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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  best car ever - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Porsche convert - February 8 - 5:33 am

  Great fun to drive in all weather. Extremely sure footed and responsive. No problem driving thru 2 blizzards. I find my journeys take longer as I find excuses to go the long way round.

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  New to the Porsche Family - 2007 Porsche 911
  By WG - January 28 - 10:10 pm

  My new 911 C4S has been beyond fun to drive. I cut through traffic like a hot knife through butter. I take corners as if I am on a rail! The cars fit and finish is great. It feels like it will hold up for over 100,000 miles. I am a former BMW 7-Series owner (4 over 10 years), so I am getting use to the lack of space compared to my old cars. That being said every time I get in the car and take off, I get a rush and I forget that I cant place my clubs in the trunk. Having a stick again has been great. Every sports car or performance sedan should have one (Hint BMW and MB folks). Is it worth $100,000? Time will tell. I hope so. If not maybe Ill get an S8 next.

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  Are We There Yet? - 2005 Porsche 911
  By lol - January 23 - 4:56 pm

  I recently changed from a Porsche 911 996 to a 997s. The 997 is more of a car in terms of value for the money. It is gorgeous to look at and a huge improvement over the 996. The Sports Chrono package is a great boys toy. I find the sport setting too much on twisty bumpy roads, it seems to become unsettled. I will save the setting for track days or maybe I just need to drive it more and find just how good it is!

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  My Review - 2003 Porsche 911
  By John Doe3rd - January 20 - 10:00 am

  Its great

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  Best SUV for Car Enthusiasts - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By Mark - January 18 - 6:56 pm

  The Porsche Cayenne V6 gets a bad rap in the motoring press because at "only" 247hp and 229 lb. torque, there is not much power to move around 4,800 lbs. of SUV. If you know how to drive a sports car, and like to shift gears, however, I have found the V6 to be plenty of power for American roads. Keep the revs above 2,500 and save more than $15,000 over the S model and get an extra 2 mpg over V8 version. The suspension is pure Porsche. I replaced a BMW X5 3.0 with my Cayenne which is at about the same price point. I find the Porsche to be: more comfortable, better handling, a little more spacious, better offroad, and way more fun to drive. It is solid as a rock, too, and feels overengineered - 7,700 lb. towing capacity speaks for itself.

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  Daily driver racing car - 2002 Porsche 911
  By bondu - January 12 - 2:00 am

  If you are looking for the beautiful grand tourer, the sporty daily driver, and the aggressive weekend racer, look no further than the Porsche 2002 C4S.

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  Mid-life love - 2004 Porsche Boxster
  By Old Guy - January 9 - 4:20 am

  My 2004 Porsche Boxster has been a treat to drive. I never understood the whole sports car thing. It was a gift from my boss which my wife quickly claimed as hers. We both drive it and could not be happier with anything else. We are now looking at getting the Porsche SUV because of how this car has behaved. In addition, the dealership has been beyond wonderful. If all Porsche dealerships are like this all other dealers should shut their doors and go home. I love the car! Can you say "wind in my hair"? Can you say "officer I am 50 and this is my first ticket-ever!"? Can you say "listen to that exhaust note"? Can you say "why did I wait this long"?

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  good - 2004 Porsche CARRERA GT
  By spungebobsquarepants - January 7 - 2:00 am

  this car has very good handeling and very good style

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  Best Car Ive Had - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By Richard Daniels - January 4 - 10:53 am

  Ive owned 7 BMWs from the 320 to the 750 and this is the best all around vehicle that Ive owned. (Barely beats the 750il) For a SUV it is beyond expectations for solid driving and stability. The engine performance of the S version V-8 is tremendous.

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  Perfection - 2008 Porsche Boxster
  By Jared - December 31 - 7:53 pm

  There is no such thing as the perfect car, as I found out by going through 25 of them in 7 years. At least that is what I thought until this car. If you are considering a sports car and a Boxster is in your budget then you absolutely must drive one. I have owned cars that were faster in a straight line (2 Vipers, 4 Corvettes, and an 03 Mustang Cobra), but none of them felt the way this car does. The smoothness of this car is just flat out incredible. It does everything so well, and I cant really describe it, but it just feels good no matter what kind of driving you are doing. Of course it is at its best when you are doing aggressive driving on your favorite curvy road. Yes it is perfect.