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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  Unreliable Macan Turbo - 2020 Porsche Macan
  By Amad Kafarani - November 3 - 2:24 pm

  Not reliable and spent time in the dealer more than driving it. Macan turbo with all Porsche packages that you can imagine! start failing when had only 2k miles on it, now 8k miles and issues always on the rise. I have video's for the the front suspension noise, brakes and delay in complete stop. each time they fix something another thing come up after 1-2 weeks. PNA and local dealer involved but no resolution. Next step for me is to seek legal advise!

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  Do Not Buy this Car! - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By Scott - September 14 - 5:36 pm

  I just bought the Cayenne 6-cylinder. It is definitely the worst luxury vehicle money can buy! You hardly have any acceleration in this truck! And you would think you would save on gas! NOOOOOOO! I get about 13.2 miles per gallon on both street and freeway! The Bose sound system sounds terrible and the navigation is a pain in the rear to work with! I paid top dollar for this vehicle and I am very disappointed! I cant return it either! So I am stuck with a slow, low performing truck for 3.5 years!

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  Cayenne stinks - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By david - July 16 - 2:13 pm

  This car rests on its brand laurels; however the quality leaves so much to be desired. While it is fast from a dead stop, the interior sound is too high and the suspension is not as sporty as advertised. Big dissappointment. Will stick with the Carrerra in the future.

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  My Turbo Blows!!!!!!!!! - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By sleoni - March 6 - 10:00 am

  I hate this SUV. In the shop for more than 75 days. Tires wear out every 2000 miles. Car vibrates on highway. Electrical problems. Door lock problems. I real piece of crap for $100,000

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  Mind Blowing - 2005 Porsche CARRERA GT
  By bill - August 24 - 12:03 pm

  The Carrera just oozes brawn out of every pore. I have owned 3 Porsches over two decades and have loved the refinements of their cars but the GT has just gone this bit further. The engine sounds magnificent, the seat positioning is good (I am 5 ft 8), the instruments are well aligned for the driver and visibility is extremely good for itÂ’s class. Fine detail has been made to the interior which exudes rich quality. I will be looking forward to entering the cup races this year. It is always good meet other owners at these events. It is also good for potential Porsche owners to attended and see them in action.

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  This Porsche is more like a Volkswagen - 2003 Porsche 911
  By Klaus - September 25 - 2:00 am

  Thinking that I would get a great performing car for the money, boy I was wrong. Last week I came up to a light next to a corvette z06. When it turned green, the Z06 took off and I could not catch him. Even around the winding roads. I should have opted for the ZO6,and saved myself 40,000. Porsche is a waste of money.

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  Just for Looks! - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By Racer - May 12 - 11:13 am

  I bought my 6-cylinder Cayenne almost a year ago. I have owned Porsches in the past, but I must say THIS IS THE WORST MODEL Porsche has ever made! The fuel economy is absolutely not acceptable. I get about 12 miles per gallon! You would expect more acceleration and power with that kind of fuel consumption, but the vehicle shows very little power and acceleration! Theres a dead delay after you floor the gas pedal, and the transmission takes a long time to decide which gear to choose! I am very disappointed at this model!

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  watch out for pricing - 2008 Porsche Cayman
  By MARK URAKAWA - May 16 - 5:10 pm

  A good handling car but its easy to overpay. Dealers overcharge on the car and once you buy the car and want to sell it you notice you really overpaid. IMS problems plague this model, could be running then the IMS bearing explodes and you have a major engine catastrophe. Not like a American car or Japanese car the price would be outrageous a new engine and then you have to junk the car. I suggest getting a 2009 or later version. These cars don’t sell well new and are scarce, overpaying is easy. I would beware, like any German car they are over rated if it is not a S model  don’t buy it the performance is lacking in non S models

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  not the greatest - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By tom deck - May 6 - 10:00 am

  this vehicle begins to rattle very quickly. it has a terribly high center of gravity from what you would expect from a porsche and does not even ride very well as an exchange.

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  It isnt all that it seems - 2003 Porsche 911
  By BillyBobJones - January 26 - 2:00 am

  I am a car collector and this car just isnt up to my standards. It is uncofortable and the cockpit is hard to understand and things are hard to reach.