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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  XTC on Wheels! - 1999 Porsche 911
  By xtcapple - January 22 - 1:00 am

  OK, to start off I have always been a true fanatic of German enginering. Before I could even see over the steering wheel, I drooled on the wheels of them. I always dreamed of owning a Porsche 911 someday. Hard work and fate came together and here we are. I have a 1999 Porsche 911 996, and its mine all mine. I didnt stop driving for three days straight. Getting lost in the grassy knolls above and around Bakersfeild, CA. for an entire day from sun up to sundown.

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  2012 Cayenne Turbo - 2012 Porsche Cayenne
  By mgustaplay - January 21 - 5:35 pm

  Self-admitted, car-research guy. Brought this beast in Mar 12. Traded 08 911 4s; needed 4 doors and back seats (3 teenagers and complaining wife). Ubmer, two-tone leather, 21" turbo whls, sprt, premium, steel skids, Burmester - $130k (4% dsct off MSRP). Mixed impressions. The Good: Super fast, sounds great, corners like no other, beautiful interior, roomy enough for four (five is tight), pano roof is awesome, sport mode changes character of car. The Mixed: oil leak first week (bad "o" ring in mftg build); the breaks squeak when coming to stop (not subtle squeak; very loud; service says it is a reality of these cars); Exterior styling is just OK. For $130k I want only positives.

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  fastest car i have ever owned!!!!! - 2004 Porsche CARRERA GT
  By lance - December 31 - 2:00 am

  fast,fun,awsome,and a great head turner.excelent for picking up the ladies.everywhere i go people always want to go for a ride.

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  What a fun Porsche - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By Rich - December 27 - 7:36 pm

  This is a great vehicle. It goes through snow and mud as easily as an asphalt parking lot. It looks pretty good, a little fat. To me, this is not a gussied up VW Touareg, nor is the VW a downmarket Porsche. The Cayenne S is the best balance of the 3. The Turbo is just unbelivably fast, but the suspension seems to have a difficult time handling all that power; even feeling a little torque steer. The V6 is just that, a V6. Go for the S. It is plenty fast for US market, and affordable when you run the numbers on a lease. Porsches hold their value, and this is a better deal than many other SUVs in this price bracket. If you know how to amortize the payments, this is the way to go.

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  carrera coupe - 2003 Porsche 911
  By bdardis - December 1 - 10:00 am

  Big difference with this and the 2002 is the motor. They added 20+ horsepower, more low end to the car. This car is very easy to drive, perhaps to easy. I have driven a boxster and this car is even easier to drive. Brakes are excellent and overall the build quality is excellent. I suggest you skip a lot of the extra add ons and opt for the 18 inch wheels and tires. Get it with the 6 speed.....dont be a whimp!

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  Porsche - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Fifth Porsche - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Having previously owned 4 911s, I had some trepidations about buying a "Sport Truck"...Pros: incredible brakes, awesome exhaust sound, tremendous handling, comfortable and functional interior, nav system easy to read maps, sound system referred to a rolling nightclub by one passenger (14-or 15 spekers and in excess of 300 watts if memory serves), nice roll-up luggage or pet screen for rear cargo space plus screen..Cons: crappy gas mileage (11 mpg), nits include no automatic headlights, (although the bi- zenons are cool especially cornering lights) limited legroom in back seat and uninspired exterior design

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  My First Porsche - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By Jamal Fakhoury - October 13 - 10:00 am

  Wonderfuly constructed and engineered from the ground up. Every available option is available for this car. However the cost of any add on from Porsche are very inflated and over-priced.

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  Best True Sports Car For the Money - 1999 Porsche Boxster
  By MSN - October 5 - 5:56 pm

  Porsche did miss the mark by not making the Boxster its new flagship! Ive driven the 911s, the Z3s, corvettes, along with the rest, and bottom line is, if Porsche would have placed an adequate engine under the hood, the boxster would be untouchable from a sports car stand point.

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  cayenne has a few bugs - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By getrocking - September 26 - 10:00 am

  I purchased a cayenne v-6 last spring and its been a hoot to drive. The handling and performance considering its a v-6, the entry model, are superb. The problem has been the several warranty repairs, air bag problem, ignition wiring, and fuel air mix, and a rattle in the dash that has taken forever to figure out. The dealer has been helpful and supportive in all these matters, and wants to make it right whatever it takes.

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  I hope you like spending $. - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Driver - September 17 - 9:16 am

  Overall, I cant complain, but I am rather dissapointed. In my opinion, for an oil change to take over an hour (resulting in a bill of over $200) is unacceptable. This problem could be fixed by better design of the underbody allowing for easier basic maintnence. In addition, Tiptronic system sometimes kicks in at random. I was dissapointed when I learned that I had to get a completely different WHEEL to get a snow tire. I espescially do not like the image that I payed $70,000 for my car. Buying Premium gas constantly gets very old, very fast. Also, my familly constantly reminds me of the fact that it looks like a rollerskate. If you like spending money and driving is all you care about go for it