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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  My C4S - 1996 Porsche 911
  By Forrest - December 23 - 10:00 am

  The interior could use a cup holder. There is a fair amount of wind noise through the sunroof at low speeds. The handling is phenominal. I drive this car 43.6 miles each way to work. I average slightly under 22 mpg. I have put over 23,000 miles on it already, and have had ZERO problems. It is simple to maintain; my long time family mechanic takes care of it, with laudatory comments on its simplicity of design (He is NOT a Porsche specialist) The front bumper cover takes a fair amount of abuse from all the highway miles, as do the rear quarter panels. In my opinion it represents all of the best things Porsche.

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  East Texas at high speeds - 2001 Porsche Boxster
  By Josh - December 21 - 10:00 am

  All I can say is wow! I purchased a used Porsche Boxster for 10k in Feb/Mar 2010, and could not have been happier. The car now has over 108,000 miles on it, and runs like a champ. It easily got up to 122 mph while passing cars driving down that middle lane* (stupid thing to do, but it was just too easy) without realizing how fast the car was going. Driving country roads in East Texas at high speeds (90 mph around 40 mph curves and 120 mph ++ on straight-aways) is a breeze.* apparently there are 2 radiators and it holds 7 gallons of coolant. My water pump went out while I was on the freeway and all that extra fluid saved my motor. *I no longer drive like I mentioned above, but had to share

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  Rocket Sofa - 2011 Porsche Cayenne
  By GuyC - December 21 - 10:00 am

  Was agonizing over a new RR SC, 911 or an Vantage Roadster. This car seemed to have it all and the comfort and undated interior, the lighter weight, fuel economy swayed me. We have tried to buy a Cayenne twice in the past and both time have walked away disappointed, once buying the FX and once an RR, this time, the feel was Porsche-like and I am very happy we waited. A serious Rocket propelled lounge. Watch your speed though, you can get over 100 in almost pure silence :)

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  Awesome Targa!! - 2002 Porsche 911
  By Jonas - December 15 - 1:03 pm

  I frequently change vehicles and have had some of the greats in the mid- price range - Elise, NSX, S2000. The 911 edges out the NSX for top honors in my opinion. It gives an unbelievably smooth ride when calm, but upon hard acceleration or cornering tightens up significantly. This is the first of the cars Ive owned that my wife will drive. Ive only had the car for a few months, but it hasnt missed a beat. Also, the torque curve is much more linear than any car Ive previously owned. Its a welcoming contrast to the lack of bottom end power Ive experienced in the past. In my opinion the Targa design is far superior to the standard 911; the glass breaks up the roof line nicely.

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  Porsche Paves the Road... - 2007 Porsche 911
  By kevin turner - December 14 - 4:30 am

  This has been the best car that I have ever driven. I have a Range Rover Sport and I thought that was the best, but now this is it. I call them beauty and the beast (the Porsche being beauty and the Sport is the beast).

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  GREAT CAR - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By Mr. Cow - December 11 - 2:00 am

  The Cayenne Turbo is AWESOME!!!!! It is luxurious, and it can beet any car u see on the road. Its great for a family less than 5. And if u get one, the Cayenne S or normal Cayenne are just wastes. Get the Turbo!!!

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  Porsche cayenne 2004 - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By fried - December 11 - 2:00 am

  This SUV is a bullet, when it comes to take off at the stoplight. The handling is superb. Like a sports sedan. Please get the radar detector as an option! Of course with this performance comes gas consumption. The car behaves disappointing when it comes to regular normal "grocery shopping use". Downward shifting is worthless. Passenger’s complaints about whiplash are common. Functionality leaves allot to be desired. Finally, the car feels over engineered and several of the ordinary features do not function properly. (four visits to the dealer have not fixed the problems) For a vehicle of $ 65K, you better reevaluate your expectations!

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  Yippee Cayenne! - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By DArt - December 7 - 9:06 am

  Came out of an LX470 and was reborn again to my sports car roots but with utilitarian value. Drives better than most sports cars, but I can put the tennis ball machine, 2 buckets and equipment bag in back no problem! I can load the kids on weekends now when the wife has something else to do. Have had it in deep water up to lights and gone over the side of freeway to get out of a jam.

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  Almost Perfect - 2004 Porsche 911
  By Paul Fiala - December 6 - 10:00 am

  Daily driver, gets respect, quick, expensive, tight, makes mid life crisis something to look forward to.

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  Amazing... - 2005 Porsche CARRERA GT
  By jt 2430 - December 6 - 6:26 am

  the car is very fun to drive, immaculate for any tastes you may have. the only thing I find that may be a problem is price/insurance. But if you can afford it, I highly recomend it.