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:

• 

  Great Car, One Small Problem - 2008 Porsche Cayman
  By John S. - February 21 - 7:46 am

  Most beautiful car Ive ever owned, with sharp performance to match. Acceleration could be better for the price, but I was never planning to do any drag-racing anyway. The big problem is the abominable base stereo, which came with the car as ordered by the dealer (it was a leftover 2008 that I got a very good price). This stereo was state of the art in 1970, and I figured I could upgrade it with aftermarket equipment, but at $2200 just for new speakers and amps, I decided to just live with it. If you get a Cayman, be sure to order the Bose upgrade.

• 

  Awesome, Awesome Car - 2006 Porsche Boxster
  By jcntsl - February 14 - 6:10 pm

  I just bought an 06 Boxster with the six speed transmission... and I have to say I have never driven anything as balanced as this car. I will tell you the ride is stiff with the optional 19 inch wheels, but well worth the look and the price. The handling is like nothing I have ever driven. Prior to this car, I had an Audi TT convertible, and before that I had a Porsche 911 coupe. Overall this is the most fun Ive had in a convertible. I would highly recommened getting the base Boxster with the optional six speed transmission. The acceleration difference is almost negligable over the S model, and the price savings is substantial. Overall I paid $54,500 for a Boxster with similar performance to the Boxster A.

• 

  Xlnt sports convertible - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By GF - February 13 - 1:56 pm

  Great choice for sports car convertible; very pricey new (keep options list down !) but worth the xtra money in the long run. More comfortable and useful size than it looks. Bought mine new and have used it as daily driver/only car for a number of years. Out of warranty repairs expenses can be high, but maintenance is just once a year for low mileage cars. Hard to give this car up, makes for a great 2nd car keeper once its past its prime.

• 

  Great looks, poor reliability - 2012 Porsche Panamera
  By Donna Daisey - February 13 - 4:38 am

  My initial attraction to the Porsche Panamera was its unique styling and rareness on the road. After less than a year of ownership, I had buyers remorse. The transmission switching gears is prominent both in acceleration and braking. In comparison, the Mercedes-Benz and BMWs Ive owned in the past have been silky smooth. Like both Volkswagens I owned during my youth, this car has electronic gremlins. Upon starting the vehicle, the climate control changes its settings at will about once a month. Every three months or so, the radio will not work until you turn the car off and start it again. As of 2017, my car only has 25,000 miles, yet things are breaking left and right. The horn stopped working after four years. The trim on the drivers window switch broke off. The passenger window switch is cracked. On a positive note, the car is roomy inside.

• 

  M96 engine class cars - 2001 Porsche Boxster
  By Bruce Gray - February 12 - 10:56 pm

  Great car. Owned Porsches for 35 years until this car began to mix coolant and oil. NO FIX except rebuilt engine. Discovered not unusual. I will perhaps buy a Porsche again but NOT with M96 engine (1999-2008). NO help from PCNA or Porsche even for car with only 39,000 miles. Since average Porsche owner drives 6,000 miles a year, cars are usually out of warranty when the trouble strikes. Problem seems that no mechanic wants to take the engines apart, so only fix is $15,000 factory rebuilt engine. There are estimates out there suggesting 20% of this engine group cars will fail before hit 100,000 miles. Kind of like playing lottery to buy one. Ask a few mechanics about this!!!

• 

  Solid - 2008 Porsche Cayenne
  By tiger24 - February 12 - 12:43 am

  Replacing my 911 - dont ask! Acceleration for an SUV is impressive, especially in Sportmode. The interior is functional with enough electronic gimmicks, but not over the top. Test drove the BMW - not even close for engineer types. This is a great machine.

• 

  Last of the air cooleds - 1998 Porsche 911
  By norman - February 9 - 12:13 am

  I bought this black on black monster from a dealer in Texas in 2001. It had 8K miles on it. Dealer owned and driven according to Carfax. Still only has 30K well driven miles. Ive had 4 Porches and my mechanics... all worked at the Porsche factory at one time... told me this was the one to keep. The turbo setup with the smaller engine is over engineered for driving. In other words... you wear anything out very easy. This is the perfect classic car to own which you can drive without depreciating the price. This car was built to be driven and needs to be pressed at 130-150 every few years just to let you know youre alive. I typically run mine at 3500-4000 rpms on normal. Change oil every 5K.

• 

  Beautiful Car! Worth every Penny! - 2004 Porsche CARRERA GT
  By Alexander Gratford - February 8 - 2:00 am

  I believe I made the right choice when I purchased my GT. I drive it whenever I can and it gets all the looks when I go shopping! I absolutely wouldnt have it any other way. If youve got the money come join the club of GT Owners.

• 

  An SUV Sports Car - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By bethjones - February 2 - 2:00 am

  I was hesitant to purchse this vehicle because initially I did not like to exterior appearance. However, the minute I got behind the wheel I was sold. This car is a machine. It has the performance of a luxury sports car with the added performance of a SUV. I currently drive a 740IL, and the jaguar sports car and I must say that the porche is the most fun.

• 

  one FINE car! - 1998 Porsche Boxster
  By Erez - February 1 - 10:00 am

  the boxster... one of the funest to driver car in the world! i enjoy every sec in it!