The entire Porsche 911 range has a refresh coming. Our spies caught the updated coupe and convertible during cold-weather testing.
Porsche never really overhauls the 911's look. While the refreshed model doesn't appear radically different, there are some big updates. The front fascia has active slats in the inlets on the outer edges. When open, these pieces would provide cooling air to the radiators. When closed, they would provide better aerodynamics.
Gallery: Porsche 911 Facelift Spy Photos
If you look closely, there are concealment strips above openings in the fascia. This might be for hiding lighting elements.
Like with many refreshes, Porsche's designers don't adjust the styling of the updated 911's flanks. The company might offer some new wheel designs, though.
Porsche doesn't want us to see the refreshed 911's tail. There's a big cover over the whole panel and pieces along the edges of the taillights. The inlets on the rear deck are also under camo. Taken as a whole, this suggests that the updated model could look quite a bit different from the back than the current car.
Previous spy shots let us see inside the updated 911. It adopts a fully digital instrument cluster. We don't have details about tweaks to the infotainment system or center console layout yet. Software tweaks are possible.
Powertrain changes for the refreshed 911 range aren't yet known. A hybrid model joins the range at some point, though. Porsche Chairman Oliver Blume recently described the electrified variant as "very sporty." The setup reportedly puts an emphasis on performance rather than efficiency.
While we don't know the exact date, the first examples of the refreshed 911 should debut this year. We would expect Porsche to start with the entry-level Carrera variants before bringing out the updated GT3 and Turbo.
The video below shows the refreshed 911 on the move.
