Porsche's 911 is, at this point, a living legend. Carrying an exterior look that still captures the essence of the original while being a completely different beast under the skin, the 911 is perhaps the original retro-futuristic sports car. The next generation promises to build that legacy.

We've seen the next-gen 991 2012 Porsche 911 in spy shots, we've even had previous inklings as to its powertrain, but this week, the German print edition of Autobild claims to have the full inside info on powertrain and performance stats.

Power: 345 horsepower from a 3.4-liter boxer engine, downsized 200 ccs from the current engine. Acceleration: 0-62 mph in 4.8 seconds for the base Carrera. Top speed: 180 mph. Combined fuel economy: 27.7 mpg. Impressive, indeed.

Step up to the Carrera S, however, and you'll get a bigger 3.8-liter engine, 395 horsepower, 4.5 seconds to 62 mph, and a top speed of 188 mph--all without shaving much off the average mpgs, which come in at 25.8. Not shabby at all.

Other tidbits gleaned from the article: weight savings of about 45 pounds, 19-inch wheels standard on the base model, and 20-inchers on the S.

We still have a long wait to get the final word from Porsche, however, as the 2012 911 (991) isn't due until September 2011 at the Frankfurt auto show.

[Autobild]