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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  Ride a rocket - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By nasmania_devil - February 7 - 2:00 am

  This SUV will make a guy feel like he just ate testosterone pills by the handful. So much power, reminds me of my 70 Roadrunner 440-6pak, sounds almost the same at idle or under full power. Buy the Titanium Gray, looks so upscale on this rig.

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  Porsche Carrera S Convertible - 2006 Porsche 911
  By RT - February 6 - 11:06 am

  I traded in my my hard top for a convettible. Believe it or not, the inside is as quiet as the hard tops was. The interior should be more luxurious since the car costs $100,000+. I have a 325W Bose stereo but am not too impressed. It still sounds FLAT when the top is down. Last week I up grade the Amp to 600W. Now the car is awesome. NOTE TO EVERYONE: Remember every Porsche is different from others. For example, one cars crutch feels different from others. From my experience, all 3 Porsches I have owned, everything is perfect except one minor defect. My first one had loose inside door handles. With my second one, the car vibrated hard when the AC was on. Now in my third one, there is a rattling noise from the drivers side door while crusing. My dealer could not repaid any of these issues.

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  " Use the Force" - 2017 Porsche 911
  By John Selleh - February 4 - 8:00 am

  Driving this car is like nothing else in the world. When I pass on to the next life I hope my GTS will be there waiting for me.

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  Dont settle for less - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By Knight23 - February 2 - 10:00 am

  After torturing my wife with test drives and performance reviews I finally decided on the Cayenne S. I was tempted to go for the turbo, but who really needs a 450 hp SUV? If someone is willing to take their SUV over 150 to beat me then they deserve to win...

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  Love my turbo s - 2005 Porsche 911
  By lacey - February 2 - 7:26 am

  The only problem I have is that a new body style 997 came out in 2005. I only wish they would have made the 2005 Turbo S Cab in the 997 body style. Otherwise this car is all you could want in a sports car. I added the performance chip, tubi exhauast, lowenhart rims, lowered it and added some suede. I ordered almost every option except the back up sensors, (I wish I would have) they really help in tight areas. I love the look and feel of this car.

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  A Drivers SUV - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By cayennes - January 30 - 10:50 am

  I got my Porsche Cayenne S over the BMW X5 4.4i. In addition to all the precision in handling and world class performance - this SUV is very quiet to cruise around in. The revised 0-60 mph figure of 6.8 seconds is very conservative IMHO. It probably can out run 70% of the sports car on the road and at the same time, I have carried 8 tires (255/55 18) with the rear seats folded down. I have had no problems at all with the snow tires and winter driving / skiing trips, etc. Theh Cayenne is the king of SUV hands down! If you get the Turbo or the Turbo S, you can probably outrun 90-99% of the sports car out there.

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  Quick with no slip - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Ben F Grudzien - January 28 - 7:00 am

  My 2004 Porsche Cayenne S is fast, quiet, noticed, great in the snow, has a great sound system, and gets decent gas mileage when driven reasonably.

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  Sweet - 2008 Porsche 911
  By san antone - January 28 - 6:56 am

  This car is a ton of fun to drive. I recommend the sport exhaust. Next car will be the turbo. I need to find a track as the speed and acceleration are intoxicating. Im amazed at how smooth the engine is.

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  911 Turbo - 2002 Porsche 911
  By mikelg - January 27 - 10:00 am

  2500 mile drive across Europe flawless. Very responsive. Best Turbo Ive ever owned.

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  Carrera 4 Cabriolet - 2003 Porsche 911
  By MEV - January 27 - 10:00 am

  Excellent handeling and performance for the price range of the vehilce. Great acceleration and steering. It actually feels like a vehicle on rails with its tight feel and cornering at high speeds.