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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  prefer older turbos - 2003 Porsche 911
  By nsaindiego - May 31 - 10:00 am

  Just bought new 911 turbo. While i luv the performance and serious quickness, I prefer the rough real sports car feel of my 1989 turbo. I just sold it and seriously regret it. Also feel the older turbos are better looking. The new turbo is extremely, breathtakingly fast, albeit: a little too cushy for this girls taste. All in all, a fabulous ride, though!!! No major complaints.

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  Fun to drive - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By Sekhar - April 18 - 10:00 am

  Absolute blast to drive. Excellent acceleration and superb brakes and feels rock solid at all speeds. This is my every day car and it is such fun to drive. Turns heads all the time. The exhaust note is exhilerating and I often turn off the stereo just to hear the exhaust note.

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  Wish I could afford the turbo!! - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By atomicfoto - April 1 - 10:00 am

  This has really changed the porsche market. I really have enjoyed it so far. I look forward to moving up to the "s". I have not had any problems yet.

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  fun to drive - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Robin in Florida - March 26 - 10:00 am

  Extremely fun to drive on the highway, but sometimes has trouble getting going in the morning. Doors and trunk have to be slammed shut to get the proper seal. Remote only works 2" from the door. Have had several electrical problems. No back seat leg room.

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  my pepper 03 - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By fpawsch - March 21 - 10:00 am

  All in All the Cayenne S is a joy to drive other than suggestions I truely enjoy driving my Cs

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  Do Everything SSUV (Super Sport) - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Stressless - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Almost as much fun as my 996! I autocrossed it several weeks ago and placed,only 4 sec. off FTD by a fully prepared sports car. I,ve driven the rest and this is the best. The writers are correct when they say "the sports cars of SUVs". For ride quality, I believe the PASM is a must. I can set what I want the vehicle to do. My elderly mother gets in without problems when I set Load Level and I can chose how harsh I want the shocks. I got most of the toys but wish I had the bi-xenon lights. I am concerned about winter driving in upstate NY without separate wheels and dedicated winter tires (cannot get really good 20" winters and who wants those babies mounted/dismounted). Only time will tell.

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  So much fun... - 2002 Porsche Boxster
  By nola mike - March 16 - 6:43 pm

  Bought the car with 40k miles. Had been looking at a few other cars, Honda S2000 was close, and on paper seems better for the $$ (xenon, glass rear, reliability, great shifter), but I couldnt get myself to like it more. I was a little worried because this model didnt have PSM (stability control), but the handling is so good, and so neutral, that I havent had a problem. You can kick the rear out with ease, but its very easy to control. People have lots of complaints about the interior, but Im not sure why.

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  Ultimate ride - 2005 Porsche Boxster
  By randy clark - March 8 - 3:20 pm

  This car has to be driven. Reading a review does not get it. After being hit from behind and hitting a tree then head on into a concrete wall with the top down, climbing out without a scratch this is one safe car so state farm wrote us a check and we got another one. So far so good but I use my mirrors more.This is a real sports car.Drive It!

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  2018 Panamera AWD Turbo Review - 2018 Porsche Panamera
  By M.S. - March 8 - 2:29 pm

  First, if you are wanting a high performance exhilarating drive, this is not the car for you. I recently moved from an Audi RS7 to this and the Audi was by far more of a hoot to drive. Thats not to say this is a slow car, but a very comfortable and overall sterile one. Raw numbers show this car besting the RS7 on paper but in real life there is no comparison. The Porsche is very comfortable and luxurious as was the RS7 but even moreso. The end effect is removing the driver from the experience. (I know, Porsche blasphemy). The lag of the throttle in comfort is slightly annoying as is the Start-Stop feature. It is extremely aggressive. Turning off as you park in the garage or before you even stop! To overcome this you switch to Sport or Sport Plus mode. But then EPA drops quickly. The car is much more fun in Sport Plus mode but in comfort it is grandpas ride. I really cant knock the overall car and hence the 4 stars, but I can say this with certainty...I miss my RS7.

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  Spare tire was a 880$ extra - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By D Leonard Wise - March 4 - 9:53 pm

  Fun to Drive Could not believe Porsche forced me to pay extra for a spare wheel and inflatable tire on $55,000 car. They had given me a sales brochure showing two hunting dogs in the rear. The brochure had no date. It listed a spare as standard. They refused to supply one . they claimed spares were not standard on 04 models. The brochure was not dated.