Porsche 911UK Forum

Welcome to the @Porsche911UK website. Register a free account today to become a member! Sign up is quick and easy, then you can view, participate in topics and posts across the site that covers all things Porsche.

Already registered and looking to recovery your account, select 'login in' and then the 'forget your password' option.

Spy Pics: 2012 Porsche 998 Turbo on secret test

Porsche News

Moderator
Joined
8 Feb 2008
Messages
7,349
The current 997 generation 2 Porsche 911 is still being updated for its mid-cycle refresh, with only the standard Carrera, Carrera 4, and Targa variants, receiving the update. Still in the works are the new Turbo and the GT3 models, though they too are drawing near to their expected unveiling.

Recently a test mule was spotted in Germany by spy photographers, suggesting that Porsche engineers may have already begun testing the next-generation 998 model, and now a new prototype for the next-generation Turbo model has been spied.

Clear differences between the 998 and the current 911 model are a pair of more upright headlights, and the side mirrors are now positioned at the side of the doors and not at the window.

It's still too early to determine what changes Porsche has in store for the engine lineup, but expect to see the recently revised flat-six engine range carry over with only minimal updates – possibly for emissions and economy standards. The new PDK dual-clutch gearbox will also carry over as will a standard six-speed manual.

The next 911 isn't expected to arrive in showrooms until early 2012, but we expect to see much more of the car from spy photographers as it develops.
 

Attachments

  • 998ttspy01_677.jpg
    998ttspy01_677.jpg
    92.3 KB · Views: 22,678
  • 998ttspy02_113.jpg
    998ttspy02_113.jpg
    65.7 KB · Views: 22,678
  • 998ttspy03_241.jpg
    998ttspy03_241.jpg
    66.1 KB · Views: 22,678
  • 998ttspy04_207.jpg
    998ttspy04_207.jpg
    73.2 KB · Views: 22,678
  • 998ttspy05_147.jpg
    998ttspy05_147.jpg
    73 KB · Views: 22,678
Few more spy pics of the 998 !
 

Attachments

  • 998tt207_120.jpg
    998tt207_120.jpg
    86 KB · Views: 22,391
  • 998tt205_530.jpg
    998tt205_530.jpg
    83.8 KB · Views: 22,391
  • 998tt204_165.jpg
    998tt204_165.jpg
    81.1 KB · Views: 22,391
  • 998tt203_177.jpg
    998tt203_177.jpg
    83.7 KB · Views: 22,391
  • 998tt202_160.jpg
    998tt202_160.jpg
    77.8 KB · Views: 22,391
  • 998tt201_146.jpg
    998tt201_146.jpg
    75.2 KB · Views: 22,391
WOW... I DONT LIKE THE BACK AND THE SIDE MIRRORS REMIND ME OF THE FAMILY MAN PANAMERICAN
 
WOW, I like it. It has got a Mad Max V8 interceptor thing going on :worship: :worship:

Alan
 
Porsche 998 - Looks Like a Pointless Retro Mobile

Seeing initial pictures of the 998 I'm a little concerned. I think the 911 is in real danger of getting itself stuck in a retro rut. It's starting to look like an old mans car.

Why? Because Prosche seem to have listened to closely to a bunch of old men in jumpers in their ancient high 964's and 993's who probably never actually ever bought a car from Porsche. Real Porsche customers who actually went out and bought the 996 and 997's Porsche were producing wanted something more modern, more sleek, more accomplished and have had to listen to the old luddites banging on about air-cooling and round lights ever since but they don't care.

They want the 911 to be the flagship Porsche and to be developed accordingly, not as an endlessly tweaked combination of the best bits of several old models. Porsche need to be brave and bring the 911 to a brave new level. They almost went there. I've alwsy thought the lights on the face-lifted 996's were amazingly dramatic and unique. The 997 lights look like they were taken from the Mini. I hate them.

What's the point in buying a brand new 998 if it will just look like the same car that's also been relatively ubiquitous for the last 15 years. Challenging BMW's and Audis' is where the 911 is now, rather than Ferraris' and Aston's for drama, affection and admiring looks.

Perhaps the Cayman is really the new 911 and we need to wake up to that fact. Porsche make the 911 as a retro mobile for wealthy pernsioners while their Porsche heart and soul goes into the car they really want to make, the Cayman.

