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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  Great Car, Fun to Drive, Head-Turner - 1999 Porsche 911
  By Carrera 4 - July 28 - 2:00 am

  Great Quality, excellent drivability, steady and sure-footed.

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  Best car on the road. - 1999 Porsche 911
  By Russell Stockton - July 27 - 10:00 am

  It is a fantastic car but replacing back tires every 10,000 miles and front every 20,000 is not cheap and is a pain. I have spent more time replacing tires than I have at the dealership.

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  I love my boxster - 2004 Porsche Boxster
  By Cher - July 23 - 10:00 am

  For a small car it is very comfortable. and it has a good amount of truck space. You just cant carry too much luggage but it was enough room for two women on a weekend trip and women have to have a lot of stuff for a weekend :-). It handles great really hugs the road and on hills it is really nice. I just took a trip to Hot Springs and never had to touch my brakes on the hills. So far I really love it

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  Great overall car with minor flaws - 1998 Porsche Boxster
  By in2deep - July 17 - 10:00 am

  Pros: Great looking car. Drives well. Tons of storage space. Cons: Thank God for the warranty. I couldnt afford the car without it. Ergonomics need improvement. Why even have a mechanical speedometer when its unusable. Replace with oil and battery gauge. For a high end car, the radio is mediocre at best. Clutch is clunky.

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  Perfect Car - 2004 Porsche 911
  By bhenry3 - July 17 - 10:00 am

  Perfect in all ways

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  outstanding - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Dr. Teeth - July 17 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Cayenne for almost 5 months and Ive had zero problems with it.The vehicle has been perfect!I dont believe you will have any regrets buying this Porsche.The car is very well built and very well thought out.

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  The Bomb!!! - 2000 Porsche Boxster
  By telzey - July 12 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car. It handles like a dream through curves. I get complements from women all of the time, even when they are with another man!!!

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  Porsche Cayenne - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By sean curley - July 7 - 10:53 pm

  It is a VERY fun car to drive it handles everything i throw at it very well. Decent fuel economy for an SUV.

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  Cant stop driving it - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By Marc10023 - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Just bought a Cayenne S 10 days ago and already 1,200 miles on! Cant stop driving it. Great ride according to the 15 people who "begged" for a spin. After 1000 miles its sound changes noticeably -- may I dare to say like a tiger? really cool. Great looks too: get it black inside black outside -- the "only" combination that works I think. Very aggressive looks. GPS system is amazing. Tiptronic is fun. Gas is OK (18 mpg on highway) and the tank is huge so you dont feel like youre always going to the pump.

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  Carrera S - 2005 Porsche 911
  By Unknown Variant - July 3 - 6:13 pm

  My first 911 ever and after 76,000 in a very modified C5 Corvette. This Carrera S is smooth refinement... the motor and drivetrain are a thing of precision beauty, shifts are light and crisp with snick, snick, snick sounds. Driving fun is at a new high with the Carrera S, a greater sense of driving. Porsches three level steel safety cage, steel door beams, side impact airbags, 18 gauge steel body panels and race proven brakes removed safety concerns I always had before. Porsches coil over damper suspension with multilink rear for strength add a chassis equal to the 4 cam motor, both of which are cutting edge. And the dealership difference is huge, too.