The current 992-generation Porsche 911 is about to arrive for its mid-range update and a prototype for the updated Carrera Cabriolet has just been spotted.
Also being tested are updated versions of the Carrera, Carrera GTS, Targa, GT3, Turbo and Turbo S.
The Carrera Cabriolet prototype features new front air intakes, new headlight internals and a revised taillight design.
We also notice a new rear diffuser design, as well as exhaust tips mounted closer to the center. The movement of the exhaust tips supports rumors that a new engine may be introduced with this update, specifically a larger, naturally aspirated unit like Porsche’s 4.0-liter flat-6 offered in the 718 lineup, which starts at 394 hp. Current Carrera models come with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-6 engine whose power starts at 379 hp.
There is some substance to the rumors. Frank-Steffen Walliser, former 911 chief engineer, said in a 2020 interview that new emissions regulations planned for Europe in the middle of the decade will encourage the return of larger engines in favor of downsized units. The new rules apparently aim to match lab-tested fuel economy with real-world numbers.
Hybrid technology will also be introduced in some 911 variants with this update. Carrera prototypes have been tested with hybrid power, pointing to the technology that is also being offered at the entry level.
Porsche CEO Oliver Blume in 2022 said the 911’s hybrid system will be similar to the system in the former 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car, and not a plug-in hybrid system like in the 918 Spyder hypercar. This means there will be no plug and any electric motor-generator will be used exclusively to support the internal combustion engine and recover energy during braking.
Blume recently confirmed that the first 911 hybrid will debut this summer, and that’s likely when we’ll see the debut of the first members of the updated 992-generation 911 lineup. They should arrive in showrooms as 2025 models in the US
