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2022 Porsche 911 Targa GTS Prototype Is Also a 992 Facelift Mule

Porsche has a very odd way of testing near-production prototypes on public roads, most of the cars being either poorly camouflaged or completely naked.
2022 Porsche 911 Targa GTS 16 photos
Photo: CarPix
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The latter is true for the yet-to-be officially unveiled 992 Carrera GTS, whose pre-production prototypes have looked showroom-ready for quite a while.

With the new GT3 official release right around the corner, it’s time to talk about the next member of the 992 family, and that is the GTS.

This time in Targa specification, a completely nude 911 GTS prototype was recently spotted cold-weather testing in the northern parts of Sweden, but the car's most interesting bits are not actually in full view.

Look closely in some of the adjacent photos, and you will notice that the entire dashboard is covered up, which can only mean two things.

First of all, the 992 in GTS-spec, whether we’re talking about the Carrera or the Targa, will be officially unveiled rather sooner than later, with a summer 2021 debut more than likely.

Second of all, a covered dash can only imply that Porsche is already working on the mid-cycle facelift for the 992 generation, which should be expected sometime in the second half of 2022.

In other words, this is not only a non-camouflaged Porsche 911 Targa GTS, but also a testing mule for the 992 revamp.

According to some well-placed whistleblowers, the Neunelfer 992 facelift will get an all-new interior, partly based on the one found in the Taycan and the upcoming Taycan Cross Turismo. More digital screens everywhere and a new infotainment system are expected, with the exterior redesign kept to a minimum.

It’s the technical side that will get the biggest updates, with all base engines expected to feature a mild-hybrid system for the first time ever, as a stop-gap toward a full-hybrid 911 that has been postponed for a generation. Take this last bit of information with a pinch of salt, though, as Porsche could simply just recalibrate the ECU of the twin-turbocharged 9A2EVO flat-six.
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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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