What's the news?
When is a model reveal not a model reveal? When, as with the new '992' edition of the Porsche 911, the model in question is still covered in disguise tape and the mechanical and performance details are rather thin on the ground.
Nonetheless, this is our first look at the latest 911, an evolution of a car that has for so long been a benchmark for high-performance and driving enjoyment. And in spite of the encroachment of driver aids and semi-autonomous technology, that's the way Porsche wants to keep it. August Achleitner, director of the 911's development team, said at the (quasi) reveal that "Even when it comes to the individual assistance systems, they have to fit with the 911. 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 joy of driving always has to be in the foreground. That's why a 911 will always have a steering wheel. The 911 will be one of the last cars to drive autonomously."
Exterior
Through the disguise tape, it's clear that Porsche isn't going to move very far away from the current 991-edition car when it comes to styling. Was it ever going to? The front end looks all but identical save for some detail differences around the headlights. The rear styling will be slightly more striking though, with a heavily slatted engine cover and Panamera-style full-width lights. You'll not mistake it for anything other than a 911, though, and Achleitner defends this stylistic conservatism: "Even where the public might be expecting a bigger 'wow factor,' in the long run a certain aesthetic reserve pays dividends."
Interior
The interior won't be radically changed either, but it will get a thorough update, allowing Porsche to bring in some of the big-touchscreen tech from the Panamera and new Cayenne.
Mechanicals
The big news will be under the skin, where electric power will for the first time be introduced to the 911. Not a full EV, but a hybrid - although Achleitner says that for the first time he can now "imagine" the idea of a fully electric 911 - "Two years ago I'd have said no way. Today I wouldn't categorically rule it out." No details yet on whether it will be hybridised flat-six engine, or whether Porsche will bring the 2.5-litre flat-four across from the Cayman and Boxster S, but for now a six-cylinder unit is more likely, not least because of the storm of controversy over the engine sound from the flat-four. Still, there was controversy when the 911 moved to an all-turbo engine range and, as Achleitner says: "Some fans rushed the barricades; it was all gloom and doom for many. And then the same thing happened as always: nothing. The new models have always received even more rave reviews than their predecessors. That encourages us to think about fundamental innovations in the future as well."
Certainly, the existing 3.0-litre turbocharged flat-six engines will be carried over, not least because they've only recently been upgraded with a modest power increase. The big-T 911 Turbo model will also continue, with the top-spec S model likely to get a power increase from 580hp to 630hp.
Anything else?
What will it be like, then? It will be like a 911, of course. A "dynamic bastion of stability" according to Porsche. As Achleitner puts it: "The new 911 will be the best 911 of all time." We look forward to putting that claim to the test.