Porsche is hard at work on a facelift for the 911 lineup, but the changes might turn out to be more than skin-deep.
According to British magazine CAR (hat tip to MotorAuthority), the facelift will introduce turbocharged engines to the base 911 Carrera and Carrera S models in Porsche’s push to reduce emissions without compromising performance.
At the moment, the Carrera is powered by a 3.4-litre flat-six, but if the rumoured switch holds true, displacement will drop to 2.9-litres. The Carrera S, on the other hand, will have its engine stay at 3.8-litres but total output will be bumped past 500 horsepower to keep it in line with its latest competitor from Stuttgart, the Mercedes-AMG GT.
There is no word yet on how the changes will affect the 911 Turbo, but given its current 520-horsepower rating, it will likely see its power bumped up as well. The 911 GT3, however, is expected to keep its flat-six engine normally-aspirated.
Expect to see the facelifted 911 Carrera and Carrera S to debut early next year as 2016 models and hit dealers next fall.
