We’re still some time away before Porsche would see fit to unveil their next generation 911 to the world. The Zuffenhausen automaker rarely, if ever, previews their flagship sports car in concept form and is somewhat famous for pulling the wraps only once they are nearing a launch date.
A picture of what looks to be the all-new Porsche 911 (992) has found its way online, seemingly void of any and all camouflage. Given the angle and probably stealthy nature of the photo taken, only the rear end of the yellow unit managed to be captured. The original uploader has since taken the photo down from Instagram, but not before it had been copied and reposted.
Most obvious are the new tail illumination array, linked by a very pronounced brake light strip that wraps around the entire rear end. Rather than the twin pipes used in most 911s today, this particular development car boasts quad exits.
The car, which was sitting on a lift in a garage, also had all markings and badging removed apart from the blacked-out Porsche lettering. Given its bodywork and proportions, our bet is that this is a Carrera 4S, likely powered by the same 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six petrol engine that hangs out the rear of the current model. Power should be close to today’s 309kW and 500Nm, though this could be supplemented by mild-hybrid system rumoured to be making its debut in the next 911.
This new powertrain feature could take the form of a third compressor, a kind of electric turbocharger that’s able to fill any gaps in linearity from the exhaust-driven turbines, and made possible by the 992’s new 48-volt architecture.
Seeing as how the current generation of 911, called the 991, has been around since 2012, it would seem high time for a replacement despite how fresh the present model has remained next to technically younger competition. Porsche had significantly updated the 991 in mid 2017 (991.2), with the focus surrounding more powerful but efficient (and downsized) engines, setting the stage for a potentially more significant change for this upcoming all-new version.
In addition to the electric compressor, this upcoming generation of 911 is also rumoured to be point of introduction for full-blown electrification, something that should stir up quite the debate within the enthusiast community. Well, perhaps not so much discussion as disappointment and disillusionment.
The transition to widespread turbocharged engines within the 911 range was met with a good degree of skepticism, but was eventually silenced due to the very evident uptick in performance and the fact that Porsche has been weaning its customers for over 40 years now since the introduction of original 930 Turbo of 1975.
Electrification, though, is another beast altogether, especially since it’s likely to be paired with the new force-induction engines, possibly even spreading to the track-focused GT3 and RS. There will be drama.
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