2019 Porsche 911: images of new '992' model leak

Low-res images of the 2019 Porsche 911 '992' have been leaked
Low-res images of the 2019 Porsche 911 '992' have been leaked
Low-res images of the 2019 Porsche 911 '992' have been leaked
The 2019 Porsche 911, codenamed 992, has been spotted almost completely undisguised
...ahead of its anticipated debut at the LA motor show in November
Revealing shots captured in Germany show the car with uncamouflaged production bodywork...
...with similar rear-end styling to the Mission E concept, and thus the Taycan, due next year
As expected, the 992-generation 911 will be an evolution over the current model in terms of styling…
…although under-the-skin updates will be more thorough as the car enters its eighth generation
911 model director August Achleitner didn’t say exactly which autonomous features the car would have, but hinted that it would be more advanced than before…
…adding that the driver will always be the focus of the model
This is a leaked image of the next Porsche 911
“A 911 will always have a steering wheel,” said Achleitner, adding that “the 911 will be one of the last cars to drive autonomously.”
The car has been spotted testing on numerous occasions
It features a raised rear design…
…that appears to take influence from the Speedsters of yesteryear
Porsche will reveal the next 911 later this year
It will arrive on roads in 2019
The next 911 is the first due with a hybrid option
But the top Turbo models will retain a pure combustion engine set-up…
…in a bid to keep weight down
The next 911 will be slightly larger than the current model
The top model will have around 630bhp
New 911 cocks a leg on one of the 'Ring's infamous twists and turns…
…which have become synonymous with testing a vehicle's mettle – performance car or otherwise
The same iconic profile remains…
…while a light bar at the rear keeps up with a growing trend in car design. Think Bugatti Chiron
A retractable spoiler also appears to sit flush with the bodywork when not raised
It will launch in 2019
Don't expect to see it officially and undisguised until at least the second half of this year
The slim rear lights and indicators are far smaller than any that have so far been fitted to 911s
The test mule, when first spotted, donned some bizarre wheel arch extensions…
…suggesting the model was chassis-testing
Also tipped to be under test was the new hybrid powertrain, which may have called for a wider body, hence the bolstered arches
Rest assured that the contrasting arches will not be carried through to the production model
The retractable spoiler was also in a much earlier stage of development at this time
The test mule used the bodywork from the previous 911
It was hard to distinguish the first test mule from the previous car on first glance
The de-badging and lack of centre caps on the wheels suggested a clandestine approach by Porsche, though…
…as did the strange apparatus on the filler cap
An all-digital dashboard, based on the same technology as Audi's Virtual Cockpit, will make it into the next 911
As well as the option of a hybrid model, Porsche is also considering an all-electric version of the 911 in the same vein as the Audi R8 e-tron

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5 mins read

24 November 2018

Undisguised images of the new 2019 Porsche 911 have leaked ahead of the car’s official launch at the Los Angeles motor show next week.

The low-resolution images of the forthcoming eighth-generation Porsche 911 were published by Jalopnik, which says it was sent them by a user of a private internet forum where they first appeared.

Update: the eighth-generation Porsche 911 has been revealed in LA

Numerous test mules of the 992 generation machine have already been spotted, including some with virtually no camouflage. The leaked images showcase the more muscular look of the new machine, with a design inspired by the 997-era 911 Speedster. That model, in turn, was inspired by Speedster models of the 1950s and 1960s. Autocar has already had a ride in a prototype of the new 911.

First ride: 2019 Porsche 911 prototype

The new photos also clearly show the reworked rear end of the new car, which is similar to the Mission E concept, and thus the Taycan, due next year. The design employs the familiar subtle evolution Porsche has employed for decades, but extensive changes to the powertrain range will feature.

For the first time, every petrol engine in the 911 line-up will be turbocharged, marking the end of naturally aspirated units found in more hardcore variants of the current 991.2-generation model.

The new 911 line-up will also include two new four-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid models, including a range-topping version with more than 600bhp and a top speed of nearly 200mph.

Although the Jaguar F-Type rival will be launched with traditional combustion-engined Carrera and Carrera S models, the petrol-electric versions will be an integral part of the line-up. A senior Porsche official has told Autocar that Carrera 4 E-Hybrid and Turbo S E-Hybrid variants will be added to the model line-up in 2020.

