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:

• 

  Still a piece of Fine Art - 2007 Porsche 911
  By Bob - March 29 - 12:53 pm

  Sold an Audi RS4 to get back to a 911. Still the most fun there is for driving. May not be the fastest but by far the most fun. I hope it is my final buy b4 retirement.

• 

  EXCELLENT - 2004 Porsche CARRERA GT
  By bla19851 - March 29 - 10:00 am

  keep it nice+ shiny

• 

  Nice... - 2004 Porsche CARRERA GT
  By UnknownAutoPerson - March 29 - 10:00 am

  This car is not all that bad, and is a pretty nice one. It has a sweet unique drive and an awesome comfort feeling. I would recommend this to anybody that can drive and afford it.

• 

  Love at First Sight - 1999 Porsche Boxster
  By JUST RIGHT FOR ME - March 27 - 11:00 am

  My boxster is not the fastest sports car out there, but boy is it fun to drive. It handles better than any car I have every driven and is not bad on gas.

• 

  no regret - 2001 Porsche Boxster
  By Andrew - March 24 - 12:43 pm

  my triple black boxter is slower than the bmw m3 I replaced it for but I am looking into engine upgrades. I get a lot more looks on the road with the boxter and lots of complements. Not as fast as the 95 ferrari 355 but lower maintnence. This is not a honda so dont complain when you take it in for service or a 190 dollar porsche oil change. wonder how much safty fetures they put in it?? a lot and how did they fit everything so tight?? My bmw m3 would take the off ramp at 45-50 and the porsche boxter holds it tight at 60mph though one time at 65 she sliped a little so there is a limit.

• 

  The best of the SUVs - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By Maria - March 22 - 10:03 am

  I thought that the Porsche Cayenne was the last SUV Id ever consider buying, but after a test drive, I was sold. Its sexy, stylish, turns great, and has outstanding breaks. Plus, it is safer than other SUVs. this truck is excellence at its best.

• 

  2005 C4S - 2005 Porsche 911
  By mark fisher - March 21 - 8:50 pm

  My 4th Porsche 911, and each one has gotten better and better. This one is by far the best of all: it has more speed, comfort, luxury, handling. In this modern world, it is nice to know that the 911 remains one of those special cars, and as the old ad says, "there is no substitute"...still.

• 

  EVERYTHING I HOPED FOR - 2001 Porsche 911
  By ksaeh - March 20 - 2:00 am

  First time owner. I love everything about my 01 coupe.

• 

  Wonderful Machine - Cayenne S - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By AA - March 19 - 8:06 pm

  Having only owned this vehicle for a couple weeks, I already can tell you that it is fantastic. Great level of comfort and convenience from our CS. Have driven new V6 Cayenne, was not impressed with performance (08 should be better, however) so landed in CPO CS and am so very happy. Wonderful wet weather handling. Feels much lighter than its stats would suggest. Massive brakes also instill confidence and superb braking ability (L.A. accident avoidance maneuver proves it). Recommend fully.

• 

  2006 Carrera Cabriolet - 2006 Porsche 911
  By Geoffrey Hersch - March 18 - 1:00 am

  My 2006 Carrera Canvertible performs well and is very fun to drive. I love the Tiptronic shifting capabilities which makes the car more fun to drive while not making my commute troublesome. Its suspension is a bit bouncey on the highway as expected for the sportiness. it is fast enough for most anyone and fun enough for me. I have had this car for two days and love it. The lines of the new body style are hot with 911 sportiness shining through.