500

http://www.worldcarfans.com/spyphoto...-in-the-desert

neil.schneider

Great find. Thanks. From the rear shot it looks like they are gonna have some protection from rocks, finally. I wonder what model year.

nyca

that new nose looks a little too elongated

NAvyC4S

agreed. and it looks like they have the "spider" headlights that we all agreed were photo shopped too.

nyca

also, these changes are totally uncamoflauged - these changes appear production ready, they are going to bottle these changes up for another full year until the 2009 MY? I think this is going to be a 2008.5 mid model year introduction.

Le Chef

Elongated nose is for European pedestrian safety regs. Get your order in before they start delivering in MY09...

axhoaxho

I am not sure if I like the new front bumper... kind of a step backward and looks like the 996...

Alan Smithee

The one thing the 997 doesn't need is a pointier nose. Perhaps it's due to new Euro pedestrian safety requirements.

These cars are definitely coming to the US before fall of 2008...probably by spring of next year as 2009s, which explains the limited allocations for 2008s.

Strange that the GT2 will have the old taillights...

Alan Smithee

...and a step backwards by making it look more like a Boxster. I've felt that since the first spy shots were published.

blk on blk

i love the look of the 996 C4S. I love the look of the facelift.

nyca

with the engine at the rear, I don't see that the euro pedestrian safety regulations apply here. did the nose need to be longer in order to be softer? there already ought to be plenty of "crush space" available in the nose of a 911.

the EU seems to be spending most of its time regulating its auto industry into oblivion.

10 GT3

The real reason for the change in the front is not retro style. It is most likely cooling. It looks to be about a 30% increase in area for air to get to the side radiators. Coincidentally, a similar change was made in the styling of the later 996s for the same reason.

Soulteacher

You could be right. In accordance with European Union directive 2003/102/EG, all manufacturers are required to develop front bumpers that minimize (down to - or below - a predefined maximum level) the energy impact that pedestrians absorb in the event of a collision.

Porsche avoided Phase I (new models only, effective October 1, 2005), but Phase II begins in September 2010 and also includes facelifts.

Of course they could avoid that deadline by introducing a facelift before 09/2010. So maybe that's not the reason for the longer nose after all?

I'm also not sure if the new demands necessarily require a new design - some manufacturers are testing softer materials for both bumpers and hoods.

Where's engineer OCBen when we need him?

Edgy01

The only reason that I can see for the rear light shape is to aid in water drainage from the lower point (instead of essentially a shelf that we have on the current models).

It looks like the Carrera 997.5 will gain length (longer nose) and width (dumbo mirrors).

I'm happy with mine!

axhoaxho

Sorry I take it back, the new front bumpers looks like a Boxster S...