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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  Road Warrior - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By Matt - March 5 - 2:00 am

  This car is a road warrior. I have over 100k miles on it and it still runs like it is brand new. It loves the open road, I once drove across Nevada non stop doing well over a 100 mph and felt comfortable, stable and safe. Will buy another one when this one wears out, could be a while.

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  Great sports car - 2012 Porsche Panamera
  By jimcbr - February 28 - 7:19 am

  Really great car, shockingly so. Its a very comfortable 4 door sedan, decent headroom, comfortable, usable seats, both front and rear, smooth and quiet ride, nice interior. At the same time, it has absolutely unreal, incredible sports car handling. The only car Ive ever driven that handled the road as well as the Panamera was a 360 Modena. But that was a very noisy 2 seater, you could feel every bump on the road, difficult to get in an out of, etc. Amazing, they basically took a Ferrari and made it pleasant to drive, with virtually no degradation in performance.

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  911 base - 2017 Porsche 911
  By Porsche guy - February 24 - 2:32 pm

  I bought a base c2 with a manual transmission. Outstanding performance. The 7 speed manual makes all the difference. I had a 2014 c4s before with a PDK and the new c2 is a better car in my opinion. It is faster and is more responsive. Puts a smile on my face every time I drive it.

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  Know what youre buying-youll be happy! - 2001 Porsche Boxster
  By CNC - February 16 - 2:00 am

  You cant buy a Boxster expecting to get a Carrera or an M5... If you need .5 seconds faster in 0-60 there are a lot cheaper ways to go, but if youre shopping Porsche its probably because you *want* one-- youre not looking for a cheaper ride. Yep, it has rattles with the top up and the stereo is marginal. What are you doing with the top up and stereo on? Get a BMW sedan. The real sound system is 6" behind your head! When cornering Ive never driven a better car; the looks still turn heads all day; and it sounds amazing @5300RPM. Seriously consider a 3-6 month old used one-- some serious savings over the sticker price.

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  Truly a Porsche! - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By Crazy4Carz - February 15 - 4:03 pm

  Amazing vehicle. As an owner of a 911 Cab and a 356 SC Sunroof Coupe, it only seemed appropriate to get a Cayenne as the household SUV. I strongly considered the Range Rover Sport as it is stunning, I just could not get past the truck like performance and handling. The Cayenne on the other hand is all Porsche. Nimble, quick and just plain fun to drive. Incredibly comfortable and aggressive looks with the titanium package. Love the features though the navigation and radio are not intuitive. Also, Porsche needs to package options as there are so many that it can be confusing. No excuse for not having mp3 aux jack as standard. Options are very robustly priced. Get one!

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  991 buyer beware - 2014 Porsche 911
  By Robert - February 15 - 12:29 am

  If you lease this car,you can get ride of it due to Porsche 12 month pull ahead program..in 15 months of ownership,my front seat came u stitched twice..PCM replaced twice,low oil light came on engine over heating,on way home from dealer,poor Bluetooth..really only works with I phone..which I got for car!! Finally when I turned on heat..NONE..zero...about as bad as my 1982 911sc with heater boxes..I raced to dealer ASAP pulled ahead and went back to boxster S....so much better...more fun..the stiff ride due to 46PSI rear tires made every crack feel like a pothole..BANG!! Boxster quiet ...for price difference..the Boxster is 40K Less..and has 50% more trunk...BTW..there are great deals on boxsters here in conn./Ny..Mine listed at 83k..leased at 69k..only $114.00 down.not a misprint ..7500 miles a year Including maintain program thru Porsche...including all taxes..$844.95 pm..residue $50400.00..I had two dealers at this price... (1200.00 cost)

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  What a treat! - 1996 Porsche 911
  By Sarahfink - February 14 - 10:00 am

  Last of the air cooled 911s (95-98). The sound and ride are "priceless" as the ad says. Looks, handling, comfort, speed - what else do you need? No cup holders... get over it!

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  Cant beat the performance!!!! - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Mark Greenbaum - February 14 - 10:00 am

  An absolute BEAST !!! This car has so much juice to it.I look at it as a big race car. It handles with precision for a vehicle in its class. It blows away the BMW 4.8. Please drive this vehicle and see for yourself.

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  Sweet Ride - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By Thinking - February 9 - 6:30 am

  No complaints at all 2,000+ miles in. Looked at Caddy SRX, 2006 Mercedes ML350, Lexus RX330 and others. Rides great and it gets a lot of second looks (you dont see one every 10 yards like the Lexus). You can tell its well constructed -- manufactured in Germany -- not like the Mercedes (Alabama). Fantastic dealer experience.

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  New 2005 Boxster - 2005 Porsche Boxster
  By fungfucius - February 8 - 4:30 pm

  I ordered my 2005 Porsche Bosxter with no extras at all; only the most basic car: 5-speed manual, and red in color. Absolutely no complaint. The sound of the engine is gorgeous. The basic car is already good enough as it includes the stability control (an option in the 2004), an on board computer, and the crusie control. Ive had a Mercedes, a BMW, and this is my first Porsche. Each time, ive been very satisfied with the sales person (however, I hated the Mercedes SLK!)