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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  My awd 95 cabrio - 1995 Porsche 911
  By peter willner - July 3 - 1:43 pm

  Bullet proof car with great style and a company that has stood behind its product even out of warranty. It has retained a good portion of its 15 year old value.

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  Long term observations - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Peter Pivko - July 2 - 7:53 pm

  Mileage is 18 highway at best due to the excessive weight of the car and the big V-8. Overall driving impressions over the past 4 years rate this SUV as med-high. It has a stiff/harsher ride for the rear passengers as the seats do not cushion as well and are over the rear tires.

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  Chase after your Dream ! - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By elise - June 28 - 10:00 am

  Air Suspension made handling on the Cayenne excellent. The appreciation came everytime you pull a high speed curve,it simply does not roll.Acceleration is quick and on demand.With its rigid body,high ground clearance and a high,low range gear combined with a lockable differential,there should be no doubt that it is a true off roader. It is 90% close to a 911(Can anyone really drive their 911 toward 100%)and it is a true off roader.This is definitely a benchmark setting schievement.In sum,if you are considering a Porsche,the Cayenne is the best choice and value for your money.

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  2005 Boxer S Problems - 2005 Porsche Boxster
  By Smiles - June 25 - 1:33 am

  I bought the car one week ago and I have about 650 miles on it. The problems that I have encountered in the first week are: the car was delivered low on oil so I had to go out and purchase oil to put in it two days after the purchase, the paint is already coming off the front intake next to the bumper, the convertable roof broke on decline and now no longer works, and the brake warning light has already come on. Truth be told is I get a new car every two years and this will be my first and last Porsche. This is a fun car to drive, but I am questioning build intergrity and quality of craftsmanship. Make sure you research the car well before you buy it and good luck.

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  An E ticket ride in your garage! - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By JAdmiral - June 22 - 10:00 am

  After nearly "sold" on a BMW Z4, I reminded myself the the Boxster exists. Ive always loved the car from afar, but hadnt considered it as a car I could really own (dont ask). One sit led to a test drove on the standard Boxster. Great ride, and lots of fun, adequate power. However, once I drove the Boxster S, it was a puppy sale. I couldnt own anything else! The car is a blast to drive, tons of power, and corners so flat, you feel like youre on rails!

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  Great Car - 2007 Porsche Cayman
  By Britain22 - June 20 - 10:00 am

  Great car! Have owned it for just over a year and love driving it both to work and on weekend fun trips. Do not plan to drive it cross country, but that was never my intent in the first place. It replaced my Z3 BMW, and while both are really nice cars the Cayman S seems like a star ship, while the Z3 is more of a classic from the 50s. I have yet to find any major issues with the Cayman and hope that it runs as good 10 years from now as it does today. The Navigation system is difficult to figure out the first few times of using it so wish they would team up with Garmin and keep thing simple but it works well once you get it set up.

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  A high-performance car for daily driving - 2017 Porsche 911
  By Gearhead1 - June 19 - 12:03 pm

  Six months into my 2017 Graphite Blue Metallic 911. Got the Sports Chrono Package, Sports Exhaust (a must), and PDK. No sunroof to reduce weight and keep the center of gravity closer to the pavement. I drive the car daily. Very comfortable (if youre not overweight), but not soft on the road. If you want soft, get an old Cadillac. The new turbo motor actually gives better low-end power than previous 911s, allowing one to exit corners swiftly. Little lag in Normal mode, but non-existent in Sports mode or the track-worthy Sports Plus mode. Whistling, swooshing, and rumbly exhaust every time theres a downshift is downright addictive. Steering, perfect. Visibility, perfect. Handling, perfect. My third Porsche. Ive owned all the following: Audi R8 V10, Lambo Gallardo, Aston Vanquish, Viper, Lotus Elise, M6, but the new 911 gives me the thrill of a near-supercar on a daily basis. If you can get one, you wont be disappointed.

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  awesome!!!!! - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By big c - June 12 - 7:20 pm

  just got it great handling ,awesome breaks good firm ride . Pricey but hey its a porsche, stereo could be simpler to use but sounds good.Only Problem is 6-cylinder eng. very slow off the line but great at speed. Now im onto th fx 35 so i can have the two best looking suvs on the planet.

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  Not Mom friendly - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By Karina - June 11 - 1:00 pm

  I really dont like this car. When we went to look at it I thought it was great because it had style, class and super comfortable seats. The more I drive it though, the less I enjoy it. The GPS system is terrible. The seats are nearly impossible for me to maneuver (cant get the head-rests on and off by myself, really hard to fold and lift the rear seats) and the rear storage is totally inadequate. I had my daughter a year after I bought this car and it is so difficult to put the car seat in and out of too! On the other hand, we were rear eneded when she was a newborn and barely felt the impact which was nice.

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  Be careful, the engines are not reliable - 1999 Porsche 911
  By bnewport - June 7 - 2:43 am

  I bought my car in 2003 just as the original warranty ran out. It had 17000 miles, cost 45k and I bought a 2.5k extended warranty. It was lucky I did. I used the car daily, summer and winter. I also did maybe 12 PCA drivers education events in the car. The cars engine was the main issue. It would check engine at high steady RPMs with a misfire code. The dealer changed the lifters (4k) but the car had the same issue afterwards and the dealer then changed the computer (2k). The CEL remained. The car later had an engine failure where the cylinder wall failed. It was new engine time. 13.5k from the dealer with a 2 year warranty. The tiptronic transmission also failed and cost 10k to replace.