The initial range-topper of the new 911 line-up will be the Turbo S, which will feature a 620bhp twin-turbo 3.8-litre flat six. It will use engine hardware from the GT2 RS to raise the output by 50bhp from the current Turbo S’s.

Below that will sit a Turbo model tipped to produce about 570bhp, roughly 30bhp more than the current Turbo. Both the Turbo and Turbo S will feature wider rear arches and a fixed rear wing to signal their potent performance – and each will have a top speed in excess of 200mph and cover 0-62mph in less than 3.0sec.

The 911 GT3 will deliver more than 500bhp, while standard models will get 10-15bhp more than the current Carrera and Carrera S. The new 911 will be built around an evolved version of Porsche’s MMB structure, which will be wider than the current generation.

911 model director August Achleitner didn’t say exactly which autonomous features the car would have, but hinted that it would be more advanced than before, adding that the driver will always be the focus of the model. “A 911 will always have a steering wheel,” he said, adding that “the 911 will be one of the last cars to drive autonomously”.

Lane keep assist, the system that inputs small movements in the steering wheel to keep the car in the middle of the lane, is expected to make it into the new car - it’s currently not available on the 911. The driver will be able to switch off the assistance systems too, says Achleitner: “Those are convenient and useful things. But the customer has to make the choice to use them and, above all, be able to switch them off when they’re not desired.”

The car will not be a full-electric model, said Achleitner, although the approach of a full-EV 911 is ever closer: “Two years ago I’d have said no way. Today I wouldn’t categorically rule it out.”

Evolved chassis

The 992 911, which is the eighth generation of the sports car, will be built around an evolved MMB structure with a wider footprint than the current 991-gen range. The photographed test car above (spotted last year) wore wheel-arch extensions - evidence of a wider track that will give the 992 improved high-speed stability and better space for rear passengers. The car's length will remain unchanged.