Carrera! This noun, borrowed from Spanish, means race, and if Porsche hadn’t used it in 1955 to designate the best-engined variants of its 356, its use would certainly have been confined to Spanish-speaking countries. Instead, popularised by the Stuttgart firm, it took on a meaning and prestige that continue to resonate today in the hearts of enthusiasts, whatever their language. In particular, the term has played a key role in the long history of the 911 and, naturally, everyone immediately thinks of the 1973 RS, its radicalism, its mythology, its ducktail spoiler, its dedication to racing; as its name suggests.
Don’t look for photos of a Carrera 3.0L in the Porsche database, as the brand has no archive photos of this model. This illustrates the situation of the Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 in Porsche history: that of a particularly interesting model, but one that lived in the shadow of its predecessor, and which above all marked the beginning of a temporary decline for the 911.
The Carrera 3.0 in the shadow of the Carrera 2.7?
The Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 made its appearance at the end of 1975, for the 1976 model year. It replaced the 911 Carrera 2.7, which had lived through two vintages: 1974 and 1975. The Carrera 2.7 was equipped with an incredible 210 bhp, borrowed from the already legendary 911 Carrera RS 2.7.
But in 1976, Porsche President Ernst Fuhrmann had other things on his mind than the 911, which he considered old-fashioned and, above all, technically outdated. For him, there was no question of undertaking costly developments to modernise the 911; the future lay with front-engined Porsches like the Porsche 924. So the Carrera 3.0 arrived with a less powerful engine than the Carrera 2.7: it produced 200 bhp instead of 210 bhp for its predecessor. The engine is nonetheless of high quality, since it is based on the 911 Turbo, which explains its 3-litre capacity. A typical Carrera 3.0 feature is the 5-blade cooling turbine. When it comes to performance, there is some debate: the 0-100 time is identical on both models (6.1 seconds) and the Carrera 3.0 gives back 3 km/h to the Carrera 2.7 in top speed: 235 km/h for the Carrera 3.0, 238 for the Carrera 2.7. On the other hand, the Carrera 3.0 excels in acceleration, where it is ahead of the Carrera 2.7. The Carrera 3.0’s optimisation of torque works wonders, with the car taking 3 seconds less than the 2.7 RS from 40 to 160 km/h, despite weighing 45 kg more as a result of the improved soundproofing.
Relatively low torque means you don’t have to go too far up the rev range for efficiency, and the 930 turbo’s solid aluminium engine block makes it a particularly reliable model.With similar tyres and weight, these figures speak volumes about the Carrera 3.0’s potential, despite the drop in power. But is a drop in power a bad signal to send to the customer?
With 2,546 coupés and 1,105 Targas sold, the 911 Carrera 3.0 served its purpose. It was replaced in 1978 by a 911 SC, which lost even more power, dropping to 180 bhp. This was the beginning of the downturn for Porsche, which concentrated on the 924 and 928, but profits failed to keep pace, and customers who loved the 911 were left wanting more. Porsche’s image gradually deteriorated, and with old cars out of fashion, the Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 gradually fell into oblivion.
Re-engineered to 2994 cm3, the block had exactly the same dimensions as the first Turbo presented in Paris in the autumn of 1974. Its crankcase was no longer made from the magnesium used since the 1969 model, which had been found to have certain weaknesses. As Paul Frère wrote in one of the reference works he devoted to the model: ‘In order to avoid any failure due to metal fatigue, the Carrera 3-litre 930/02 engine in its normal version has a die-cast aluminium crankcase’. An analysis of the technical data sheet reveals a distinct difference from that of the 2.7-litre 911. While power was down by ten horsepower, the 26 mkg of torque remained the same – except that it was now obtained at 4,200 rpm instead of 5,100 rpm.
Although it is generally referred to as the civilised version of the legendary 210bhp 2.7 RS, the Carrera 3.0’s 0-100km/h time is a tenth of a second quicker than that of the 2.7 RS (6.3 seconds), and even two tenths quicker for 0-180km/h! This good performance is mainly due to the much lower torque, which the 2.7 RS only achieves at 5,100 rpm. A direct comparison of the power curves explains this miracle: up to 5,000 rpm, the 3.0 engine delivers significantly more power than the 2.7 RS. It’s only above 5,000 rpm that the old Carrera 2.7 RS catches up and then overtakes the 3.0 Carrera… which goes to show that it’s not just a question of having more power, it’s also a question of being able to exploit it.
It’s hard to put a figure on the number of 911 Carrera 3.0s that have been ‘lost’ over time through lack of care or maintenance, with only enlightened enthusiasts taking a real interest in them. It wasn’t until the mid-2000s that the Carrera 3.0 made a comeback, with classic cars gradually returning to the limelight, culminating in the mid-2015s.
The 911 Carrera 3.0, a car for connoisseurs :
The Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 remains a car for connoisseurs: rare, with a less powerful image than a Carrera 2.7, and less produced and more expensive than a 911 SC, it lies between two waters, where only enlightened enthusiasts venture.
That’s not to say that it’s a tricky car to drive, as its 3-litre engine is perfectly matched to a quality 915 gearbox, making the engine/gearbox combination a pleasure to drive. It can be driven on torque in fast cruising mode, and it’s capable of showing off its power at higher revs. Above all, it still represents the transition from the pre-1973 911 Classic to the full maturity of the 911 Caisses G, which will be reached with the 911 Carrera 3.2. So if you want to enjoy a vintage 911, the Carrera 3.0 could be the ideal mount: rare, unique, reliable and consistent.
If you’re already familiar with 911s from that era, you’ll snuggle up to it like an old friend; if not, I promise you some very exciting discoveries, with a very favourable power-to-weight ratio (the car weighs just 1,120 kilos) and a driving pleasure enhanced by the availability of the flat-six engine. The car doesn’t need to be whipped to give its best, with the added bonus of the more or less hidden bliss of driving one of the less frequent avatars of the most unmissable sports car in history!
1977 
