SPY PICS: Facelifted Porsche 911 Carrera could lose turbos

The first semi-disguised prototype of the facelifted 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera has been spotted in Sweden and, according to insider sources at least, there could be more going on with the most affordable 911 than just a simple nip and tuck.

Stylistically speaking, the upgraded 992.2-series Carrera looks set to adopt a similar front bumper design to the upcoming Porsche 911 Turbo facelift, with the changes being led by a new horizontally slatted front bumper.

Behind those slats appear to be vertically-oriented air ducts with active flaps which should help control airflow and regulate engine temperatures.

Exactly what the finished product will look like is anyone’s guess as Porsche is keeping the design and position of the restyled fog lights and indicators tightly under wraps on this prototype, which is supplemented by a set of tacked-on lamps.

More interesting is the Carrera’s possible return to natural aspiration with either a detuned or downsized version of the big-bore turboless 4.0-litre flat six in the Porsche 911 GT3.

The intel comes from anonymous brand insiders and is supported by the appearance of the prototype’s exhaust outlets which, to the trained eye at least, look to resemble those of the Porsche Cayman and Boxster GTS twins – both of which are powered by a free-breathing ‘atmo’ 4.0-litre boxer six.

The fresh powerplant could also be hinted at by the unfinished and disguised air outlets on the engine cover.

For reference, except for the GT3 and some limited-editions, the Porsche 911 range adopted forced induction in 2015 with the release of the 991.2 generation.

What sort of power and torque figures the new 911 Carrera produces – if it ditches turbos – obviously remains to be seen, but the safe money would be on the outputs being slightly up on the current model’s 280kW/440Nm outputs.

By comparison, the 4.0-litre Cayman and Boxster GTS twins develop 294kW/420Nm.

Meantime, shrouded with snow and ice and devoid of any meaningful detail, it’s more than likely the facelifted prototype’s rear bumper will get a stylistic and functional makeover similar to the front-end, especially if it houses a new exhaust attached to a new engine.

Due for launch globally by 2023, Porsche’s facelifted 992.2 911 range is also expected to be joined by a new higher-riding crossover derivative dubbed Dakar, which was also spied testing recently.

Watch this space.

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