The next Porsche 911 has been caught testing with its moveable rear wing in the extended position. The chance to peek at the next evolution of Porsche’s iconic rear-engine sports car is always a special moment. Despite countless improvements and variations since it debuted back in 1963, the 911 has remained absolutely cutting edge while still upholding a direct link to its forebears.

Of course, when talking about a new 911, it sometimes helps to have a magnifying glass handy to spot the subtle differences. Don’t be fooled by the air intakes on the rear fenders of this prototype, as they’re clever fakes. The head and taillights look to be slightly different than before, while the front fascia features more aggressive intakes and a pair of small foglights.

Another noticeable difference between old and new 911s can be found in the retractable rear wing of this prototype, which was caught testing on a canyon road. The wing is larger than before and the surface area now includes part of the rear fenders. This should improve cooling and provide for greater aerodynamic downforce at speed.

According to our sources, extra oxygen will be pumped to a 3.4-liter engine in the base Carrera. The Carrera S is due to receive a 3.8-liter flat-6 that could make as much as 400 bhp. That would be a noticeable improvement from the 385 bhp presently offered in the 2011 Carrera S.

Weight savings have also been high on the list of priorities for Porsche’s skilled engineering team. Aluminum body panels should help shave off some pesky pounds—though we’d hardly call the 3075-lb. curb weight of the base Carrera excessive. The wheelbase is reportedly 4 in. longer than the current version’s. It remains to be seen whether these extra inches translate to a noticeable improvement in rear seat comfort (never a strong suit in the cozy confines of the 911).

Gearboxes offered will be the 7-speed dual-clutch PDK and, it’s rumored, a 7-speed manual transmission. Perhaps this is so shift-for-yourself owners don’t feel ignored by the Stuttgart-based automaker?



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