New Porsche 911 facelift spied ahead of 2023 reveal

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aria-label="Porsche 911 Safari spy shots 10"Porsche will update the current 911 in 2023, with a subtle restyle, chassis tweaks and potentially a more advanced, fully digitised cabin.

Our spy photographers have spotted the facelifted car (codenamed 992.2) in off-road Safari trim, with an increased ride height and plastic body cladding. Aside from these Safari-specific details, it’s clear that the revised Mercedes-AMG GT rival will receive mild design tweaks over the outgoing car.

The biggest change is at the front, where the 992.2 wears a new front bumper with a neater grille arrangement and integrated LED running lights. The next-generation 911 is likely to carry over the LED Matrix headlight technology of the current model, featuring Porsche’s signature four-point daytime running light design.

aria-label="Porsche 911 Safari spy shots 3"Elsewhere, this Safari version appears to have GT3-style bonnet vents either side of the Porsche crest, although this could be a distinct feature of the all-terrain variant.

We expect a selection of new wheel designs, and the car will be offered with Porsche’s optional paint-to-sample colour palette. This test car looks to be fitted with the optional SportDesign rear bumper, too, although it’s unclear whether this will be an option with the facelift or part of the redesign. The rear wing is also subtly restyled.

aria-label="Porsche 911 Safari spy shots 7"Inside, the 992.2 is expected to retain the same basic layout as the existing car, with Porsche’s latest PCM 6.0 infotainment system, which has just been updated to include Spotify music streaming, wireless Android Auto and an improved voice assistant.

However, the facelifted 911 could move forward with a new, fully digital instrument panel, like that of the Taycan EV. The current model uses an analogue rev-counter flanked by two screens, but this could be replaced with a slender curved screen that can display drive mode information, a map for navigation and a feed from the car’s night-vision system.

aria-label="Porsche 911 Safari spy shots"The next 911 could also receive an improved suite of sensors for more advanced driving-assist technologies. A raft of chassis and handling improvements is also expected to give the 992.2 sharper responses when the driver takes full control.

Porsche has honed the 911’s suspension and steering set-up as part of previous mid-life updates, so a retuned electric power steering set-up and revised chassis settings are likely. A snappier calibration for the eight-speed PDK gearbox is also possible, although the 992.2 is unlikely to receive significant powertrain revisions.

aria-label="Porsche 911 Safari spy shots 12"It will, however, gain a new hybrid variant. The long-awaited, electrified 911 will be part of the 992.2 line-up, although this option could be added after the launch of the facelift. The electrically assisted 911 could potentially produce more power than the 478kW 911 Turbo S to become the most potent 911 available.

Yousuf Ashraf

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