Next year Porsche celebrates the 50th anniversary of its iconic 911, and to mark the occasion the sports car manufacturer is readying something special. It was at the 1963 Frankfurt Auto Show that the first 911 appeared, originally as a concept and with a 901 designation.

After a quick name change following an argument with France’s Peugeot, which claimed only it had the right to use car names made up of three numbers with the middle one being a zero, the then renamed 911 eventually entered production a year after its Frankfurt debut.

Speaking with Car Sales recently, Porsche’s production line director for the 911, August Achleitner, has revealed that something special has been prepared for the car’s 50th anniversary.

Achleitner didn’t reveal what it would be, though he said it won’t be the only new 911 variant added to the current 991-series Porsche 911. The previous 997-series had 23 variants, including special edition models.

Some of the variants we know are coming include the track-focused GT3, the Turbo grand tourer, the glass-roofed Targa and the all-out-insane GT2 supercar. There will also be more hardcore RS versions of the GT3 and GT2 models.  

Porsche is believed to have several special events planned for the 911’s 50th, including the debut of at least one special-edition model, most likely at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show next September.

Stay tuned for an update.