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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  Should of saved my money and gotten an M3 - 2002 Porsche 911
  By Lauren - June 25 - 1:43 pm

  The 911 is a nice car, but I believe it is one of those items that is better admired from a distance. The reliability of my Targa has been horrible, and the interior rattles as if it is going to fall apart. The interior design is a joke, and the ergonomics are even worse. There are a lot of little things wrong with the interior that show a lack of car, spaces that shouldnt be there, misspellings in the display, tape holders without tape, and nothing is easy to find. A BMW M3 offers the same performance for half the price, half the insurance, and half the maintenance. What was I thinking?

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  Can be daily driver but I wouldnt. - 2001 Porsche 911
  By gio - June 19 - 2:00 am

  It has awesome acceleration and handling. Not to happy with quality of interior materials. Options increase price quickly. Recommend you buy the car with least amount of options.

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  Better than I expected - 2007 Porsche Cayman
  By jim lentini - June 16 - 2:00 am

  Have been interested in this car for a while. Finally had the chance to drive one and fell in love. Plenty of room with the seat all the way back, great driving position, perfect balance and the sweet sound of the engine. I dont think it gets much better than this. Plan on having this for a long time.

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  Porsche Panamera Turbo - 2010 Porsche Panamera
  By Deon - June 15 - 7:03 am

  What a fantastic and practical car. I have now done 5000 miles in it and have experienced no problems. I do not know how it is possible to get this fantastic performance out of the same engine that also gives me 29 miles per gallon on the open road at 80 mph. The car is very practical as well and serves my requirements for a sports car, family car as well as station wagon.

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  Pure Joy - 1995 Porsche 911
  By pajot - June 12 - 2:00 am

  Waited a long time efore finally buy this 993, one of the last "real" Porsche. Got lucky enough to get a 95 with only 22000 miles, a beautfull color and in perfect condition all around

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  Awesome - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By alin - June 12 - 2:00 am

  Absolutely a blast to drive. Reminds me of my 2000 BMW M5. What a sensation hurtling down the road in a 6000# meteor. But, even more amazing, is turning this meteor without significant body roll and sphincter tightening that I get with my wifes jeep. I had a C-S that I traded in for the TT. This TT has had ZERO problems thus far.

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  Porsche bliss - 1998 Porsche Boxster
  By riverdale21 - June 11 - 10:00 am

  I have driven some nice cars in my time. For quite some time now I have been obsessed with Audis powerful sedan the 2002 S4. Having driven a Porsche for the first time today I immediately fell in love. The Porsche Boxster is a excellent addition as a second car for anyone looking for a car that is loads of fun to drive in the twisty mountain roads, yet is still comfortable and roomy and can hold a set of clubs in the trunk. The Audi can be my family hauler, but my Porsche is my get-away car.

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  Fantastic and Sublime - 2013 Porsche Panamera
  By wrk - June 8 - 10:15 am

  This is one great car. Basically, a four door sport car with strong acceleration and precise handling. The four wheel drive really pulls the car through curves. The double clutch transmission makes almost instantaneous shifts when using the paddles. The cabin is strikingly attractive and very comfortable. I found the touch screen communication system very easy to learn and the Bose sound system is awesome. This car elicits attention no doubt. Ive had multiple people take pictures of the car and many others asking questions. If you are looking for anonymity, this is not the car for you.

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  Top Roadster - 2000 Porsche Boxster
  By vignalij - June 8 - 10:00 am

  Before I bought the S, I looked and test drove a new Honda S2000 & Nissan 350Z, and a used BMW Z4, Boxster S, Audi TT, and Mercedes SLK. The characteristics important to me were: 1.Fun, 2. Style 3. Overall driving feel 4. Performance 5. Cost The Boxster S edged out the S2000 even with cost factored in. Bottom-line -- None can quite measure up to the overall performance, feel, and style of the Boxster S. Now I know why Porsche says “There is no substitute” – it’s true.

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  Extra loaded - 2004 Porsche 911
  By mark - June 5 - 1:36 am

  I bought my 03 Black Turbo tiptronic with 3000 miles on it, but looked brand new and was loaded with extras. The owner had over $158K in it, but things like 19 inch Axis wheels, full carbon fiber, Boxster red leather, 280 watt Alpine stereo including XM and upgraded large screen GPS (nine languages) assures me I will never seen another one like it. Super performance as well as a real head turner. If you can, spend the extra money and make it special!