Mid-life 911 makeover

The numbingly frigid landscapes of northern Europe are a chilling reminder of the wide range of climatic conditions car designers need to cope with.

Here, in these shots from spy photographers Carparazzi, it's the next version of Porsche's 911 Targa, which shows the 2008 mid-life facelift is about to find its way onto the sliding glasstop that bridges the gap between the full-convertible 911 and the 911 coupe.

Expected to first see the light of day as a production reality at the Paris motor show this year, the 911 Targa shows the subtly modified front (revised headlights, hunky air intakes) and rear (all-new tail lights, revised bumper) that should be seen on all 911s by the end of the year.

Mechanically it is expected the Targa will be available with 3.6-litre and 3.8-litre engines, and will most likely be available with the new seven-speed sequential-manual double-clutch PDK (Porsche Doppler Kupplings) transmission that can't come soon enough to 911.

The facelifted 911 - which is expected to retain the 997 designation - could get some minor refurbishments inside the cabin too.

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