In June 1977, Motor magazine's Roger Bell wrote a 12,000 mile running report on an Apple Green non-Sport Carrera 3.0, RLA 433R (where is it now?). Entitled 'Living with a Legend' the article was fulsome in its praise for the car and cut right to the chase from the very start:
'...I wondered whether the car's dynamic qualities had been tempered to underline the emphasis that is now placed on refinement and creature comforts inside. It did not take long to discover that they hadn't.'
The report celebrated the overall achievement of the 911's classic design ('...it not only feels good, it is good by whatever criteria you wish to judge it as a driving machine.') whilst marvelling at the power of the Carrera 3.0's engine:
'Utterly smooth, un-nervingly responsive to the throttle, and so very, very potent when it's on song.'
And while noting that the car could be a touch tricky to master when cold about town, it was:
'a great deal more rewarding to drive in the manner intended, which is fast, using the impressive rev range...and whipping the lever through unbeatable synchromesh with a quick stab on the clutch.'
The reporter was no less enthusiatic in his description of the car's handling and road holding:
'Then there's the marvellously quick and responsive steering, more alive with feel as it writhes and wriggles in your hands than any other I know. On dry roads the Carrera's cornering powers are so high that most drivers will back off long before the limit is reached...The brakes are superb. They are beautifully weighted (which means quite heavy) with a firm pedal...'
'The comfort of the front seats and driving position compensate for the firm ride and the traditional lack of compliance in the suspension bushes which causes the fat tyres to jolt and thump loudly over ridges and cat's eyes. It's a small price to pay for taut handling of the highest order...'
The writer had only minor niggles with the car, mainly the notchy gearbox and the effort involved in balancing the clutch, throttle and gearbox in town driving when he was feeling tired
Although the Sportomatic box takes centre stage in this article from January 1976, it is tested within the context of the Carrera 3.0's dynamic overall road performance:
'Surprisingly acceptable in semi-automatic form though lacking the ultimate performance of the manual equivalent...Very expensive but almost unique roadholding, ride performance and economy.'
The primary theme of this article, though, was an evaluation of Porsche's semi-automatic transmission, the 3 Speed Sportomatic box, which was available as an option on all Carrera 3.0s throughout their two-year production run. Although it came to be frowned upon by Porsche purists, and is not generally popular today, at the time the Sportomatic box was considered to be perhaps the best automatic gearbox available and there was lavish praise in the article for Porsche's engineering prowess:
'...it should be no surprise that their [Porsche's] solution to the problem of an automatic Porsche is...thorough. It matters not that few people will want such a car, the point is that, if they do, then the Sportomatic gearbox offers perhaps an ideal answer.'
The report concluded by confirming that the 'Sportomatic version of the Carrera provides an acceptable compromise between performance and relaxed driving', concluding with a statement that could just as easily have been applied to both manual and semi-automatic versions alike:
'It is the Jekyll and Hyde character of the car that allows it to fit the driver's mood so well - one minute threading its way unobtrusively through traffic, the next exploding away toward the horizon with that unmistakable Porsche exhaust note streaming out behind.'