With winter retreating and the weather starting to warm up in the Northern Hemisphere, the 2013 test season at the Nürburgring has officially opened and one of the first automakers to hit the world-famous track is Porsche, which trotted out its upcoming Panamera facelift with minimal camouflage.

Yes, the new front and rear light clusters are covered in deceiving decals, but the rest of the car sports all the changes we will soon see on the production model, and which include a restyled front bumper featuring slimmer LED lamps, fresh wheel designs, and a re-done rear end with a lowered tailgate opening and a new bumper.

There have been reports that Porsche may go ahead and introduce a new twin-turbocharged V6 with as much as 400-horses on the updated Panamera, but company officials have declined to comment.

We’ve also heard that the refreshed version of Porsche’s second best-selling model in the range after the latest Cayenne, could make its debut as early as in April at the Shanghai Auto Show in China, or alternatively, at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS

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