Porsche has promised the introduction of a new compact sports car at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show later this month, and that car will almost certainly be the updated 2013 Porsche Cayman.

We’ve published plenty of spy shots of the car in development, but hadn’t seen any images of an undisguised version just yet.

Speed:Sport:Life tipped us off that a side view and a rear view of the car were recently posted to Instagram, and we have to say that the new Cayman looks much better than the car it will replace, which wasn't too bad itself.

We expect the Cayman to share a drivetrain with the new Boxster, which means that base models should come powered by a 2.7-liter flat-six, good for at least 265 horsepower.

Cayman S models will likely get a 3.4-liter flat six that cranks out a minimum of 315 horsepower, though both Cayman variants are likely to make 10-20 more horsepower than the Boxster numbers printed here.

Cayman sales in the U.S. have fallen flat in recent months, as buyers eagerly await the launch of the new model. Like the Boxster, we’re certain that sales will skyrocket following the launch of the new car. If you can live with the previous version of the Cayman, we’re pretty sure that Porsche dealers are willing to bargain.

We’ll bring you complete details on the 2013 Porsche Cayman as part of our comprehensive 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show coverage, so stay tuned.