Carrera 2.7 is one of those Porsche books you just cannot put down. It is a perfect example of how to write a modern super detailed and beautifully designed text on a specific car. Author Ryan Snodgrass, who looks after the carreramfi.com website in the USA, is a confirmed fan but this work on his favourite model excels in terms of research, writing style, design and the huge amount of contemporary and studio photography. This lavish ($250 USD) slip-cased book details every aspect of the story behind the first full production 911 Carrera.

The 1974 models were the next step in Zuffenhausen's then-established routine of introducing bi-annual major upgrades to the 911 series. The top-of-the-line range model had been planned as a 2.7 911S, with the free-revving engine first used on the previous year's RS. However, the new G-series models were much more than that – adopting the required impact absorbing bumpers and a whole new interior. The use of the revered Carrera name upset many purists, but it was an essential gilding to the top production model at a time when Porsche faced stalling sales and possible bankruptcy caused by the 1973–74 OPEC oil embargo. Although not available in the USA, Porsche treated its customers in other markets to a RS-powered thoroughbred. The Carrera 2.7 was the last in the line of pure-bred 911s, before ever more restrictive regulations took the 911 in a different direction.

This absorbing book details all the development that led to the final production models and includes fascinating sections on the Sonderwunschen (special wishes) cars, the other sections covering the technical specifications, colours, options, literature, motorsport and even the tools included with the car. It is a fantastic work and an essential for any serious Porsche book collector.