Porsche readies facelifted 911 for 2015 launch

A facelifted version of the Porsche 911 is in development and will launch next year, as these first spy pictures show.

Pictured here testing at the Nürburgring, the revised 911 will receive a series of mild styling tweaks, including a more angular front bumper and new slim-line LED daytime running lights.  

Early information suggests that Porsche may equip the facelifted 911 with active front air ducts that close at a 
pre-determined speed to improve aerodynamics.

At the rear, there is also a newly styled bumper that features horizontal ducts on the outer flanks to extract air from the engine bay, suggesting that the prototype captured here may be a mule for a successor to the 911 GTS.

Power for the reworked 911 comes from a range of updated naturally aspirated flat six engines of 3.6 and 3.8-litre capacity. They have been re-engineered to meet Euro 6 emissions regulations and have features that include a new thermal management system.

As before, the new 911 GTS will offer slightly more power than the 911 Carrera S. Insiders hint that it will have in the region of 425bhp.  

Rumours that the revised 911 may adopt the flat four engine currently under development have been denied by Porsche officials, who say that the new unit will be launched in the Boxster and the Cayman instead.

As Porsche's road car division tunes the 911, Porsche Motorsport is also readying a hot new version of the Cayman, tipped to be called the GT4. Test mules of that model have also been spotted testing at the 'Ring, with the sportier Cayman likely to use the same 3.8-litre flat-six engine of the 911 Carrera S for power.