Porsche is working on a refresh for the 911 family and there’s already speculation that we might see some exciting changes for some of the versions. What you see here is a prototype of what appears to be the 911 GTS judging by that wing at the back and the lack of center-locking wheels and side air intakes at the back. More importantly, this trial vehicle has barely any camouflage giving us a very good look at the design changes expected with the facelift.
Sure, this isn’t the first time we see lightly disguised prototypes of the 911 but the only camo seen here is the black tape on the headlights. The light units won’t get a complete makeover but we know from previous spy photos the internal structure will be changed to feature new amber turn signals. The most obvious design tweak at the front will be the switch to vertical slats for the grille and the slightly modified bumper shape. The center section of the grille also appears to be larger than before.
The rear end is also pretty much free of camouflage. It reveals a setup that we are already familiar with from previous spy photos. It includes exhaust tips that sit closer to each other in the center and a slightly redesigned lower section of the bumper. We’ve seen the 911 GTS testing with both a fixed wing like this prototype and a retractable spoiler. We don’t know what the final setup will be but it seems that Porsche is evaluating different aerodynamic components.
As opposed to a GTS prototype from about a month ago (see the related links below), this test car doesn’t have a yellow sticker on the rear window. This means it is not a hybrid and based on a recent interview with Frank Moser, Vice President of Model Lines 911 and 718 at Porsche, it seems likely that the 911 GTS 992.2 won’t be electrified. The 911 family is getting some sort of electric support but it won’t arrive until the middle of the decade, which likely means it will be introduced on the hotter derivatives.
Speaking of Porsche’s schedule, it is believed the 911 facelift will be unveiled in base form before the end of this calendar year. This might be a speculation on our part but we believe the GTS should follow a few months later around the middle of 2024. As for the first electrified 911 in history, don’t expect to see it before 2025.