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 Second Cayenne - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By Michael P - March 2 - 10:43 pm

  I moved up from a Cayenne V6 as I put 65,000 miles on it in 26 months and, well, I needed something new. I test drove the new Mercedes-Benz ML500 and handed the keys back to the sales guys and drove down the street and bought the Cayenne S that afternoon.

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  911 Turbo X50 review - 2004 Porsche 911
  By jdkilleen - February 16 - 2:00 am

  Incredible power and handling. For the $144,000 sticker price too many rattles and squeaks. Transmission had to be replaced due to problems popping out of gear.

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  911 Turbo rocks - 2001 Porsche 911
  By Al Temail - February 12 - 8:06 am

  If you have the money and you want to experience real performance, try the 911 Turbo. The car is almost too fast for the streets of Dallas, you need plenty of room when you get into it because in a flash youll be at 85 and theres huge upside from there. If I dont hit 110 everyday (even for a moment) its a sad day. There are plenty of reasonably priced mods that you can do to increase performance - if you need it. Bear in mind there is a Porsche tax which means the same part for BMW will cost 50% less and the same part for a Mercedes will cost 30% less. As the saying goes, speed costs money, how fast can you afford to go?

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  Cayenne Transmission Problems - 2008 Porsche Cayenne
  By iso - February 10 - 4:30 am

  I had my cayenne for over a year now. I am very much upset at my dealer in Manhattan. I had my transmission stuck on 3rd gear when i had 3,000 miles. They towed and fixed it. Then the same thing happened again when i had about 12,000 miles. They towed and repaired again. But then my dealer did not want to give me a loaner, saying they are all reserved for customers coming for an oil change. I was stuck early in the morning had to pick up my son from school, go see customers and fly overseas that day. I had to rent a car to continue my day. Then i had to replace my oxygen sensor. I had my navigation stuck once so did my horn. I am not very happy honestly planning to get out of my lease.

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  WHAT A CHANGE FROM A LANDROVER - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By yogidoc - January 21 - 10:00 am

  Ive been driving Discoverys for past 7 years.Looking for an suv with an edge and a sports car ride. The x- 5s are everywhere-decided on the cayenne over the infiniti fx 45 which drove great but the look was too odd.I love the look of the cayenne(low key and aggressive) However driving around Boston gives your body quite the jarring.My other disappointment was the quality and comfort of the seats. From a chiropractors perspective think twice before purchasing if you have any back problems. Landrover was MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE! But i guess thats the trade off for a sports car ride.

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  2004 Cayenne S - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By guru88 - January 18 - 1:50 am

  If you want a ride that will carry five people, through snow and ice, with great performance and handling, this is it. Its for someone who likes to drive, its not a cushy luxury vehicle. If you like Lexus or Mercedes-Benz its not for you.