Daily Slideshow: Porsche Officially Unveils 992...Clad in Camo
Porsche finally shows off the all-new 911. Well, sort of!
Porsche 992 Makes Semi-Official Debut
The entire automotive world has held its collective breath since we learned that Porsche was developing its all-new 992 generation 911. It isn't often that we see perhaps the world's most iconic sports car undergo such a radical transformation, after all. Riding on an all-new chassis and sporting freshly revised powerplants and bodywork, it's safe to say that expectations remain high for the 992. But when Porsche decided to drop these first official images of the car, it was kind of bittersweet!
The Heart of Porsche
We say bittersweet because unfortunately, the 992 in these photos wears heavy camo. But despite this, it's still nice to see some pictures of the forthcoming 911 that aren't blurry spy shots. The first heavily revised 911 in 6+ years has been in the development stage for a very long time, but we're getting pretty close to an official debut. Porsche model director August Achleitner admits that it's a tedious process given the car's history as the "heart of the company."
Autonomous No, Electric, Maybe?
And while we've got a pretty good idea of what the 992 will look like, what powers it remains a closely guarded secret. The elephant in the room, of course, is the possibility of hybrid electric or fully electric power. For now, at least, that isn't in the cards. But Achleitner admits that he's warming up to the idea.
"Two years ago I'd have said no way. Today I wouldn't categorically rule it out." But the same (thankfully) cannot be said of autonomous driving capability. "Even when it comes to the individual assistance systems, they have to fit with the 911. A 911 will always have a steering wheel, [the] 911 will be one of the last cars to drive autonomously."
Drawing Conclusions
Porsche's camo-covered 992 lines up quite nicely with the cars we've spied testing around the world. But while this is an entirely new 911, it's still unmistakably a 911. Its haunches are wider, the bumpers restyled. The new rear spoiler and Mission E-inspired taillight aren't visible in Porsche's official pics, but we've seen them in enough spy shots to know what they look like.
Evolution, Not Revolution
So what have we learned about the 992 so far? Like virtually every 911 before it, this is all about evolution rather than revolution. We won't see anything as radical as the switch from air-cooling to water-cooling this time around, at least. Hybrid power is likely coming, but not right now. Perhaps the most exciting news for Porsche fans is the new modular platform, which gives the car a wider track, which should make a noticeable difference in handling. And that's never a bad thing!
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