Convertible versions of the Porsche 911 are more usually seen lapping Miami’s South Beach cruise circuit than the Nürburgring Nordschleife, but they’re more than up to that task, even if they’re a shade slower than their coupe brothers.
This facelifted 911 Cabriolet prototype was spied putting in some hot test laps of the ’Ring with its folding cloth top covering the cabin. Like the current Porsche 992 cabrio, the tweaked 992.2 drop-top expected to launch late this year or early in 2024 will be available with a range of color options for its roof including brown, red, and black, and should be able to fold up or down in 12 seconds at speeds of up to 31 mph (50 km/h). But it’s the bumpers, and not the roof, of this car that got us most interested.
The front bumper is almost completely undisguised and has the same design of outer air intakes we saw on the Targa prototype spotted the other week. Whereas earlier prototypes of both the 911 convertible and coupe have featured three horizontal slats in each bumper opening, and what appears to be active flaps behind, this car and the Targa have only two horizontal slats and no vertical active vanes behind.
Related: Facelifted Porsche 911 GTS Gearing Up For Launch This Year
It’s the same story at the back. This convertible’s pair of tailpipes are oval and set further from the center of the car than the round pipes we’ve seen on earlier 911 prototypes. When we saw the same front and rear setup on the Targa prototype the other week we suggested it might be equipped with the optional sports exhaust and SportDesign visual upgrade package.
With the top up and the car moving so fast, our spy photographers weren’t able to peek inside the 911 on this occasion, but we know from previous Porsche scoops that the 992.2 will adopt a fully digital gauge cluster like the one on the Taycan. There’ll be no pure EV drivetrain – that won’t come to the 911 line until at least 2030 – but expect at least some 911s to gain non-PHEV hybrid assistance for the first time.
