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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  Fast - 2008 Porsche Cayenne
  By MtnRudy - July 16 - 2:50 pm

  Great speed, handles great. The new front end is a great improvement over 06, but the back could use revision. The only gripe I have is no Bluetooth and no MP3 dock, both features which are available on the X5. That being said, there is no comparison between the X5 and the S. This is one incredibly fast and well-built machine. The biggest surprise to me is how fuel efficient this is, with straight freeway driving at 22, and mixed city/freeway at 17 to 18 (my experience in the first 4000 miles.

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  2002 996 Cab - 2002 Porsche 911
  By WSM996 - July 15 - 6:16 pm

  This has been a great car. I looked at 997s but, for the money, the the 996 seemed like the best buy. Its an everyday driver and I drive it from Austin to Dallas every week for work. A lot of fun; surprising economy; very comfortable seating.

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  lil car - 2004 Porsche Boxster
  By richard calhoun - July 11 - 2:00 am

  Great car to drive. Cannot get air bag light to shut off.

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  Having the best allwheel drive carmobile - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By barry,jr - July 6 - 10:00 am

  i look forward everyday going to work, because i know , im about to get into one of the most powerful and safest mashine built.

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  First Porsche - 2004 Porsche 911
  By Colleen - July 6 - 1:56 am

  During this past year I test drove and researched every Porsche made from 1996-2007. I chose the 2004 Anniversary. I loved its price, acceleration, styling, engine sound, aggressive exterior, and interior creature comforts. It has the most bang for the buck without all the added expenses of a turbo which will be my next Porsche, a 993TT. Maintenance has been marginal and fuel economy exceptional for a sports car. Heads turn wherever I go, including from other Porsche drivers trying to fiqure out what type of Porsche Im driving. Its a novelity Porsche that packs plenty of horsepower. "Shes a lady when she has to be and a whole lot more when she needs to be."

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  Born to Run - 1998 Porsche 911
  By rcable - June 30 - 10:00 am

  This is the machine you always dreamt about driving. Once you drive it, you will dream about how the drive was better than the dream. What a car! Power and handling grace built within a great looking body style. You feel this cars purpose on the curves and straight aways. This is not a car you steer. This is a car you drive. Massage your way through the gears and you are the car. Take the top down and feel the wind. You are living the good life. If you love driving, then this car was born to run for you!! Favorite drive: Pacific Coast Highway south of Big Sur

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  Pure sports car - 2000 Porsche 911
  By Craft190 - June 30 - 10:00 am

  Everything I expected in a street legal race car. If you want a luxury sport touring car, or muscle car buy one, but not a Porsche.

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  Love it - 2010 Porsche Cayenne
  By Hzsc - June 27 - 5:46 pm

  Previous SUVs we have owned have been the Lexus LX470 and GX470. We highly considered both the new GX460 and the BMW X-6, but went with the Cayenne after falling in love with it during a test drive. Power is much superior to the Lexus and similar to the V-8 BMW in my opinion. I would love to have the turbo edition, but hard to justify the price. We love the ability to switch between the sport and comfort setting. The cayenne GTS actually rides very smoothly in comfort mode. Much smoother than I anticipated. The navigation system with voice control is much improved over my LX470 or our 2008 CLK 550 Mercedes. The I-pod interface is also fantastic in its controlability. Great car.

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  I LOVE IT !! - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Quadman - June 25 - 10:00 am

  Just passed the 1 year ownership mark and love this vehicle more each day. Great acceleration, drop the steering wheel triptronic down to 3rd hit the gas and get ready for a rocket ride. Just cant imagine what the turbo is like. Handling, better than most sport cars and way better than any SUV I have driven. Ride is a bit choppy, but thats what makes a 5000 lb SUV carve a cloverleaf at 55 mph. Quiet even at highway speed (somewhat dependent on road surface) Reliability, I have had zero problems with this car. Interior egronomics are great. Love the sound system and GPS is great although a pain to program when driving. Would by another, maybe the turbo next time!!

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  because we can - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By tere - June 25 - 10:00 am

  what an incredible vechicle. we have driven our cayenne s through the winding roads of arizona....we had soooo much fun. i can depend on this car to keep my family safe. we love its power and elegance. thankyou for designing this great machine, it compares to no other.