It feels like the Porsche 911 is always in a state of flux. As soon as a new model debuts, the company gets to work on the various variants, and before we know it, the 911 is ready for its mid-cycle refresh. There’s no shortage of spy pics capturing the various trims and body styles of the upcoming refreshed 992 model, and the latest photos show the 911 Targa testing at the Nurburgring race track.
Most of the styling changes will happen to the front and rear fascias. The new 911 Targa features a restyled front bumper with horizontal bars across the two large outer intakes. This example lacks the vertical and active slats seen on other cars. Black tape still covers the headlights and parts of the front fascia.
At the back, the 911 Targa has a redesigned rear bumper with a new diffuser housing the round dual exhaust pipes, which could indicate some powertrain changes. Even more black tape is visible across the back, but we’re uncertain what it’s hiding.
Powertrain information remains elusive as there are persistent rumors that some 911 variants will use a naturally aspirated flat-six engine for the Carrera. However, the company has disputed that, leaving us to guess what will power the redesigned model. The current entry-level Targa 4 has a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six engine making 379 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque. The Targa 4 GTS makes 473 hp and can hit 60 miles per hour in 3.3 seconds.
The 992.2 911 will get some interior updates. Our spy photographers captured a glimpse of the cabin, revealing a fully digital instrument cluster sitting alongside a familiar-looking center console and infotainment screen. Porsche could make other tweaks to the technologies, but we’ll have to wait for the full debut to learn everything.
We should see the first redesigned 911 debut before the end of the year. Anyone familiar with Porsche’s launch cadence will know the company likes to stagger the debuts of the model’s different variants. That means we likely have to wait to see the Targa, Turbo, and GT3 breaching cover later.
