2011 Porsche 911 GT2 Update Spied Lapping The Nurburgring

AROUND THIS time last year, the state of the global economy reportedly had Porsche looking at scaling back its production and new model development. This week, the German carmaker has been spied testing an updated 911 GT2 at the famed Nurburgring circuit. 

Along with the recent unveiling of models such as new Cayenne, the track-only 911 GT3 R and the 918 Spyder, it's clear that Porsche - with the oversight of parent Volkswagen - is all systems go.

These photos of the updated GT2 join recent spy photos of the 2012 Porsche 911 and 911 Cabriolet testing in Europe, along with the 2012 Boxster.

The 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 is expected to get an international launch early next year, the first update since 2007. Styling tweaks, always minimal with the 911 range, will include new bumpers, with a subtler look to the rear end.

Underneath, as always, is where the real updates will be. As with the 911 GT3 and 911 Turbo, direct injection will make its way to the GT2's 3.6 litre flat-six, boosting power to around 410kW - up from 390kW.

Other technical details are unknown at this point. While there are hopes that Porsche's PDK dual-clutch transmission will be added as an option, but an updated version of the existing six-speed manual transmission is likely to remain the only gearbox on offer.