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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  This car is good but not a legend ! - 2002 Porsche 911
  By Another New Yorker - June 27 - 2:00 am

  I live in Manhattan and drive maybe once a week, probably much less in winter. The Porsche has a problematic battery that drains quite fast unless the engine is idled or the car is driven at least several times a week. I did not have the time to go and rev the engine every day and so went into battery problems. You can not stop the battery drain by disconnecting the battery. For safety reasons,the doors do not open if you disconnect the battery so there is no option but watch the battery drain ! So...? I had to sell my car. Be aware and alert of this problem. Porsche and numerous magazines that claim to "review" cars will not mention such facts to you.

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  I LOVE IT !! - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Quadman - June 25 - 10:00 am

  Just passed the 1 year ownership mark and love this vehicle more each day. Great acceleration, drop the steering wheel triptronic down to 3rd hit the gas and get ready for a rocket ride. Just cant imagine what the turbo is like. Handling, better than most sport cars and way better than any SUV I have driven. Ride is a bit choppy, but thats what makes a 5000 lb SUV carve a cloverleaf at 55 mph. Quiet even at highway speed (somewhat dependent on road surface) Reliability, I have had zero problems with this car. Interior egronomics are great. Love the sound system and GPS is great although a pain to program when driving. Would by another, maybe the turbo next time!!

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  because we can - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By tere - June 25 - 10:00 am

  what an incredible vechicle. we have driven our cayenne s through the winding roads of arizona....we had soooo much fun. i can depend on this car to keep my family safe. we love its power and elegance. thankyou for designing this great machine, it compares to no other.

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  996s are the value of the century - 2003 Porsche 911
  By Porsche Lover - June 23 - 11:26 pm

  I bought my 911 on 9/11 from an individual who had babied it. It only had 13K miles when I bought it 5 years old, so essentially I got all the experience the first owner had when it was new at about 1/3 of the original price. 996s, especially the later ones, like this one, are very underrated, mainly because of the different shape of the headlights. Let me say this - when youre cruising down the road and going through the gears, youre in a Porsche. Period. It is still a work of art, a marvel of technology and a high performance race car all rolled into one. I bought an extended warranty from Easy Care just in case, but havent had to use it. Great value on quintessential sports car!

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  Best in class, excellent face lift! - 2008 Porsche Cayenne
  By John - June 20 - 5:00 am

  I bought mine early March and so far love it. The 3.6 puts out 290 HP and works well for my needs, I have the tip trans. and Im happy with the smooth shifting. We had 7 inches of snow a few weeks ago and this thing eats its way up my snow and ice covered drive much better than the X5 ever did!

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  Amazing! - 2009 Porsche 911
  By James A - June 19 - 6:36 am

  This is the best car I have ever owned. Not one problem after 9 months. I love driving it and love how it looks!

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  awesome Ride - 2007 Porsche Cayman
  By jay - June 16 - 5:00 pm

  The Porsche Cayman handles like a dream. Its performance is great, the lines look like a 37 Bugatti Atlantic. Porsche did a great job with this car.

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  First Time in Porsche - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By 1st Time in Porsche - June 10 - 6:50 am

  After driving five other so called competitors of the Cayenne it was no contest when it comes to performance. As a Corvette driver, I have been spoiled with high end performance car but now that my wife and I will be blessed with a child...it was time to think bigger. The Porsche SUV was not on my initial list but the more Ive compared the extra few dollars can be well justified.

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  Raucous Fun in the Sun - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By Speed Yellow - June 8 - 8:33 am

  I feel that the outstanding sense of balance is a Boxsters trademark. Its not the fastest of two seat roadsters (even in S form), but it is surely the most fun to drive. The cars handling instills confidence in even the most tenuous of drivers. Cornering is effortless; the cars center of gravity feels like it is located under your seat. The the suspension communicates precisely what you need to know and it transmits your steering and throttle inputs with a smooth competency. The engine sings at higher RPM and begs to be revved to its limits, thats where the power band is and thats where the whole driving experience comes together, putting a big, goofy grin on your face. Its Heaven.

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  There really is no other - 1995 Porsche 911
  By chas - June 6 - 5:30 am

  My first Porsche, hopefully not my last. Im not sure I can describe just how powerful an experience it is to drive a car like this every day. This is my regular driver, 3-4 days a week to work and back. I dropped a fair amount of money on it in my first year of ownership, but nothing I had to fix or upgrade was especially unreasonable. The Porsche 911 requires careful attention in its maintenance, but the rewards are very great: no other car makes you a part of the machine the way the 993 911 does. Its an experience every driver should have. My car has 112K miles on it, and its running like a watch now. I just cross my fingers that no more expensive trolls show up soon