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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  Katz Kar - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By PRAIRIEKAT - May 19 - 2:00 am

  After many years of owning German sports sedans, driving this car is a revelation, infact it redefines the word "sport".

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  Great car! - 2012 Porsche Panamera
  By David Tosi - May 16 - 8:18 am

  Look for the certified pre owned cars.

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  Cayman S - 2007 Porsche Cayman
  By ntierprez - May 16 - 12:50 am

  This is my daily driver and havent had a single issue with the car (I have over 30k miles). The car is absolutely beautiful and attracts a lot of attention from other drivers. The storage capacity in the car is unbelievable, 2 trunks with over 15 cubic feet of storage capacity. I havent had a situation yet where i couldnt fit everything into my car. I average about 20 MPG which isnt bad for Washington DC traffic. It is an absolute joy to drive and it worth every penny.

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  Base 2014 Cayman - 2014 Porsche Cayman
  By cobrienmx - May 14 - 4:32 am

  I purchased this car from Brumos and had the most positive experience ever buying a car. Delivery took about an hour. The quality of this car is outstanding, it handles like it is glued to the ground, and there is plenty of power to get you out of trouble immediately. Luggage space is impressive and long drives are comfortable. I got 29.2 mpg with the cruise control set to 80. I never thought I would be doing this I have become addicted to performance driving schools and events. Although this car is no dragster (275 hp vs 600+), it is unmatched by most cars in turns and is extremely well balanced. (thank you blue flag) If a driver can smoothly carry momentum they will be tough to hang with.

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  Fun Fast and Beautiful - 2010 Porsche Panamera
  By Dennis Hampt - May 13 - 12:53 pm

  The early reviews that ridiculed the Panamera external styling were way off base. Granted, there are some color combinations that would be less than flattering but that doesnt condemn the whole line. Ive had at least twenty strangers approach me to compliment the looks of the car (dark blue ext. natural tones interior). More importantly, the performance is mind boggling. Comfort features are extremely refined. Multiple driving modes change the cars performance personality at the touch of a button. All and all close to perfect.

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  Snap your head back - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By TimHicks66 - May 11 - 11:40 pm

  I absolutely love the Cayenne Turbo I purchased. I have had it for one year and have had no issues other than standard maintenance. It is fun to driver and faster than anything should be for as big as it is. It is also very practicle and has nice "True" SUV features.

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  Fantastic - 2007 Porsche 911
  By Joe B. - May 11 - 11:06 pm

  This car is too much fun. My only complaint is that it has overly complex radio settings. It has great styling and performance.

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  What else can go wrong - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Beach boy - May 11 - 9:36 am

  Not long after owning this vehicle there was a recall for the transmission. It was replaced. Another warranty issue was the radio/cd player rear seat belts and hinge replacement on the tailgate. Since the warranty ran out at(80,000 Kms) all hell broke loose. The driveshaft flex joint went the heater blower, plastic cooling tubes,(now metal), water pump, brake switch(can start without having to apply brake), warning buzzer for lights left on etc., heated seat module, rust under rubber on door window frame, seat belt springs have weakened,(they jam in door), tailgate barely closes, repairs to the tune of approx. $8000.00. What a $140,000 money pit. Dont buy one.

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  OMG What were they thinking? - 2016 Porsche Cayenne
  By Susan - May 9 - 10:12 am

  We repaired a 2016 Porsche that was purchased in the fall of 2015. This car has so many design flaws that a light hit to the rear end and the car should be totaled. Its engineering is so poor that they put the battery under the seat and access to exhaust required too much labor to include removal of a body panel. The seat just from a mediocre accident caused the rear passenger seats bolt that secures them to the floor break. Mind you the airbags did not even go off in this accident. That same tap to the rear caused a total of 4700.00 worth of mechanical damage due to the horror story of engineering. Take a pass on buying this it is going to be a Fix or Repair Daily vehicle. Being in the VW family should we have expected anything less?

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  Great Everyday Driver - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By RayBen - May 9 - 10:00 am

  Build quality is A+ . Turbo produces tremendous power but suffers from Turbo lag off the line. The only truely bad point is that the Cayenne Turbos exhaust is "Mercedes Quiet" it produces no exhaust rumble. Porsches TV add shows a Turbo but the sound is that of a regular non Turbo Porsche. Shame on them.