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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  Owner/driver - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By Ron Joffe - January 30 - 7:40 pm

  Had excellent buying experience with dealer in every aspect. The vehicle is everything we expected. My only negative is the ride is very stiff. Vehicle has only 1600 miles on it and hopefully that will soften up a bit.

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  Even a base Carrera rocks!! - 2007 Porsche 911
  By Jakeman - January 30 - 8:33 am

  I wanted a Cayman S, but my wife insisted on having a back seat, so we compromised with a modestly optioned 911. Most 911s sold are 911S models of one kind or another, which adds $7-8K to the car. Having come from a 1997 E36 BMW M3, this is a huge change. You sit lower, steering and suspension are excellent. The torque is impressive and the engine sound - look out. Its a daily-driver style car; dont expect it to feel like a WRX with a lowered suspension. But when you let out the throttle its fantastic, especially while cornering. Its a classic design and very comfortable to sit in. Save up and order one new; you will avoid getting the ubiquitous silver car with black interior.

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  Boxster S...There is no substitute - 2002 Porsche Boxster
  By EHN - January 29 - 2:00 am

  I have had my Boxster S for about 6 weeks and have put 2500 miles on it. This car is a hoot! Great power, although not overwhelming, skateboard like handling and the best manual transmission I have ever used. I traded in a Miata. The Boxster is a much more substantial car, solid, incredibly smooth on the highway. The howl of the engine at 3500 RPM+ is intoxicating. I love this car.

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  Coupe de grace! - 2007 Porsche Cayman
  By Jim Harries - January 27 - 8:23 pm

  The Cayman is a superb package. While the car can be comfortably driven in the city, it is a delight on the back roads where traffic is not an issue. The high power-to-low weight ratio and the mid-engine layout make the car nimble and well-balanced with loads of torque. I have owned several coupes and this is the best one by far. It is a car that really responds to you as a driver. And of course the body styling is fantastic!

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  Best SUV - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By John - January 15 - 8:56 am

  I have to say this is the best SUV on the market, hands down. Ride comfort, true utility and of course the Porsche acceleration and tuned exhaust make driving the Cayenne S a must. Ergonomics are perfect, even for a guy my size (63" and 375#). Turning radius is much better than expected. Its takes a bit of getting used to the transmission which solidly downshifts, keeping you always in an optimum engine torque range. Very tight in corners. Options and controls are intuitive, no problem getting to know the bells and whistles without reading the owners manual (the manly thing). Interior lighting at night is exceptionally well engineered.

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  Very Fun Car - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By Harry - January 14 - 9:53 pm

  I replaced my BMW 2003 X5 with a Porsche Cayenne S. The power and handling are incredible. The Tiptronic shifter is similar to BMWs. I also have it on the steering wheel, which is very handy for fast acceleration or passing. The Cayenne handles better than the Sport Edition of the BMW X5 3.0 model that I had. It is better on the bumps in the road. Its cornering is better too. The sound of the engine is what is incredible about the Cayenne. It has that great Porsche sound. It is a good SUV for the family. There are some features I wished the Cayenne had that the BMW has, but in terms of handling and comfort of drive - Ill take the Cayenne S over the BMW X5 Sport Edition any day. It will be interesting what the NEW BMW X5 is like. Drive both before you buy.

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  A Great Little Car - 2007 Porsche Boxster
  By Franko - January 14 - 6:56 pm

  I bought this car 11/06, it was a special order and now has 7000 miles on it. Prior to this I owned a Mazda Miata, prior to that a Triumph TR3B, before that a MG-TD. So far I have had no problems what so ever, it has been a great little car. My car has standard seats, which are fine, and navigation which is useful but expensive.

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  Goodbye SL500 Hello 911 - 2005 Porsche 911
  By 05Black911 - January 14 - 12:00 pm

  After a series of problems with my new 03 SL500, I decided to roll the dice and replace it with an 05 911 Carrera. Wow, what a difference! The Porsche is a weekend car, and I love the way it handles through the southern California canyons on the weekends compared to the much heavier SL roadster. The six speed shifter is well designed and easy to use (although I have to wait another thousand miles or so on the odometer to really push it to the redline). Im also impressed with the fit and finish of the car -- so far not one mechanical defect. Ive owned several MBs and BMWs (my daily driver is an X5 SUV), and so far I dont feel the Porsche will be as problematic as past experiences.

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  concern owner - 2004 Porsche Boxster
  By otto ockleberry - January 9 - 10:00 am

  Car has been all that I wanted in a sport car. But I have some reservation about it being a everyday vehicle. Finding a resonable mechanic for mantenace and repairs is not an option.

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  A Quiet Beast - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By rdufer - January 9 - 10:00 am

  There isnt any way to rationalze the purchase of this car-unless you have driven one! The power is unending just depress the accelerator and it just keeps coming. The only thing better than the power is the brakes and handling! The interior is beautiful and very quiet unless of course you turn on the wonderful sound system! This is the first SUV we have had that my wife actually wants to drive. Is it perfect, no, but did I mention the power.....it makes you forget any other short comings! The electronics are complicated and it took me a while to work them all out, but once set you just enjoy. It does like fuel in the city but averaged 19.6 on a road trip.