive world, the IHMA searches to find the ‘best of the best’ within the international historic motoring community, culminating with the red carpet black-tie awards ceremony at the magnificent Guildhall in London on November 17th. Launched in 2011, the IHMA categories celebrate the diversity, achievements and depth within the worldwide historic motoring industry. Presented in association with Octane magazine and EFG Private Bank, the panel of expert judges assess the nominees that have been shortlisted in each category. Judges such as Derek Bell, car designer Peter Stevens and Pink Floyd drummer and...

Just when you thought you owned every Porsche coffee table or reference book you needed, along comes Carrera 2.7 by Ryan Snodgrass. The iconic 1973 Carrera RS may be well documented, but its successor, the Carrera 2.7 MFI produced from 1974-1976, is a car little known by Porsche enthusiasts—until now. The book begins with a brief history of the 1973 Carrera RS, explains why the Carrera 2.7 MFI was produced and the reason North America received a "watered-down" version. In addition, there is a chapter on special models, including the Carrera 2.7 Turbo, the Belgium Police Targas, and the extremely rare and desirable Sondermodell 1976—the final Porsche production car with...