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The 911 model range will eventually grow to 24 variants. The technical layout of the new 911 models is currently shrouded in secrecy, although they are expected to receive a disc-shaped electric motor in two different power outputs housed within the gearbox.

Space up front will be used to house a lithium ion battery similar in capacity to the 14.1kWh unit used by the Cayenne E-Hybrid – a position that, Porsche sources suggest, provides almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

The Turbo S E-Hybrid is claimed to eclipse the 572bhp and 553lb ft of the current twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre six-cylinder 911 Turbo S. Insiders at Porsche’s Weissach-based R&D centre suggest it will offer more than 450kW (603bhp) of power.

The hybrid 911s will feature the firm’s traditional flat-six engine with an electric motor, which, Porsche officials have previously admitted, was a packaging challenge. The decision to add hybrids to the range was in part driven by the need to meet the tightening EU CO2 regulations.

Despite the added weight of the lithium ion battery, the hybrid’s greater low-rev torque will allow for a sub-3.0sec 0-62mph time similar to the current Turbo S’s. That model is expected to be priced similarly to the £147,540 current Turbo S.

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The Carrera 4 E-Hybrid will be pitched at a similar price to the Carrera S, which costs £87,335. Both will be offered in coupé and cabriolet bodystyles.

The initial range-topper of the new 911 line-up will be the Turbo S, which will feature a 620bhp twin-turbo 3.8-litre flat six. It will use engine hardware from the GT2 RS to raise the output by 50bhp from the current Turbo S’s.

Below that will sit a Turbo model tipped to produce about 570bhp, roughly 30bhp more than the current Turbo. Both the Turbo and Turbo S will feature wider rear arches and a fixed rear wing to signal their potent performance – and each will have a top speed in excess of 200mph and cover 0-62mph in less than 3.0sec.

The 911 GT3 will deliver more than 500bhp, while standard models will get 10-15bhp more than the current Carrera and Carrera S. The new 911 will be built around an evolved version of Porsche’s MMB structure, which will be wider than the current generation.

911 model director August Achleitner didn’t say exactly which autonomous features the car would have, but hinted that it would be more advanced than before, adding that the driver will always be the focus of the model. “A 911 will always have a steering wheel,” he said, adding that “the 911 will be one of the last cars to drive autonomously”.

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Lane keep assist, the system that inputs small movements in the steering wheel to keep the car in the middle of the lane, is expected to make it into the new car - it’s currently not available on the 911. The driver will be able to switch off the assistance systems too, says Achleitner: “Those are convenient and useful things. But the customer has to make the choice to use them and, above all, be able to switch them off when they’re not desired.”

The car will not be a full-electric model, said Achleitner, although the approach of a full-EV 911 is ever closer: “Two years ago I’d have said no way. Today I wouldn’t categorically rule it out.”

Evolved chassis

The 992 911, which is the eighth generation of the sports car, will be built around an evolved MMB structure with a wider footprint than the current 991-gen range. The photographed test car above (spotted last year) wore wheel-arch extensions - evidence of a wider track that will give the 992 improved high-speed stability and better space for rear passengers. The car's length will remain unchanged.

Modular design will enable the structure's use for next-generation versions of the Boxster and Cayman, while it could also influence the design and engineering of future Audi R8 and Lamborghini HuracÃ¡n models. The updated structure will make more extensive use of high-strength steel and aluminium in order to cut weight.

Visible on the photographed cars is a full-width retractable rear wing. This will come as part of several active aerodynamic parts tasked with enhancing stability with downforce when additional grip is required. An active front spoiler is also a possibility, although this hasn't been seen on test cars so far.

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Interior and dashboard

The latest Cayenne and Porsche Panamera offer the biggest clues as to what the 992 911's dashboard design will be like. Spotted development cars have featured a central rev counter that's flanked by two digital screens, located in a cluster that curves around the centre console touchscreen.

The technology mimics the wraparound design of Volkswagen Group stablemate Audi's Virtual Cockpit but keeps a more traditional layout, with revs remaining the main focus.

Like its forebears, the 992 911 will also be produced in Porsche Targa form, although this isn't expected to arrive until later.