What you see here is not an ordinary Porsche 911 with some tape on it and no hood ornament. It's much more than that. Our spy photographers caught Porsche testing the new modular platform on which the next-generation 911 will be built on. Said platform will underpin other Porsches, like the 718s and potentially a mid-engine supercar, as well as some Audis and maybe a Lamborghini or two. There's literally a lot riding on this new modular architecture, especially since the Volkswagen Group is cutting its research and development budget by a lot.

What makes this test mule different that the 911 currently on sale? Well, not a whole hell of a lot, at least that we can see. The front fenders are wider and appear to come from the GT3 RS. The rear fenders are also a bit beefier as well. The prevailing wisdom is that the next-gen 911, at least according to these spy shots, will have a wider track. Other than the pumped-up fenders there's not much that can be taken away from these spy shots. What's truly interesting is found under the skin, and we don't posses x-ray vision. From the looks of these spy shots the next 911 is still a way's away. There's no noticeable camouflage in these shots, save for the tape over the rear vents on the front wheels.

The Volkswagen Group is still baking its new modular platform and isn't ready to drop anything new on it just yet. If the new platform can be pulled off it will be a coup for the VW Group. It won't be easy, though. The modular architecture will need to accommodate two different seating configurations-the 911 seats four-and be able to house engines placed behind the rear axle and in front of it. If the Volkswagen Group can solve these problems and the myriad of others it'll encounter in constructing a one-size-fits-all platform then it could have a wonderfully cost-effective solution for building its next generation of sports cars and supercars.