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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  2003 911 Carrera Cabriolet - 2003 Porsche 911
  By tcjenn - December 6 - 2:26 am

  This is a more luxurious car than any of my other 911 Porsche that I have owned. It doest have exactly the same ferrocious acceleration as my 1998 C2S or my 1993 RS 911, but it is a more forgiving ride. It is more comfortable around town. It oozes with a formal, superior luxurious ride. I have found that if I switch off the PASM control, things get back to the Porsche feel that I am more accustomed to. This car has the full leather interior option and it feels, looks, and smells great. I also have the aero kit, it adds a fantastic look to the car.

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  Nothing better - 2000 Porsche 911
  By Joe - December 4 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car 5 years ago - speed yellow with black top, and then 28,000 miles. Its almost 11 years old now with 60,000 miles. No one believes it. These are phenomenally fun, well- built and fast cars. I drive mine daily and thoroughly enjoy it. By far the most satisfying car Ive ever owned (and Ive owned Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, Toyota, etc...) There is no doubt that the only thing that will replace it will be a newer 911 convertible - hopefully a Turbo. In a word - you need one!

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  So fun for looks and speed - 2004 Porsche 911
  By Neal - November 30 - 2:00 am

  i love this car. it is very fast and i get alot of looks. it is one of my greatest purchases. i have never had a problem.the handling is incredible and it fits 2 bags of golf clubs!

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  IDK - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Stephanie0605 - November 26 - 9:56 pm

  This Suv is the best thing that has ever happened to me! I love driving the thing to and fro. My family and I love it so much we are going to buy my newly driving son one for his first car.

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  Great Handling, Great Mileage, Obsolete Navigation, Insufficient PDLS range - 2014 Porsche Cayenne
  By 2kbusa - November 25 - 7:17 pm

  Ive done a lot of research before purchasing this vehicle. Dealer was quite helpful in research. Custom ordered with Premium+ pkg, pan roof, tow pkg etc on 08/22/2013. It was built, shipped and reach at dealership on 10/31. Impressive! Im quite pleased with what this vehicle offers. Below are a few details: * Handling is awesome with quick acceleration and solid stopping power - its cornering ability is impressive. * Impressive Mileage: I get 30+ mpg driving conservatively in mixed city/hwy mode. * Aggressive driving in sport mode gets me 22+ mpg in combined * Highway driving alone 32+ mpg @ 50-55mph, best keeping it under 2000RPM. goes under 30mpg @ 70+mph,

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  If you got it spend it - 2004 Porsche CARRERA GT
  By MusicisLife - November 23 - 2:00 am

  I love this car!!!! What else can I say

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  An SUV with real performance - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By RL - November 22 - 2:23 am

  Except for recalls, my 2005 Porsche Cayenne has been an excellent blend of luxury and performance. It is far more luxurious than than the Land Rover Range Rover. It gives great on and off road performance. It comes with most of the bells and whistles that the Lexus RX 330 has, but it is not quite as luxurious. My fuel economy has been better than expected. This vehicle feels and drives like a Porche. It is pretty amazing. The downside is two different sets of tires are required. Performance tires (obviously) cant handle the winter weather.

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  My second - 2009 Porsche 911
  By Lar - November 17 - 11:33 pm

  After having a boxster for a year I moved up to 911. This car is outstanding in every way. Fun to drive, great looking and handles like a dream. The PDK is outstanding and gives u the best of both. I also cant say enough about the dealer Hennessy, the most professional car people going.

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  Best car you can buy! - 2005 Porsche Boxster
  By Ginzaman - November 15 - 2:10 am

  I had my own problem. Starting with Engine failure due to broken intermediate shaft. Dealer took it for few weeks and put a new engine after 21k. I had few other things going bad but still love my Porsche. Went to dealer probably about 10 times for minor things after that. I will probably get something like GT3 or 997S model next time. I think they could have done a better interior job but you get what you pay for. Love my car top down and still able to beat many cars like G35, 350Z, BMW 335ci and many many more. Can keep up with old M5 and Vantage. Its pretty impress for the money. Need grippier tires, like Vredstein.

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  My review - 2002 Porsche Boxster
  By djf_13 - November 9 - 2:00 am

  An absolute blast to drive!