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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  Awesome Vehicle! - 2008 Porsche 911
  By walt - November 18 - 3:33 pm

  This Cab S is my fourth Porsche and my second 911, and the best one ever. This is truly a dream car and is so much fun to drive. The handling and speed is light years ahead of anything Porsche has put out on the streets and blows the completion away. The exterior and interior of this gem is perfect! Porsche Im so proud of you; you done good!

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  Definition of a sports car... - 2004 Porsche Boxster
  By M.T. - November 15 - 7:56 pm

  Not only does this car handle incredibly, it fits any driver like a glove and provides them with a much better "feel for the road" than any huge, SUV will ever be able to do. The plain black interior, when accented with aluminum pedals and gauge bezels, is so stunning, that many of my car "afficionado" friends have said it looks better than most other over-blown sports cars. I think for 2005 theyre over doing the interiors of the Porsches....too much luxury...not enough "sports car"! Definately get the Pirelli P-Zero tire combination. Its the best. Its hard to beat a Boxster if you want to drive a modern version of a throwback to the past! Well done Porsche...how can you top this car?

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  Pure Driving Fun - 2002 Porsche Boxster
  By runr53 - November 15 - 10:00 am

  My second Porsche in 15 years and its absolutely thrilling to drive. Mostly use in spring and summer but definitely a year-rounder if necessary. This is truely a fun car to drive...period. Performance and quality is #1. Zoom Zoom!!

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  The ultimate driving machine - 2008 Porsche 911
  By JeffinGH - November 12 - 6:16 pm

  After having 3 Corvettes I finally made the jump to a Porsche, or should I say leap. Its a different world with this Carrera 4S and talk about fun to drive? The rating of a 10 really doesnt do it justice, maybe a 16.

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  Habit Forming - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By JoeBatters - November 10 - 10:00 am

  Recently purchased cayenne s, after driving mercedes for years it was time to say good bye to the three pointed star. i test drove all of the top line suvs and just could not see driving anything other then this porsche. the quality is great so far, i like how porsche is not trying to appeal to all segments of the car buying population. we have been so impressed and happy with the purchase we just ordered a second for my wife. this vehicle is nice to get into and leave any stress behind.also, when merging onto the interstate and no one wants to let you in just tap this gas pedal and you are catapulted forward into a clear area. This is just a great ride.

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  Second Boxster - 2006 Porsche Boxster
  By Bill - October 21 - 9:53 pm

  I recently purchased my second Boxster; this time an S model. I loved my old car, but everthing that was a little annoying about it has been upgraded on the 2006 model. The ride is fabulous, maybe even better than the 911. I am also impressed with the Bose surround system.

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  Perfect Car - 2004 Porsche 911
  By larscars - October 17 - 11:10 am

  The 40th Anniversary Porsche 911 Carrera is perfect. It differentiates itself from all other Carreras with 911 badges, Porsche GT paint, horsepower, interior, stereo, and polished wheels. I was just at a Porsche car show with 200+ Porsches and mine was the only 40th anniversary. I had to fight people off with questions and comments about how beautiful the car was. What a great exhaust sound. The matching Porsche leather luggage is frosting on the cake. This car is coooool!

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  Great Experience - 2007 Porsche Boxster
  By Nick Bolton - October 11 - 11:33 pm

  I bought my standard Boxster in Nov. 06 and have been able to use it more than Id expected with this mild winter. It has been a great all around experience so far, from the dealership to Porsche follow ups after sale. The car itself is fantastic to drive. It is not as powerful as my Audi S4 or the Corvette, but I have had a much more thrilling driving experience. The 245 HP is plenty powerful enough and the handling is first class. The engine note is great, the cars a real head turner and the fit and finish are everything youd expect in a Porsche. The other, less obvious plus for me, is the cargo space. I can get a golf bag in the rear trunk and two airline overhead compartment sized cases in the front trunk.

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  Worth the Wait - 2006 Porsche 911
  By keepsdad - October 11 - 1:43 pm

  At 53 years of age, I finally took the plunge and bought a new 06 911 Carrera 2 coupe, 6-speed, black on black. My, my, my has it been worth the wait! Can you say handling beyond your wildest dreams? It is fast, but I have driven faster. What sets it apart though is its incredible smoothness and overall mechanical balance. The workmanship is spectacular - I now understand why you see a ton of these still running after 20 years. Although it is hard to argue that any car is worth $75,000, I can at least understand why this car costs that much. It is over-engineered and built to incredible fit and finish standards. It is everything (and more) that I had ever hoped and dreamed that it would be.

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  still a head turner - 2004 Porsche 911
  By Jock - October 4 - 10:00 am

  In the thirteen months that i have owned this spectacualr car, I have never once regretted shelling out 160k to buy it. From the moment that i sit in the drivers seat to the second i get out, it is all grins and smiles. I love convertibles, and enjoy mustangs and convertibles like that...but nothing out there turns heads the same way that a Porsche Cabriolet does.