Spy Shots: Porsche 998 911 mule
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Porsche 998 911.
Spies posted around the Nurburgring have caught what's likely to be the next generation Porsche 911 undergoing testing. The 998 mule is wearing modified 997 body work, with the addition of blistered wheel arches hinting at a widened track and a makeshift wing providing additional downforce. According to KGP, the quad exhaust tips pulled from the Carrera S aren't fitted as flush as the 997 model, so space is likely tight in the rear, while the roll cage proves that the new platform is still in its infancy. Expect the 998 911 to debut late in 2010.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
TJ 3:38PM (7/16/2008)
Note to porsche: it is no longer 1956. Please try to give us a design that evokes an emotion other than "is that a 1999, a 2003, a 2005, or a 2010?
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MikeofLA 3:42PM (7/16/2008)
I can tell you which is which in less then a second. It's an iconic design that will be evolutionary and not revolutionary.
Johnnie 3:57PM (7/16/2008)
Porsche stays true to the design. I like it.
I too can tell the difference within seconds.
pmiddle5 3:59PM (7/16/2008)
No more Mustangs, Camaros, or Chargers as well god dang!
Jackattak 4:02PM (7/16/2008)
Considering Porsche's status, TJ, I think they know what they're doing.
Thanks for posting, though.
I, like my other Porschephiles here, can tell the difference within seconds.
Joe K. 4:07PM (7/16/2008)
I am not a huge porschephile, but I can tell the difference in mere seconds as well. If it ain't broke, don't fix it...
TJ 4:13PM (7/16/2008)
"I can tell you which is which in less then a second."
As can I.... but we are part of .0000000000001% of the global population that can.
I am just saying that I would *like* to see something more revolutionary than evolutionary.
Ligor 5:26PM (7/16/2008)
I agree with TJ
it's about time Porsche gave up their UGLY beatle design and moved on
a new already looks old before it was even drawn up
CEMan 5:46PM (7/16/2008)
It seems to me I read something not to long ago that said Porsche made some $25-30 thousand dollars in pure profit off every 911 sold. Now why would they want to mess that up eh?
Revolutionary design is the Porsche Panamera. http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/9352_image.jpg
I will stick to the 911 or Cayman/Boxter, http://us.gizmodo.com/gadgets/images/porsche%20cayman-thumb.jpg thank you very much.
AMcA 9:33PM (7/16/2008)
As the owner of a 997, let me say this: don't change the shape.
If you want a newer looking sports car, I'm sure Hyundai will come out with something that suits your taste soon.
omark 1:47PM (7/19/2008)
After I installed DPK, I can tell the difference in LESS than a second.
carsteve 9:50AM (7/29/2008)
I suggest actually seeing one in person. These cars are really, really sharp in person. Pictures do not do Porsches justice. To me, when looking at pictures, I perceive Porsches to be bigger cars than they actually are. I've seen many in person, but I look at pictures more often, and I can tell you, that sometimes I forget how incredible these cars look in person. I think many people do the same thing.
TKOsoccer03 4:20PM (7/16/2008)
And who's to say it isn't another variant of the 997??? Perhaps it is the updated Turbo, of which pictures still have yet to be released.
They could be jumping to conclusions here, but at least it is possible.
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Coffee Jones 5:09PM (7/16/2008)
The turbo would have some vents on the rear w heel arches.
This is using the new front intake seen on the recent 997 refresh (dual clutch gearbox and direct injection engine)
http://www.porsche.com/microsite/911/usa.aspx
but, if this was a styling change they'd have it camoed. Bet on it.
Maybe they're working on engine / suspension changes?
TKOsoccer03 5:08PM (7/16/2008)
Good point.. the chances are good it is just a drivetrain mule for the 998, but sometimes Autoblog does jump to conclusions too fast without getting all the information.
symantix 5:26PM (7/16/2008)
Totally not a Turbo. No side inlets is a dead giveaway.
Hank 9:24PM (7/20/2008)
Stupid question but I've always liked them on pre-production cars, typically astons or porches: what type/who makes the style of wheel on for example this porche?
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carguy 4:18PM (7/16/2008)
Why bother with a test mule? All 911s look the same anyway.
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Phil Perman 5:03PM (7/16/2008)
Would love to see them go back to the days of the big flared arches like the 930, would give it some proper character again
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wushu 5:53PM (7/16/2008)
Yawn, yawn, and more yawn. Porsche needs to let the 911 die and go to the graveyard in the sky where all legendary cars eventually end up. All it would take is putting the 3.8L engine in the Cayman. That's it. No more of this 911 Horsepower Protection Program. If the 911 is so weak that putting a new engine in the Cayman can kill it, then it's time to let the Cayman rise to the top of the Porsche hierarchy. More power to the Cayman!
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