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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  Wow, what a fun car! - 1999 Porsche 911
  By Casketman - June 12 - 1:16 pm

  This is my 3rd 911. After driving for a few days, I am truly amazed. I didnt think Porsche could build a decent water-cooled 911. Boy, was I wrong. This car is fast, tight and really fun to drive. Car handles like its wearing sneakers instead of tires. Interior is still on the cheap side, but this ride is as close to F-18 fighter jet as Ill ever get.

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  Boxster review - 2008 Porsche Boxster
  By majormcf - June 8 - 11:03 pm

  Car is awesome and perfect balance of handling and power. I had the first generation boxster and this one is twice the car and I had no complaints with the first one. If youre going to buy one get at least a 12% discount off sticker or go to another dealer. My dealer was supposed to set the locks and headlights and failed to do so. Since I didnt buy it locally I will have to pay a couple hundred bucks out of my pocket for not checking. They also quoted me 50.00 on the tint and then charged me 139.00. Not a big deal but as a repeat customer I expected more, probably will by my next Porsche from someone else.

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  2005 997 carerra has major flaw!!!!! - 2004 Porsche 911
  By jud - June 7 - 10:00 am

  the acclaimed new 997 carerra has a major design flaw. porsche has actually made the process to remove the xenon head lamps even easier in the 2005 models. thieves in south florida have already caught on and have already helped themselves to this reviewers lights which cost $4,000 to replace. the staff in customer-commitment at porsche north america also admonished this reviewer for complaining about this flaw.

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  Its a Porsche for a reason - 2016 Porsche Cayenne
  By Sean - June 4 - 10:00 pm

  I have had this vehicle for almost a year now coming from a bigger and somewhat slower SUV ( Full-Size Range Rover) this Porsche is a performance vehicle and once you step on the gas you feel it. The breaking system is unbelievable precise (also very expensive to replace via the dealer) the infotainment and interior design is that of airplane if your familiar Porsche then its pretty easy if not it could get confusing. Sometimes I wish the in dash screen could be a little bigger. For the size of the Cayenne the trunk space is kind of disappointing barely can hold anything . I was so use to my range rover being a rough off road vehicle so nyc potholes didnt really bother as the air suspension would absorb the bulk of it in the Porsche the suspension is more tuned for performance so I feel more of the road while driving.The handling on this vehicle decent its not better than BMW around corners but does a good job All in all its a great performance SUV for a good price just a little pricey on maintenance if I were to do it all over again I probably would go up a model to the S or GTS thats just the inner speed demon in me though

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  911 S Conv.,6 speed stick sh. - 2008 Porsche 911
  By Heinz Scheidemandel - June 4 - 4:36 am

  I traded in a 1989 Porsche 911 conv., which I liked a lot. The new one is in many ways a disappointment, although it also handles well. Has a great engine. It is loaded down with unneeded and and unwanted gadgetry, which distracts from the driving fun.The "integrated on board computer with stereo a.GPS" is awkward to use a. frustrating. No oil stick!!

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  My baby - 2002 Porsche Boxster
  By BarbaraB - June 3 - 2:00 am

  I love it! I just cant wait until spring to take the top down.

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  Cayenne - 2008 Porsche Cayenne
  By KAREN - June 2 - 1:50 am

  The 2008 Cayenne is an impressive vehicle.I like everything about it. I liked it so much I bought a Boxster a couple weeks after the Cayenne purchase. Porsche is a quality automobile, way above the rest. I have owned BMW, Audi and Mercedes, and there is no comparison.

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  True sports car - 2008 Porsche Cayman
  By Kent - May 31 - 12:30 am

  Have owned my Cayman for just a few weeks now and am truly impressed. This is my first Porsche and hopefully not my last. It doesnt take long to see the car is quality built and all the details were done extremely well. One thing is I am tall and fit into the Cayman with absolutely no problem. The headroom is great. It shifts beautifully and there is no other word except "fun" to describe driving this car. My two sons who are in their 20s say "dad you finally got a cool car" which just shows the younger generation knows something good when they see it. Would highly recommend this car to anyone considering it.

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  You gotta love it - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By Fun in the Sun - May 30 - 10:43 pm

  Porsche designs the best true sports cars that are accessible to the general public. You get spoiled by the braking, steering, quality of materials, power, etc. When I jump in our other cars (BMW 540i and Jaguar XJ6), I realize what makes the Porsche so special. I also own a 996 coupe, which I absolutely love driving, however when I have a choice of which key to grab, the Boxster wins out. The Boxster is a great daily driver. With the top down, the car is perfection! The Boxster also handles better than our 996. Mid engine design helps keep the car pointed in the right direction at insane speeds. We chose our Boxster over the Z4, S2000, Miata Speed, 350 Roadster, Crossfire SRT-6

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  A decade of Porsches are lemons - 2003 Porsche 911
  By autofahrer1 - May 30 - 10:15 am

  Forget your prejudices about Porsches and German engineering. With the 996 and the Boxster (water cooled Porsches for over a decade until 2009) Porsche built and sold a car it knew had a self-destructive intermediate shaft bearing that could easily and without visible warning destroy the engine on any car, and has not issued a recall to correct the design defect. It has also not recalled the more common leaky main bearing seal. This is especially egregious because the 996 has the highest gross profit margin of any automobile ever in production. They could have replaced every engine on every 996 sold and still made a handsome profit. And yes, it is a hoot to drive.