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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  Well, Nicely done! - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By Sanik - November 1 - 10:00 am

  This car quite fulfills my expectation.. However, ironically, Infiniti FX45 does the same under $50thousand... And, the thing is, Cayenne S is slower than FX45,,disappointingly although Turbo model was much faster!

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  falling apart - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Kaitlyn - July 21 - 2:00 am

  My Cayenne is falling apart. One thing broke after another. First it was the stero, then sun roof wont open, locks are not working properly, etc. Ive had it for just half a year but encountered too many problems. Besides, the interior is too small for a family car. I would not recommend this car for a family of four or more. I dont know if other Cayennes have the same problem. But I didnt like mine.

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  What else can go wrong - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Beach boy - May 11 - 9:36 am

  Not long after owning this vehicle there was a recall for the transmission. It was replaced. Another warranty issue was the radio/cd player rear seat belts and hinge replacement on the tailgate. Since the warranty ran out at(80,000 Kms) all hell broke loose. The driveshaft flex joint went the heater blower, plastic cooling tubes,(now metal), water pump, brake switch(can start without having to apply brake), warning buzzer for lights left on etc., heated seat module, rust under rubber on door window frame, seat belt springs have weakened,(they jam in door), tailgate barely closes, repairs to the tune of approx. $8000.00. What a $140,000 money pit. Dont buy one.

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  The Homing Pigeon - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By Andrew C - April 1 - 10:40 pm

  The Porsche Cayenne S has great driveability for an SUV but sadly we call ours the Homing Pigeon because it spends so much time in the dealer shop. Mostly small warning light problems but also an amazing number of recalls - I think 6 to date, mostly software upgrades. We now have a home in the Canadian boonies and unreliability plus no spare means this car is to be changed for a Lexus LX 470 To be fair the Toronto service shop has been well above average in looking after us but at the end of the day I want the car on the road, not in the shop. BTW the 19" tires are just horrible in snow - I bought an 18" set of rims and dedicated winter Scorpions and then she was great.

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  underpowered, but fun to drive - 2002 Porsche 911
  By junglemaster - December 12 - 10:00 am

  this car is underpowered

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  They fooled me once - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By GEORGE the FOOL - October 2 - 10:00 am

  First the engine would not stop and the key got stock. Rear door wont close. No spear tire at all. Now the car is at the dealer waiting for parts from Germany. This is not what I was expecting from my first Porsche.

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  Customer Service is not top priority - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By tye - September 17 - 10:40 am

  I too have had many paint issues with my Porsche Cayenne. The paint is way too soft. I have had the paint looked at by three professional painters and all three agree that it is a poor paint job. I have vioced my concerns to Porsche Customer Care and all they could do was have a representative call me that wanted to blaim me for the damage. I tried to call them back and they told me there was no one else to speak too. The flat paint line should be removed as an option. I have spoken to other Cayenne owners and the ones that have the metallic paint are fine. All flat colors have issues. I sympathize with the other owner I sure know what you are going through.

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  Fast, not much to look at. - 2003 Porsche 911
  By Captain Ron - August 14 - 10:00 am

  Drives and handles well. Acceleration and braking are excellent. However, I traded on 2003 BMW M3 and got more car.Met more people in love with cars as opposed to themselves.

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  disapointed - 2001 Porsche Boxster
  By bummed - May 2 - 10:00 am

  This car sells by its looks only. My 1997 Jeep has more options on it. Dont plan to resell your Boxster because you will get half of what you paid. Thanks Porsche for shipping as many Boxsters as Ford shipped Taurus.

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  911 Cab - Highly overrated - 2004 Porsche 911
  By stevek55 - April 21 - 2:00 am

  I always dreamed of a 911 but little did I realize it would become a nightmare. I have always loved the look and sound of the 911, but have been generally disappointed since owning it. I still think the look and sound is outstanding, but the performance is really nothing special for a car that stickered out over $100 K. You can get better performance from a corvette or BMW M3 for half the price. In addition, the reliability has been abysmal as the car has been in the shop approximately every 2 months. Finally, the Porsche mystique has been severly compromised by the Boxster. My advice for future owners? Admire from afar but do not purchase!