There’ll soon be a new version of the world’s second most popular rear-engined car, the Porsche 911. Don’t let the subtle exterior changes fool you – there are major changes hiding under the sheet metal of the sports car world’s most enduring icon.
Spotted earlier this week racing through the notorious Nordschleife, the face lifted 911 (dubbed the 991.2) has received a few non-sheet metal changes, including new LED lighting elements, redesigned bumpers with revised side air intakes, new alloy wheel designs and repositioned exhaust tips.
The exhaust tips are a red flag here – suggesting significant modifications underneath, including the long rumoured switch to all-turbo powerplants for the core range, replacing the naturally aspirated versions of the 257kW/390Nm 3.4L and 294kW/440Nm 3.8L flat-six engines. If the turbo-charged rumour ends up being true, it might also result in a reduction in engine displacement, all in the name of achieving greater fuel efficiency numbers. Betting men are suggesting a sub-3.0L flat-six turbo for the 911’s entry mode, though the track-focused 911 GT3 will most likely retain its larger displacement, naturally-aspirated engine.
Something more certain is an upgrade of the current 911’s in-car multimedia system, as Porsche updates the car to the Volkswagen Group’s latest system. Accompanying this will be revisions to the dash, centre console, and steering wheel – which looks similar to the one out of the 918 Spyder. Expect various other trim and specifications updates associated with mid-life makeovers of this level.
These “spy shots” have surfaced in the wake of Porsche’s limited-run 911 Black Edition series, suggesting that the 2012-era current version is indeed in runout mode, offering $25,000 of additional equipment over the standard-issue Coupe and Cabriolet models, including LED headlights with Porsche Dynamic Lights System Plus, Park Assist with a reversing camera, and 20-inch Turbo wheels.
Pricing for the 991.2 should remain similar to the existing range, which starts at $208,600 for the 7-speed manual Carrera Coupe, all the way up to $466,900 for the Turbo S Cabriolet PDK automatic. The 911.2 will not doubt be heading for production soon (via the Nurburgring of course) and could be in Australian dealerships by the end of 2015.