Porsche’s 2019 hybrid 911 spied
● Spies catch next sports car on test with no disguise ● Plug-in hybrid technology to feature for the first time
THE 2019 Porsche 911 has been spied testing yet again, although these latest spy shots are unlike our usual candid snaps of upcoming cars.
These fresh images reveal the new 992-generation 911 almost in its entirety; it even has a proper paintjob. They serve up an unblemished look at the latest evolution of Porsche’s iconic sports car before we get to see it officially later this year, possibly in November at the Los Angeles Motor Show.
On display is a new front bumper and grille arrangement that is boxier and wider than before and clearly inspired by the latest Cayenne. The shutlines employed at the front end to define the car’s boot are squarer than before, and the bootlid itself appears to creep further down the 911’s lower nose.
In profile the iconic shape remains unspoilt, though, with more pronounced rear haunches. Looking around the back there are noticeable changes. The rear bumper is solid and simplified, but sits beneath a new LED tail-light set-up that consists of a full-width lighting bar.
A traditional air intake sits above the 911’s rear-mounted flat-six engine, and the back window appears marginally larger. Previous spy photos have confirmed that the shutlines flowing into the rear corners of the car outline a new, much larger flip-up rear wing.
Elsewhere, this particular mule gets an aggressive-looking rear apron, and four exhaust exits. However, there is no indication of which version of the 911 the car in our pictures is.
Our spy photographers couldn’t grab any interior shots of the mule, but we’ve had a glimpse of the new 911’s cabin before. The long, flat centre console will remain, but the dashboard will be all new in design with refreshed infotainment, new switchgear and repositioned air vents. A new steering wheel is coming, along with fresh digital instrumentation that mimics the Panamera’s, with circular displays in place of some of the traditional dials.
As ever, the 911 line-up will continue to be diverse, with Coupé, Cabriolet and Targa options and headlined by Turbo, GT2 and GT3 variants. However, a brand new halo 911 looks likely to appear.
The 992 model will be the first car in the 911’s 55-year history to feature plug-in hybrid technology. Earlier this
“992 model will be the first 911 to feature plugin hybrid technology”
year, a source close to the company told Auto Express that the car has been “fully developed to accept a hybrid powertrain” and that Porsche could even offer two hybrid 911s, with a mid-range Carrera hybrid propping up a Turbo-rivalling flagship plug-in.
Elsewhere, we expect the majority of the 911 line-up to continue with a developed version of the twinturbocharged 3.0-litre flat-six introduced in 2015, although power outputs across the line-up should be mildly boosted.
The move to turbocharge the 911 three years ago didn’t extend to the focused GT3 and GT3 RS cars, which are currently powered by 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-sixes. New GT3S will appear, but so far there’s little to suggest Porsche has an appetite to turbocharge its two motorsport-derived 911s, so they could remain naturally aspirated for the time being. A send-off for the 991-generation model will appear in dealers soon in the form of a Gt3-derived 991 Speedster.