PORSCHE 911 3.0 CARRERA TARGA SPORTOMATIC, 1976

The 911 3.0 Carrera was only built between 1976 and 1977.  The 3.0-litre Carrera was destined for a relatively short life, disappearing when the 911 range was upgraded to "SC" specification in 1978. During its short two-year life span, only 3687 cars were built. Of these 2564 were coupes and only 1123 produced as Targas.  Its introduction heralded an important development in the 911's production process: the adoption of Thyssen anti-corrosion zinc coating for the steel body panels, which was a vast improvement on previous methods. The Carrera 3.0 engine was a naturally aspirated version of the tried-and-tested 930 Turbo motor utilising the new Bosch K-Jetronic CIS fuel injection and was one of the earliest Porsches to attain reasonable fuel consumption without a significant performance loss. The model featured wider rear wheel arches and improved heat management.

The Type 911 body was changed only in small detail but incorporated for the first time a high-temperature, zinc-coated sheet steel construction. The use of rust-resistant aluminium components was also extended. They included bumpers, the alloy wheels, the rear semi-trailing arms, the front suspension cross member, the engine crankcase, cylinders, and pistons. the gearbox housing and the steering gear housing. The stainless-steel Targa roll-over structure was also fully corrosion resistant.

The 3-litre model provided a very high performance and magnificent handling and safety in a more relaxed way, with less noise and better comfort, than all its predecessors. The character of the car was driven by an increase in capacity from 2.7 to 3 litres, which improved the engine’s flexibility and mid-range performance, the maximum torque of 188 ft lbs now being developed at 4,200 rpm instead of 5,100 rpm.

The Sportomatic gearbox, introduced by Zuffenhausen in 1967 and based on the 905 unit, was an effectively clutch-less manual system that allowed the driver to change gear by simply pulling the gear lever through its standard H-pattern movement. In order to realise this, the gear lever featured a micro-switch that activated whenever the gear knob was depressed slightly. When the gear lever was touched, the switch caused a solenoid to open a pneumatic valve. In turn this causes a vacuum cylinder to disengage the clutch, allowing the synchromesh gears to be changed before the clutch is reengaged when the gear lever is released. This enabled stress free Porsche driving in built-up areas.

Our 911 3.0 Targa consists of a comprehensive history file detailing service invoices and receipts throughout the car’s life. The car has benefited from recent extensive expenditure carried out by Classic Porsche Repairs.  A comprehensive 12-month warranty will also be provided.

Available to view now at our London showrooms.