Overview & Reviews

Porsche cars have a virtually untarnished reputation and are considered among the finest performance vehicles in the world. It's a reputation that's well-deserved. With razor-sharp handling and power aplenty, Porsche vehicles offer a driving experience like no other. It's little wonder that, for many, the marque has come to define the sports car category. For years, the only Porsches available were sleek sports cars, but the manufacturer recently expanded its lineup to include other types of vehicles.

The brand has its roots in the Porsche Engineering Office, founded in Stuttgart, Germany, by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931. Porsche brought with him years of experience as an automotive engineer; in the '20s, while employed with Daimler, his skill was tapped to create Mercedes' iconic SS and SSK sports cars. Porsche has long had close ties with Volkswagen, and the first Porsche vehicles were small two-seat sports cars that were largely based on VW chassis. From 1948-'50, most of these early Porsche cars (the brainchild of Porsche and his son Ferry) were actually built in Austria before production was switched to Zuffenhausen, Germany. Ferdinand's first real production car was the VW Beetle, so it was no surprise that his sports cars used those components and had their air-cooled engine mounted in the rear.

The 1950s saw the birth of two icons, the 356 Speedster with its low-cut windshield and the lightweight, midengined 550 Spyder. Both cars helped Porsche rack up a multitude of wins on the racetrack. In the mid-'60s, the 356 made way for the revered 911. Powered by an all-new six-cylinder engine, the coupe scored two consecutive wins at Monte Carlo. Following in the footsteps of its predecessors, the 911's air-cooled flat-six engine was located in the rear of the vehicle.

By the time the '70s rolled around, Porsche had introduced the 914 (the "affordable" Porsche with a midengine design and a targa top), the mighty 911 turbo, the disrespected 924 (powered by a weak front-mounted, water-cooled inline four) and the flagship 928 (front-mounted V8, four-seat coupe). The '80s saw the birth of the 956, a car that went on to become the most successful racecar of all time. The twin-turbo, all-wheel-drive 959 was also launched; it became the first sports car to win the Paris-Dakar Rally and the street version could hit nearly 200 mph. The athletic 944 debuted in 1983, as did a convertible version of the 911, something that had been missing for some years. The '80s also saw the rebirth of the 924, now with some muscle courtesy of the 944's strong-for-the-time (147-horsepower) inline four.

By the early 1990s the 928 had been discontinued and the 944 was replaced by the similar 968. Because of a lack of dynamic product and a tough market climate, Porsche was suffering financially. The company's savior, the Boxster roadster, debuted in 1997 and brought back the spirit of the old 550 Spyder. In 2003, Porsche committed what purists considered a sin as the company brought the Cayenne SUV to the market. However, once those enthusiasts discovered the Cayenne's sporting performance (especially in 450-hp turbo form) all was forgiven. The following year, Porsche brought out the ferocious (605-hp) Carrera GT supercar.

Today, Porsche's lineup is quite broad for a specialty automaker and now even includes a luxury super sport sedan, the Panamera. Throughout its history, Porsche has exhibited amazing resilience, weathering changes in consumer tastes and the economic climate. As such, it's safe to assume that this ever-robust company will continue to be known for making vehicles that excel at performance, luxury and usability.

User Reviews:

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  Porsche Turbo 1996 - 1996 Porsche 911
  By Duane Lyons - November 2 - 2:00 am

  Awesome car. Still a rocketship with great handling. Excellent German quality.

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  The best damn sports car...EVER! - 2002 Porsche 911
  By Dr. Guumba - November 2 - 2:00 am

  I traded in my 2002 996 Targs for the 2002 996 Turbo w/ X50 power package. This car is scary fast and will literally thow you back into your seat. Riding on rails handling and super performance. If you can afford it, buy it. You will have no regrets.

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  Best all around cab on the market - 2017 Porsche 911
  By Nick - October 29 - 7:36 pm

  This car does everything right. I use it as my daily driver in Connecticut and it brings a smile to my face evey day. I can actually use it as a family car as my daughters car seats fit in the back latch system. The best of the best!!!

