It was bound to happen; the very first official press photos of the new 2012 Porsche 911 were leaked onto the internet today well ahead of the sports coupe’s world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in mid-September.

If you’re having a hard time spotting the styling changes we won’t blame you as the 991 was closely modeled after the outgoing 997.

And while there may be more differences than we care to mention, the most eye-catching alterations concern the concave front LED daytime running lamps, the door-mounted exterior mirrors and the much thinner and more futuristic looking LED tail lamps that adorn the more heavily sculpted rear end.

As anticipated, the new 911’s interior blends the two styling worlds of the 997 and the Panamera into one. A key highlight is the pronounced lower part of the center console that hosts a number of buttons.

Move away from the styling and you’ll find a larger platform with a 4.0-inch longer wheelbase as well as a new pair of engines, with the basic Carrera sporting a 3.4-liter boxer delivering 350HP, and the Carrera S, a 3.8-liter flat-six producing around 400-horsepower.

In both models, power is channeled to the driving wheels through a new 7-speed manual gearbox or an optional PDK transmission.

Stay tuned on Carscoop for more news on the new Porsche 911, as it won’t be long before the German automaker comes out with a full release.

Photos: SoloPorsche via Topspeed

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