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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  NIGHTMARE S - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By qpdsful - November 17 - 8:58 pm

  We just purchased the 04 Cayenne S with under 60k miles, got the extended warranty...after less than a month owning it the rear axle had to be replaced at a cost of $1400.00. 2 weeks later in the hot sun the check coolant light went on, car was in the shop for a week to replace the coolant tubes had to replaced with the aluminum tubes, a Porsche defect that they are currently avoiding, at a cost of $3200.00, exactly 1 week later while I was backing my car into the garage the steering wheel started doing what it wanted and the light came on MOVE STEERING WHEEL there was a loud noise click click click and the car died. Will not start, go into gear, NOTHING. Had to be towed back to the dealer.

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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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  Porsche #4 - Cayenne 6 - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Don_Q - November 15 - 10:00 am

  Our only negatives are the owner manuals and CDs which are a muddle of information for the S and Turbo.

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  Fun, When It Runs - 1997 Porsche Boxster
  By Michael - November 13 - 12:50 pm

  This car has a terrible engine design. The shafts explode on the inside of the engine and cost thousands of dollars a piece. Porsche just installs new engines at $20,000 plus labor a piece, so they dont mind. It is NOT UNCOMMON for a Boxster, of ANY year to blow an engine before 80,000 miles. The problem is that Porsche recommends changing the oil only once every 15,000 miles. Unfortunately, most people who drive these cars arent mechanically inclined and actually believe Porsche and then wait 15,000 miles. Problem is, if this is a weekend car, it takes two or three YEARS before they do their next oil change. The engine is practically shot by that time. If youve bought a Boxster, change your oil. If you havent, dont.

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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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  The Every-Day Super Car - 2003 Porsche 911
  By subzero288 - November 11 - 8:33 pm

  I bought a blue 03 C4S in Jan 08 with a 6-sp man & 64,000 miles on the odometer. Factory MSRP was over $82K (with destination), but I got it for 40. I had concerns cuz of the mileage, but it looked great, everything worked, the leather smelled new and the car rode as solid as a brinks truck. Having used it as a daily driver for 11 months, I can report that handling is phenomenal on a dry road (even with AWD and PSM, the car will spin if pushed in the wet), acceleration is sublime and the brakes are in a class of their own. The tear of the flat-6 when the revs pass 4000 makes the driver feel like hes in a race car. The C4Ss gorgeous turbo-style body draws envious stares.

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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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  Expenssive Maraca - 2003 Porsche 911
  By hector - November 6 - 2:00 am

  Porsche has poor quality control in their assembly. My vehicle was delivered with an annoying rattle from the dash and rear of the vehicle which has still to be completely corrected. The car has been in the shop three times already and will return. The dealership service department has been very gracious but the initial quality of the car has taken some of the joy of ownership out of the experience.

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  Too little, for too much - 2006 Porsche Boxster
  By B L - November 3 - 10:36 pm

  I traded in my Audi A4 for a Porsche Boxter. I got an automatic with the sport package along with the premium package. It has been a fun car to have but the oil changes are $700.00 every 20,000 miles, and the Bridgestone tires wore out in 18,00 miles which were $1,500 dollars to replace. The interior is cheap for a Porsche, but the sounds system is awesome (Bose).