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  There are cars and then there is a Cayman - 2008 Porsche Cayman
  By DrDebt - October 27 - 3:53 pm

  When shopping there are some cars that you mull over hoping you wont second guess the decision, and then there some where the decision is made within 30 seconds of turning the key and dropping it into gear. This is one of those. With the sharp snarl of lighting up the 6-cylinders that share the mid-chassis location giving perfect balance, you know this is a drivers car. Spartan but comfortable, the interior is well laid out and gadget free. Lots of leg and head room, and excellent views without blind spots. Until youve driven a Porsche, youll not appreciate the torque that makes the 6-speed transmission more than enough to zing to 60 mph in under 5 seconds, and brakes to stop as quick.

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  Loved this car for 4 years and then... - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By roy_taylor - October 22 - 2:16 pm

  I absolutely loved everything about my Cayenne GTS and have been thrilled with it, until this weekend. On a ski trip to Mammoth from LA the transmission has gotten stuck in low range. It wont move up to give me a limited differential and it wont move down to road mode. If I try the 307 mile journey home I have to do it at 50mph. I googled the issue and now find that its a common problem. Porsche roadside assistance is coming tomorrow to get it but wont tow it back to LA only to Fresno. Porsche have totally let ,me down.

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  Absolute blast and practical - 2008 Porsche Cayman
  By hook - October 21 - 3:13 pm

  I bought my Cayman used with 1000 miles on it. The next day my wife and I left on a trip to a wedding and vacation in NYC. We were able to pack for week long trip with formal clothes for rehearsal dinner and formal wedding. All our luggage fit no problem. I then got sick and my wife had to drive to NYC she had not driven a manual in 10 yrs and wanted to practice before leaving the hotel. She shifted twice said this is great and before I knew it we were comfortably cruising at 80 mph. My car in 9 months has been trouble free and a blast to drive. This is my first Porsche and I would gladly buy another.

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  Bad SUV - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By Bob - October 19 - 12:00 pm

  04 Cayenne S $71,000 Thought Cayenne would be step up had 02 BMW 4.4. X5 Cayenne does not match BMW quality, luxury, dependability. Wheel off center left 2in. Pulls left, changes lane within 100 yds. Wheel shakes 55-85 at 70-85 shake is so bad, hard to hold the wheel. W ent back to dealer 5 times, 1st month for wheel shaking, remote keys dont work, use key to open but can’t get the alarm off to start towed to dealer. Radio starts cutting in and out. Wheel still shakes, front doors rattle when stereo turned up, 3 wheel alignments, tires worn out at 7.000 miles. Sold at 7,500 miles - 4 months old for $25,000 loss. To date over 145 technical service bulletins issued on 2 year old model.

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  Engine Failure - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By biodev - October 17 - 11:42 am

  I am / was the original owner of a 2004 Cayenne S. I carefully maintained the car with oil changes every 7 to 10K miles, transmission fluid at 80K and the car was not driven hard. Overall the Cayenne was great to drive but extremely expensive to maintain, numerous brake jobs and sets of tires. The real disappointment was this past week after 9 years and 121K miles the engine failed. The issue was a cylinder scoring leading to failure of cylinder one. The Cayenne engine can not be rebuilt and a replacement engine is about $22K installed, used engines are about $8k installed. Upon searching the web the engine failure is not unique and it seems like it is a major issue with old Cayennes.

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  Tremendous Handling, Good Power - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By Nick Avgoulas - October 16 - 10:00 am

  After owning a Firebird Firehawk Convertible, I decided to test drive a Boxster S. What a difference. While it lacked the same straight-line power, it makes up for it 100 fold in handling. I test drove every major convertible, Honda S2000, Audi TT, BMW Z4, Mercedes and none of them come close the handling of this car. Even the 911, which is an awesome vehicle does not quite handle like the Boxster! If you want absolutely the best handling most fun car to drive try a Boxster S. The fit and finish is superbe. To quote a famous movie line: "Porsche, theres no substitute!" There is nothing else like it, short of a 911!

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  If only I could afford a Turbo - 2003 Porsche 911
  By Grange - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Great car. Handles supurbly, power is frightening at first. Beatiful car and gets a lot of attention by others.