With spring taking hold in the northern latitudes, Porsche is trading snow-covered roads for track-attack sessions at the Nurburgring. The 911 is certainly in its element at the Green Hell, and our spy photographers are there to capture the action.
Specifically, we have some clear shots of the upcoming 911 Cabriolet, version 992.2 for the more hardcore Porsche fans out there. It's certainly not the first time we've seen the updated soft-top in public – spy shots are over a year old at this point. It's also not the first time we've seen this specific prototype, as it recently made an appearance on video. The images, however, give us a close, clear look at updates coming to the front and rear of this forever-young sports car.
Gallery: 2024 Porsche 911 Cabriolet Nurburgring Spy Photos
Porsche is still a boss when it comes to concealing details in plain sight, but on the front it now appears most of the black tape is indeed gone. Zooming in, it's easy to see the newly shaped air intakes in the fascia. They're still rectangular in nature, but horizontal bars cut across the middle for a slightly more aggressive look. The top portion of the intakes will have a more pronounced curve instead of being squared off – a bit of plastic camouflage is visible on the left intake but missing on the right, revealing the design. There are active elements at play here as well.
The rear of this prototype is still heavily covered in black tape, notably around the corners of the taillights and the rear fascia. There's also a mess of black wrap in between the dual exhaust outlets, but there's no way to hide the new pipe design. It's a feature we've discussed before, and it could be a clue to perhaps the most anticipated change coming to the 992.2 Carrera Cabriolet – a naturally aspirated engine. Allegedly, that is.
The layout for this exhaust is similar to that of the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS model, which runs a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six. The same holds true for the Boxster GTS, and rumors have been rampant since we first spotted this exhaust layout on the 911 over a year ago. Our spy sources tell us that Porsche executives want naturally aspirated power back in the lineup, but nothing is confirmed at this point.
A specific debut date isn't confirmed either, but it's coming soon. Prototypes have spent a long time in the public testing phase, and we're expecting that to end later this year.
