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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  Surprising - 2009 Porsche Cayenne
  By malcum1 - September 10 - 10:54 pm

  We bought a new Cayenne Turbo S back in 08 for a vacation driver and something to get the groceries with, I was expecting a modest speed, unreliable car and was against buying it but my wife insisted. This car has speed the rivals my 2012 Jaguar and we havent had any issues with it breaking down despite having driven it over 40k miles.

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  Porsche for Boomers - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By Porsche for Boomers - September 1 - 10:00 am

  The Cayenne S is more sports car than SUV. Space is not abundant, but the trade off is performance and handling. Not may creature comforts, save that for Lexus!. The Cayenne handles like a 3000 lb coupe and not a 5000 lb truck. The 6-speed tip is fun, but in automatic mode, the shift points are at lower RPMs and you can easily lose torque. The 6-speed auto doesnt really save on gas either. At highway speeds the Cayenne S is rock solid and cruises easily over 100 mph with room to spare. X-5 has more refined ride, but more sway as well. The Cayenne S is the sports version of the VW Toureg which is $15K less for the V-8 version with air suspension

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  Porsche there is no subsitute - 2001 Porsche Boxster
  By Tesqua - August 21 - 11:13 am

  The Porsche Boxster is an extension of the driver. The steering is precise, the brakes are right there, the midship mounted engine is very responsive, and the car is well balanced. Mine is a daily driver that handles driving slowly in town and at speed on country roads equally well.

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  Fix the tranny - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By NABMAN - August 19 - 2:43 pm

  The Cayenne is great. High performance, fast, corners well, luxurious and well built. Excellent performance on the highway but this vehicle has one major problem- the tranny. In the city, it is not nimble enough to weave in and out of traffic. It is hard to control. Too fast or your punching it to switch gears. The acceleration is inconsistent. (I understand they changed this in the 08) The tranny takes forever to decide which gear it should go into and this creates lag. If you are accustomed to high performance cars in the city, you will feel this. Likely to save gas, the tranny shifts up too quickly and down late in normal slow city driving. I have had this reset and am told thats it

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  Best car ever made - EVER! - 2004 Porsche 911
  By Girl the Blue 911 - August 9 - 10:00 am

  I got a Boxster in 2001 and within 10 minutes of driving off of the lot I knew I would have to upgrade to a 911. This car makes me want to take the long way home every time Im out.

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  A disappointing street car, but... - 2007 Porsche 911
  By khaug - July 21 - 7:20 pm

  After 9 months and 3400 miles, Ive come to feel that my GT3 is so capable that driving it on the street is an exercise in fustration. You cant use even 50% of the cars performance without risking a ticket or endangering other motorists. So mine sits in the garage most of the time. On racetracks, its a totally different story. The car is very easy to drive to the limit and will do lap after lap at the max with no sign of strain whatever. It is really a piece of work!

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  Porsche 994 Carrera 4 - 2001 Porsche 911
  By teflon_jones - July 14 - 2:00 am

  I had quite a few electrical system problems with the car, plus a major coolant leak. This was more than I expected with this vehicle considering how highly rated their reliability is! However, the car is a blast to drive and Im glad I bought it! I highly recommend Porsche cars!

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  Performance to die for, quality to wish - 2003 Porsche 911
  By j. martell - June 28 - 7:50 pm

  With the x-50 horsepower package this car @ 450 hp has all the performance and high end torque youd ever need unless youre an F-1 driver. The car has immense practical driveability as an everyday car. Rattles - a service department that has a hard time listening and a car that died with a mechanical failure at 4,000 miles leaves a little bit of a bad taste though-maybe a Ferrari next time?

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  05 Cayenne S after 47,000 miles - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By JB - June 1 - 10:56 pm

  I have the 2005 Cayenne S with 19" wheels. The odometer is about to turn 47,000 miles. I love my Cayenne. It has a few quirks that the the 2nd generation cayenne has addressed such as touchy brakes, Super stiff rear suspension. I have had a few service items that the dealer has address. The best part of owning this car is driving this car. It is a fun car to drive period. The car handles and corners great. The engine sounds cool too. It actually drives like a Porsche. I own a 997 2S. If you like to drive, you need the S, GTS or Turbo version. The 6 cylinder is too underpowered for the cars weight.

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  Boxster S Fun, but not best for $60k - 2002 Porsche Boxster
  By Tim Gaither - May 30 - 2:00 am

  Bought Boxster S preowned w/9k miles. Great looks and top easy to drop. Tiptronic acceleration not to good - 0- 60 at 5.9 secs. Handling is cars strength. Interior is very plain even with sport touring package. Cabin is a little tight for me at 6" 3". Still fun to drive. Wish engine compartment was easier to access.