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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  Orca - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By Orca - March 1 - 6:56 pm

  Love the vehicle overall but the ride is like a heavy truck. Local service is less than desirable. "Cant duplicate owners complaint." only one service in area. Milage 14.9 including highway. Former auto a M.B. S320V so am spoiled on the smooth ride. Wont buy another.

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  Unhappy Camper - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By denverowner - January 17 - 10:00 am

  My Cayenne was a joy to drive until the recalls came in..I am on my 12th recall. New computer system, new drive shaft. Tires wore out at 7K miles due to front end vibration. 2 sets of brakes. Interior trim vibrates. Rear door handles have broken off, ski door broken, wood trim has come lose. On my third set of brakes. Each set are noisy and Porsche says thats normal. Interesting design feature! Dealer cannot keep story straight and service is getting worse. Ski racks whistle so loud you have to remove to drive and keep sanity. Dealer service is the worst I have ever experienced.

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  Hard to believe it is a Porsche - 2008 Porsche Cayenne
  By Early Man Fan - September 30 - 2:30 pm

  I have owned this since March of 2007. It has been back to the dealer 3 times already and I still have issues with it. Initially there were very bad paint runs on both side of the license plate. These had to be wet sanded off. There is a puttering sound that comes from the rear passenger area. According to dealer and Porsche this is normal and will be found on all 2008 models. It is something to do with the fuel pump. Returned to dealer again when I discovered that the entire hood was covered with "splotches" under the clear coat. Again, wet sanding was done on a brand new car. Definitely should have purchased S model. Acceleration is poor and seems to shift gears sluggish,

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  Poor Quality From Porsche - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By PorscheSux999 - July 20 - 3:13 pm

  I bought a Cayenne S 2 yrs ago. To date, it has spent over 45 days in the shop. I continue to have recurring random warning messages come up. Like others, I did have alignment issues in the first 8,000 miles which cost me $350 for the alignment and $1,200 for new tires (I didnt buy them from the dealer). The car is still having issues and Porsche has given up on fixing them because they dont know how to. I was told they would buy it back from me but after 4 weeks, they decided not to. Worst luxury car I ever bought. Going back to MB and BMWs. NEVER AGAIN!

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  2005 997 carerra has major flaw!!!!! - 2004 Porsche 911
  By jud - June 7 - 10:00 am

  the acclaimed new 997 carerra has a major design flaw. porsche has actually made the process to remove the xenon head lamps even easier in the 2005 models. thieves in south florida have already caught on and have already helped themselves to this reviewers lights which cost $4,000 to replace. the staff in customer-commitment at porsche north america also admonished this reviewer for complaining about this flaw.

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  Porsche? Never again - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By wnorton - May 15 - 7:20 am

  Good day, Its with disappointment that I post my review of my Cayenne. I like driving the car, but Ive had a lemon and after wrestling with it for three years, Im giving up. Three Porsche dealers within 1 hr and Im on a first name basis with each. Ive read other posts and it would appear that 05 or newer might be the fix, but this vehicle has been a nightmare from day one. Fun to drive, and GREAT control in winter weather. Also I would be remiss if I didnt say, I was disappointed in the 6 cyl. I went that way for fuel efficiency and it does well. Its just to much of a sacrifice to give up the 8 cyl.

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  Poor - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Mike Plumley - April 30 - 10:00 am

  Owned for 115 days and was in shop 16 days, still not repaired properly. The poorest service on a vehicle I ever owned. If youre in the market for one of these, hire a full time mechanic