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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  Buy This Car When You Have A Chance - 2005 Porsche CARRERA GT
  By Joel - December 12 - 8:00 am

  this is a great car. when the chance comes to buy one take the chance. you will enjoy all 500 grand spent. Enjoy!

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  I love this car - 2005 Porsche 911
  By hfloeffler - December 8 - 3:36 pm

  This car is a pleasure to drive. It performs effortlessly on city streets and outrageously well on the highway. On winding country hillside roads the performance is astounding. The active suspension system (PASM) kicks in and pulls the car level in the hardest turns. You finish a turn with the feeling that there were no "G" forces at all. The interior is terrific.

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  Surprise Surprise - 2002 Porsche 911
  By Jim Sommers - December 6 - 1:50 am

  Ive had this car for nearly 4 years. It has about 30K miles on it. When I bough it I was quite prepared to pamper it, have it constantly looked after and treat it more as a "weekend fun machine." Ive done none of these things. Its as reliable as anything Ive ever owned (mostly Hondas, Toyotas, etc. in recent years). Ive done nothing except change oil & tires and its my only car. I use it all year - including cold, with snow winter where the only sacrifice I make is using winter tires. The gas mileage has been a respectable 24+MPG during the entire time so far. Yeah, this is all that "practical" stuff supposedly not of interest to someone into these kind of goodies-read on

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  Porsche Cayenne hot as a pepper - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By JAVIER - December 3 - 10:00 am

  The handling on the vehicle at high speeds around curves is outstanding. My wife has the BMW X-5 and my car outperforms hers in everythig. The navigation systems is also better than what I expected. I compared mine to the one the Mercedez 500 SL convertible and the Cadillac Escalade have, and its much better (my co- workers have the two other vehicles). The additional lighting when you make turns is also awsome. Parking assist is super as well. There is nothing to complain about in regards to this car.

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  wow! update "double wow" 2017 Macan S - 2017 Porsche Macan
  By Pinehurst John - November 30 - 4:16 am

  after driving bmws for the last 25 years, decided to try a Macan S. What a great decision I made....smile.......... Powerful and my Macan S 2017 is a sports car acting machine outdoing most of the bmws I have owned..........with the possible exception of my 3 series M convertible. It is a truly great combination of practicality and driving excitement. This is a Porsche, no doubt about it, from the sound of the engine to going around 35mph corners at 60...........its a Porsche! The ride and noise in the cabin are muted and comfortable, bumps are a little harsh, but the other attributes of the vehicle are well worth the small aggravation of the semi stiff ride. After all this is not a Lexus RX. Cabin is done very well with great materials and is big enough for me, 63", 260lbs. I am not sure what I would do to improve this vehicle, not anything I can come up with right now. 5 stars for sure...........................yippee!!!! UPDATE: 6mo owning the vehicle, 7000 miles. double down on all statements previous. nothing about the vehicle that I can complain about. it is really a blast to drive, so much in fact I find myself taking the long way to almost everywhere I go and going for joyrides very often. I have not had my first ticket yet as I am a careful driver, but the car is so responsive it is hard to drive the speed limits. Whatever speed you are going seems to slow. Get one or test drive one, until you do, you can not possibly know what I know. It is driving heaven. UPDATE, one year later.......... all review items remain at same high levels. I find myself driving places I dont need to go just to be driving. This is truly a great vehicle and it seems priced correctly for the quality and image that you get driving a Porsche. I am very pleased with this vehicle and it will be hard to drive anything else after this experience. update: 18 months owned, 18k miles. no further comments, all of my previous comments stand as written. Great Vehicle.

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  One of My Best Cars - 2000 Porsche Boxster
  By Florida Cowboy - November 28 - 10:00 am

  This is one of the best quality made cars I have ever purchased. I have had no problems with this car in 4 years. Servicing costs are on the expensive side. I would absolutely purchase another.

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  Best Car I Have Driven - 2008 Porsche 911
  By The Kid - November 28 - 6:06 am

  I love this car! It is a joy to drive. It is a joy to let my friends drive it. My wife is not a car person, but she loves driving it and riding in it. It handles better than any MBZ that I have owned. I have always wanted a Porsche and I am 73-years old. It was now or never. It is the best thing that I have ever given myself. The cars handling saved our lives when another driver almost side-swiped us. I dont drive the car much over 75 because getting their sooner makes the fun of the drive shorter. It is just as much fun in city driving as it is on the highway. One minor electrical fix in 15 months. If you can afford to buy or lease, you wont be sorry. I love my Red Monster!

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  Sports car standard! - 1999 Porsche 911
  By XCAP - November 26 - 7:30 pm

  For performance, comfort, reliability, looks and fun this car has no peer! Ive never owned an auto so enjoyable to drive. And so stable in really awful driving conditions!

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  The Best All Around Sports Car, Period! - 2005 Porsche Boxster
  By B Pon - November 26 - 7:06 pm

  After one year, my 2005 Porsche Boxster has been nothing but pure pleasure. It is amazingly fun to drive.

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  2006 Porsche Boxter - 2006 Porsche Boxster
  By Evelyn - November 22 - 8:00 am

  The Boxster has great handeling on the curves and incredible power for such a small car. It is a true sports car!