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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  08 turbo cab tiptronic - 2008 Porsche 911
  By daniel Minc - July 29 - 12:56 am

  Went from an 06 c2s cab stick, to an 08 turbo cab tip. Love the power on demand, glued to the road feeling on country roads. The turbo definitely has a more planted feel on the twisties, probably due to the 4 wheel drive and more weight up front. The c2s felt very light up front with its go kart kind of feel. The main shock to me is how civilized the power train is. Not much of a snarl. no one will hear you and even starting it up is not a noticable event. It unfortunately lacks a killer exhaust note. My 06 C2s started with a snarl which was rewarding. The Tip is smooth as glass, no smg here, and it goes like hell too, but will it fulfill the boy racer desire? Maybe.

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  Never again - 2000 Porsche Boxster
  By CO_Steve - July 8 - 10:46 pm

  While I agree with all the positive comments about the Boxster my bought new 2000 suffered a bearing failure at 22,000 miles and five years which required total engine replacement. Factory 3/36 had run out. No consideration from Porsche. Known problem. I could have bought many more Porsches in my life but never again.

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  A Great Car - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Joeval - June 30 - 10:00 am

  I been driving my new Porsche for 6 weeks now and love it. The handleing is excellent and it gets the same gas milage as a MB ML 320.

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  Twin Turbo To Die For - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Steebie - June 30 - 10:00 am

  Excellent Vehicle to drive for fun. Not for your average Family SUV. This is a high performance SUV that takes off, stops on a dime, corners like no other SUV, and totally engrosses every one of your senses. Gas mileage is terrible, but if you can afford the turbo, gas mileage cannot be an issue, since range is excellent at over 550 miles. Everyone I know who owns one of these rockets is in love with it, including men and women.

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  Steering rack replaced after 3 weeks - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By shuffle - June 30 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased a Cayene S 3weeks ago.It has been back to the dealer for service 3 times. The entire steering system is being replaced. Other than huge factory defects the car is great. If you buy this car get a letter in writing from your dealer that they will pick up your car and give you another Porsche as a loaner! I have been given a Pontiac and am not very happy that it seems that I have spent $80,000 on a Grand Prix. Luckily I can ride a bike to work!

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  Raucous Fun in the Sun - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By Speed Yellow - June 8 - 8:33 am

  I feel that the outstanding sense of balance is a Boxsters trademark. Its not the fastest of two seat roadsters (even in S form), but it is surely the most fun to drive. The cars handling instills confidence in even the most tenuous of drivers. Cornering is effortless; the cars center of gravity feels like it is located under your seat. The the suspension communicates precisely what you need to know and it transmits your steering and throttle inputs with a smooth competency. The engine sings at higher RPM and begs to be revved to its limits, thats where the power band is and thats where the whole driving experience comes together, putting a big, goofy grin on your face. Its Heaven.

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  There really is no other - 1995 Porsche 911
  By chas - June 6 - 5:30 am

  My first Porsche, hopefully not my last. Im not sure I can describe just how powerful an experience it is to drive a car like this every day. This is my regular driver, 3-4 days a week to work and back. I dropped a fair amount of money on it in my first year of ownership, but nothing I had to fix or upgrade was especially unreasonable. The Porsche 911 requires careful attention in its maintenance, but the rewards are very great: no other car makes you a part of the machine the way the 993 911 does. Its an experience every driver should have. My car has 112K miles on it, and its running like a watch now. I just cross my fingers that no more expensive trolls show up soon

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  Confused SUV - 2011 Porsche Cayenne
  By itzsyk - May 26 - 1:07 pm

  Had this car for 5 months now, and I still regret not test driving it before signing the papers. Just got out of a RRS so I thought Id give the Cayenne a try. The car is stupid fast. Almost to the point where driving at limit speeds is very boring. But the biggest thing that gets me is....what is it? Its not an SUV and it certainly isnt a 911. Id rather go with a RR or X5 next time because if I wanted a sport car, Id go pick up a proper 2dr. Also, the Cayenne felt very similar to the Panamera, which in my opinion, does not know if its a sedan or a sports car as well.

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  quality not there - 2002 Porsche Boxster
  By knuckles - May 22 - 10:00 am

  too many problems--rear seals seem to have problem on their bulletin boards, clutch is weak, hydraulic front hood that needs to be jumped to open if the battery is dead is a poor design feature

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  Great Automobile, Should be better!!!! - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By luvhatebenz - April 17 - 2:00 am

  With a price over $100,000 this vehicle should be near perfect. Dont get me wrong, I love the vehicle, but the design of the back seat, rear window and cargo height are serious problem for me and my 115 pound old english sheep dog. I traded in an ML55 Mercedes for this vehicle and while the Porsche is larger in overall size, there is significantly less head room in the Porsche cargo space, the rear window only goes down half way and the placement of the rear seats in reclined position is old school design and reminds me of my 98 5.9 liter jeep. It also has some shift hesitation problems when trying to accelerate quickly.