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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  Porsche Cayenne S - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Jim Ball - April 13 - 10:00 am

  I pruchased this vehicle about 1 month ago, it is truly a great car. The prosche name has lived up to its history. I saw this car about a year ago at the auto show and was impressed then, I finally got around to buying one. The quality is very impressive, the power is very strong and the finish is all porsche. I have never owned a porsche so this is a new experience for me, I was not let down.

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  The Review - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By chriswcs - April 10 - 2:00 am

  I nice car! It is so cool! I love this car like I love my wife!

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  Best SUV on the Market - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By Asif Matin - April 4 - 12:16 pm

  This is the best SUV in this class. Every dollar is worth it. Before I bought this, I drove a BMW X5 and a Mercedes ML 350. They do not compare to the Cayenne. Its gas mileage is excellent. This is the best SUV you can get.

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  2009 911 S COnvertible - 2009 Porsche 911
  By drew0626 - April 2 - 7:45 pm

  This car was fun for a while, but it is a maintenance headache and the build quality is poor. Everything is ridiculously expensive to fix, and things go wrong all the time. The car had electrical problems because apparently the car (convertible) is not designed to deal with leaves (which clogged the drains ). Really, leaves?? Never had these issues with numerous other convertibles. The trim is cheap and the the lether just wears off from low use (I have less than 20K miles on it). Now the latest: my tail light went out. They tell me it is not just a bulb but is soldered and as such requires replacement of the tail light assembly at a cost of over $1000 (not a typo) ...crazy!

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  Boxster S - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By stlmc - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Overall, a fantastic car. Although there are faster cars for less $ out there, nothing handles like it. By far the best-looking convertible on the road in my opinion. Two problem areas Ive had though - terribly squeaky clutch that the dealer took 2 days to fix, and a minor exhaust leak that was also fixed. Otherwise, a great car. A 911 would be nice, but this car looks almost identical on the interior and the front half of the exterior, for $30k less.

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  coming home - 2009 Porsche 911
  By carguy - March 24 - 5:56 am

  Just bought a new 09 911S cab. Had an 08 911S cab but traded it on an M3 cab at the end of 08. Since had an 09 Jag xk cab and an 09 Jag xkr cab (ok, call me crazy with all these cars). But getting back in this 911S is like coming home. First thing I did was take a cloverleaf onto a highway at 70 mph without leaning and quickly realized what I had been missing. Jag xkr has more curb appeal, but this is just the perfect car, especially with a six speed. Car is much quicker than my 08...clear improvements to the 997 and 1/2. My wife doesnt believe that I will keep this car for a long while given my history, but I will win this bet. I am home.

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  Porsche-there is no substitute - 2005 Porsche 911
  By Tim Hagen - March 23 - 12:40 am

  Porsche is the best built car in the world. The braking, handling, and over all performane is second to none. Overall quality and attention to details create a vehile that only a true enthusiast would appreciate, and understand what a real "driving machine" is all about. Porsche has won more races that any mark, and their road cars are prove that evolution, is superior to" revolution"

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  A Blast! - 2002 Porsche Boxster
  By Greg - March 21 - 11:20 am

  I bought my red Boxster w/55k miles for weekend fun. The problem is I cant keep my hands off of it. I find myself looking for excuses to run an errand just so I can take it out for a spin. The most fun car I have ever owned. Handling, engine note, brakes, styling are all incredible.

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  One Beautiful Sports Car - 2008 Porsche Boxster
  By James - March 14 - 11:13 pm

  Just got this car and stayed up half the night driving it around with the top down. It feels so good with the top down. The handling is top notch. You can feel the quality built into this car. Drove the 370z and even though it had more bells and whistles it wasnt near as fun to drive as the Boxster S. Plus chicks love a Porsche and that alone is worth the extra coin.

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  997 TT S - 1997 Porsche 911
  By robert silverman - March 12 - 2:00 am

  What can I say? I had an Aston Martin DB7 before this car, and NO comparison. This was the car, and looks aggressive, is aggressive and most importantly, holds its value unlike the Aston.