Please Porsche, make this 911 998 somethijng that wil send some shock and awe through the motoring world, not just one great yawn! It's of absoluitely no use to anyone to have all those old codgers clapping their hands because each 911 looks like the half993/half996 blend. It's the customers who will buy the car over an R8 that matter. R8, now there's an exciting car.

And it's getting bad when I find myself considering a Japanese Datsun as an alternative. Leave the codgers to their smelly clubs Porsche, get with the times. Niall
 
Welcome Niall :)

Hope you have a virtual tin hat and flak jacket to hand mate! :floor:

I'm going to enjoy this... Now where's the popcorn?

:popcorn:
 
I think we should have a poll on who's going to bite first... :floor:


:fisherman:
 
although a very valid argument :flag1:

after the 997 where to for the design of the Porsche 911 :question:

although now Porsche owe everyone else, maybe they will keep the design conservative and leave the flair to the rest ? :dont know:

although on does wish one of those Audi car stylist's could wander down to Stuttgart and give them a hand........
 
....well off you pop then and put your deposit down on a shiney Datsun my son . You are correct of course, Porsche do listen to customers and that's why the 911 variant was, still is and probably will be the undisputed, most desirable sportscar in the entire world :thumb:
 
Wattie said:
I think we should have a poll on who's going to bite first... :floor:


:fisherman:

I think it might be Scott under a new Avatar :floor:

Pete
 
Pete Hadfield said:
Wattie said:
I think we should have a poll on who's going to bite first... :floor:


:fisherman:

I think it might be Scott under a new Avatar :floor:

Pete


Didn't have time to create the poll before the person I thought might be first took the bait... :wink:
 
Welcome Niall to the smelly Porsche club that is 911uk.

You make some very valid points and like the rest of us show some real Porsche passion like we all do. But you also make some sweeping assumptions seemingly based on assumed demographics that are very wide of the mark. We all want to see a cracking new 998...personally this looks like a desperate attempt to keep some identity but isn't brave enough to develop its own language, instead it borrows from other manufacturers.

If all we wanted the best technical/drivers car then the Japanese and the likes of the GTR would have seen Porsche fail a long time ago, instead they are the most profitable car company in the world. Its some thing to do with looks.

Just my 2p as a 30 something 993 driver.

I think they should develop a different line and keep the 911 ticking along with subtle updates. I don't believe it has to be the most powerful or fastest, just the most engaging will do. I'd like to see a more mainstream Carrera GT which can have its own design language and develop its own identity where the shape of the 911 does not allow.
 
Okay everyone, I was being a little bit provocative there. But I would love to see where some great designers could bring the 911 look if given a free reign. Out of pure curiousity if nothing else. As much as I love the car I can't help but feel that it is drifting into a bit of a cul de sac. I really thought they were on to something with the 966 C4S facelift model. And this car was top of my next to buy list until I saw that you can get a low mileage 2005 997 for £30K! Now I'm really confused. I love the 996 C4S too much visually but how can one ignore a new generation car for the same money?
If Porsche had kept going with the more edgy styling I wouldn't have a doubt, I'd be on the phone buyin that 997 today. And seeing the 998. it's hard to tell if there's much to stir the soul in it.
As for my techy tone, I'll be honest, I love my car, a 996 Fried Egg job but it gets such a lambasting from 993 and 964 aircooled 'purist' mob that I'm finding the whole Porsche Ownership Club and Porsche Magazine World an unwelcoming place for 996's, full of people with extemely poisonous views about other peoples Porsches ans ultra fundamentalist postions of a certain batch of usual suspects (2.7rs, GT3, GT2. blah blah).I have yet to come across an article about a 996 in a Porsche magazine wihtout the word 'purist' added in. What is that meant to be all about? And to me, I feel that this voice has had enpough magazine space and airtime at this stage and considering that most of these individuals may not ever actualy buy Porsche's from Porsche itself, it worries me to think that Porsche listens to them to much at the expense of a more dynamic development of the 911's visual evolution.
 
If you don't want a 911 or can't accept the 911 concept then just buy something else(as you said).

I'd just hate for you to buy a 911 then not be happy with it :dont know:
 

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
124,350
Messages
1,439,427
Members
48,707
Latest member
race911turbo
Back
Top