2012 Porsche 911 Targa Almost Ready For Release: Spy Shots

A prototype of 2012 Porsche 911, which is set to go on sale early next year, has been spotted testing in Germany by Motorauthority spy photographers.

2012 Porsche 911 Targa model has been spotted for the first time now and it reveals that for the new ‘991’ generation of the car, the glass roof will simply slide back and remain on top of the car, acting almost like a rear spoiler. This setup should improve storage space in the car and perhaps also aerodynamics.

An important change will be the adoption of a ‘downsized’ 3.4-liter flat-six engine with direct injection technology, which should output 350 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Performance ‘S’ variants of the 911 should feature a 3.8-liter version of this engine, which in basic trim is expected to develop upwards of 400 horsepower and 324 pound-feet of torque.

Beside this, a new seven-speed manual transmission is expected to be offered alongside the existing seven-speed PDK dual clutch unit.

Except all these, the new Porsche 911 Targa should essentially be the same as the 911 Carrera or 911 Carrera 4 depending, of course, on whether the customer selects the wider track version.

The new 911 Targa to debut shortly after the debut of the regular 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera Convertible at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show this September.

Source: Motorauthority