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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  not only snob appeal - 1997 Porsche Boxster
  By sam kalter - September 27 - 10:30 pm

  Bought certified used when prices were still firm (high). Not the case w/2-seaters today; makes this car ,or better an "S",great value for the money. This car is a pleasure to live with...notwithstanding the high costs when something does go wrong...it just makes me feel good to get in it...I still stare back at it after almost (5) years but thats how it is with Porsches-and yes, this a real Porsche .p.s.Even w/T.C.,useless in snow p.p.s.go for the full leather interior,a major difference on early models.

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  fell apart - 1997 Porsche Boxster
  By Asadvertzd - September 27 - 10:00 am

  I swore this would not be my last Porsche until the trans fell out at 45M. Now I consider it a POS. It IS "rolling Prozac", and the tagline "an extension of the drivers will" is indeed true. Have you found out that you have to replace ALL 4 tires every 10M-12M miles? Cant just replace ONE-- different wear patterns dont allow it to respond as well! Maybe I have become more practical and just had a bad experience. Maybe it WONT BE my last Porsche. In the future, maybe Ill own a Porsche instead of a boat or Harley. Just pick your money sucker.

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  Cayman S Review - 2008 Porsche Cayman
  By Eddie Urso - September 25 - 4:40 pm

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  Excellent Auto - 2004 Porsche 911
  By Selena - September 23 - 10:00 am

  Ive been an owner of a 1999 Carrera and now a 2003 Carrera4 S and I love them both.The design is timeless and the performance you cant get any better.When the New Twin Turbo models come in I will hope to own one someday but for now Im loving my speed yellow C4S!!

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  Fun car to drive - 2013 Porsche 911
  By carnut130 - September 22 - 11:28 am

  We have a 2013 Porsche 911 cab (not an s). It is as good a quality as we have ever had (had over 100 cars). Fun to drive, good ergonomics. It is a sports car and rides as such ... not a gt tourer. Weakness is that for $115 thousand, it should have a backup camera, satellite radio and key-less-go standard. It does not. So the car is rather unsophisticated. As of Dec 31, 2013 we have 8500 miles on the car.

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  Great car !!! - 2000 Porsche Boxster
  By therock77041 - September 15 - 8:36 am

  Overall nice car, but not even comparable to her big sister the 911....

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  Like No Other - 2005 Porsche 911
  By Robert - September 14 - 9:53 pm

  When it comes to sports cars none can match the 911. Throughout the years I have owned many vehicles, even a Ferrari. When it comes right down to it, though, none are nearly as satisfying as the Carrera. With its timeless exterior and genuinely luxurious interior it cannot be matched in any category.

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  Do Not Buy this Car! - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By Scott - September 14 - 5:36 pm

  I just bought the Cayenne 6-cylinder. It is definitely the worst luxury vehicle money can buy! You hardly have any acceleration in this truck! And you would think you would save on gas! NOOOOOOO! I get about 13.2 miles per gallon on both street and freeway! The Bose sound system sounds terrible and the navigation is a pain in the rear to work with! I paid top dollar for this vehicle and I am very disappointed! I cant return it either! So I am stuck with a slow, low performing truck for 3.5 years!

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  2002 911 Carrera4S - 2002 Porsche 911
  By ngray - September 12 - 2:50 am

  This is the best handling car I have ever driven, with it AWD, 18" low profile tires and Porsche stability management system,it makes even an average driver like me look good. The 320HP with tons of torgue helps too. Very quick an agile machine.

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  A Tip Of The Hat To Porsches Engineers - 2006 Porsche Boxster
  By R. Anderson - September 11 - 10:53 pm

  Wow - The new Porsche Boxster S is an absolutely awesome machine. Porsches engineers have combined body styling suitable for an art museum with the best mechanical engineering I have ever seen in an automobile. With the mid engine design and tiptronic auto/manual transmission even an average driver can feel like a NASCAR driver. This car is easy and fun to drive. You would think the car is mounted on rails when making sharp turns at, shall we say, excessive speeds. Porsches engineers have designed the ultimate practical fun sports car. My girlfriend and I find the cabin very comfortable during 2 1/2 hour back road trips. The S combines awsome power great stability and superb brakes.