SPYSHOTS: Porsche Panamera facelift undisguised

The mid-lifecycle update for the current Porsche Panamera has been sighted again, this time almost free of its disguise as a development unit exits a Porsche facility. This particular car wears disguise graphics around the headlamps, though the more apparent changes at the front end are lower down, at the front bumper where the intakes and slats have been redesigned.

This would appear to be the six-cylinder 4S variant, as an earlier sighting likely to be the full-fat Turbo wears dual LED rows on its front end, along with more prominent air intakes built into the front bumper. The rear end of the car further suggests its V6-powered identity, with the one-piece deployable spoiler and quad round exhaust tips.

The visual changes at the rear end could be easier to miss, though the tail lamps have been revised as well. The central light strip is now integrated along the upper edge where it meets the main elements on both sides, a design update that has also been sighted on a development unit for the Sport Turismo facelift.

With stricter emissions standards to comply with, both V6 and V8 engine configurations will most likely be fitted with particulate filters. The mechanical updates will include revisions to the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as well, according to our sources. Similarly, updates can also be expected for the six-cylinder plug-in hybrid version of the Panamera.

Further afield, a development mule wearing additional downforce-generating parts on the current-generation Panamera Turbo bodywork was sighted running laps at the Nurburgring, which was rumoured to pack outputs of up to 820 hp from a tuned version of the plug-in hybrid 4.0 litre biturbo V8 powertrain from the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid.

The sparing application of disguise and completed bodywork suggests the facelifted Panamera is due to debut soon, and the long-roofed Sport Turismo is expected to follow closely.