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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  Look at that S car go! - 2007 Porsche 911
  By mcspeed - April 22 - 2:51 am

  Mine is a metallic black 07 Carerra S Coupe manual Ive driven for 15 months. No real complaints. Fast and very good handling. Drive this car on smooth but curvy roads too get the best of it. Tire noise is a problem on straight concrete, but you dont notice on blacktop. Rear grip is excellent. Acceleration is strong-pulls hard up to 6500 revs. Just the right amount of under steer for an amateur. Way quicker than my previous, a 96 Carerra 2 normal coupe.

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  Love my Porsche - 2005 Porsche 911
  By Deborah - April 21 - 12:40 pm

  I love my car. Its fast, fun to drive, sticks to the road and I feel safe driving it. I love driving with the top down. The only thing I have a complaint about is the emissions. Ive had to take it to service a few times to adjust the check engine light. The emissions system is very delicate on this car.

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  97 Boxster - 1997 Porsche Boxster
  By Lloyd - April 19 - 10:00 am

  Great fun car. Very reliable and tight. Comfortable with great handling. Can be noisy with the top up. Newer models have very noticeable performance improvement. Our 2nd Porsche, both are daily drivers with no bas manners.

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  Cruisin with my Speed Yellow Boxster - 2002 Porsche Boxster
  By Sheilahmarie - April 19 - 10:00 am

  I traded in my 2000 BMW 323CI Convertible for this Speed Yellow Boxster and I was never wrong in doing it. I have so much fun driving it that I missed my exits 5 times in the first week that I was driving it. The handling is superior especially in winding narrow roads. The sound of the engine is very amusing.

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  Phenomenal Car - 2007 Porsche Cayman
  By MarkJ - April 19 - 6:56 am

  Without a doubt the Cayman is the best car I have owned, my previous car was an Audi A6 2.7T. This car does it all, its fast, handles great, and turns heads. It has plenty of usable power. It sounds awesome accelerating. Its build quality is first class. Porsche has built a winnner.

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  A Future Classic - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By pwr - April 19 - 4:56 am

  Ive had this car for almost two years and havent regretted buying it. Great reliability and fun to drive. A used Boxster is a great deal. My only misgiving is that the base model lacks low end torque - it is necessary to wind out the engine to 4000+ rpm to get good acceleration.

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  Male Menopause Black on Black Self Gift - 2001 Porsche 911
  By Quijote - April 18 - 5:00 pm

  Its the most unreasonable, justifiable smile producing gift any man should indulge in. The Carrera is a tight fit,smooth growl and fun-to-drive, eye brow twitcher racer. Dont second guess yourself-just buy it and you will be rewarded. There is a little burn smell after a hard drive but it seems to be normal.

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  Life is too short not to drive an awesome car - 2011 Porsche Panamera
  By robk911 - April 13 - 7:42 pm

  Ive owned this car for a week now and it has surpassed my expectations. I was a bit torn on the design but everyday I grow more fond of the looks. I tell you, it looks fantastic in your garage. Handling is amazing, power is abundant and the interior is as classy as it gets. My wife has had several people come up to her and compliment the car. The Porsche dealer was great and the whole Porsche experience has been worth waiting for for my 40 years.

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  Devil in disguise - 2009 Porsche Cayenne
  By Turbo addict - April 12 - 11:20 pm

  A sport car in a large body...the turbo provides awesome power on demand and the PCCB provide instant stopping power. I love driving this incredible machine, it is one of the best Porsche made for the road. You almost forget you are in an SUV most of the time and the numbers are out there to prove it.

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  The cool car I wish to own - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By wa - April 3 - 11:26 pm

  I think this car is sporty,related to the 911,and completely cool.A V6 does start at the same price(or a little more)as the Lexus RX 330 AWD. I would wish to own one.