2012 Porsche 911: First Official Photos of the 991 Hit the Web

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 CoolPictures 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 via Topspeed

PHOTO GALLERY

Porsche Unveils 2012 MY 911 GT3 Cup Racer

The all-new 911, code-named 991, may be just around the corner with its debut coming next month at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but that doesn’t mean that Porsche is done with the soon-to-be-replaced 997.

At least not with its racing version, the GT3 Cup, which with more than 2,200 units sold, is the number one preference for customer racing teams worldwide.

Now, Porsche has unveiled the 2012MY 911 GT3 Cup. It is based on the 991 (997) GT3 RS, with the 3.8-liter flat-six engine producing an identical 450HP at 8,500 rpm.

However, it does get a race exhaust system that features a controlled catalytic converter to reduce CO2 emissions.

The new GT3 Cup has a larger 100-liter FT3 safety fuel tank, which is filled via an opening in the hood. According to Porsche, this change makes the car more suitable for a wider range of endurance racing.

The Porsche racer rides on 18-inch wheels shod in 25/64-18 front and 30/68-18 Michelin racing tires.

Both the front and rear anti-roll bars are adjustable in seven positions in order to achieve a customized set-up for each occasion.

In addition, the Porsche Mobil1 Supercar racers, which support the F1 championship, get exclusive use of the PCCB Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes that, compared to the composite cast units used in other race versions of the 911, reduce overall weight by 20 kg.

Deliveries of the new 911 GT3 Cup will start in September and the car will be available in this specification for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Pricing starts from €161,750 (~ US$228,700) not including local taxes.

PHOTO GALLERY

MRS Racing Team gives Porsche 911 GT3 R a New Look

This weekend's ADAC GT Masters racing series at the Red Bull Ring circuit in Austria will see team MRS show off their latest Porsche 911 GT3 R in new colors.

The MRS racing Porsche was prepared by German car wrapping specialist, Cam Shaft, which went for an eye-catching three-tone color theme. You can check out more photos of the car in our gallery after the jump.

PHOTO GALLERY