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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  3 years coming to an end - 2000 Porsche Boxster
  By dmtaylor - September 29 - 10:00 am

  Boxster is everyhting I hoped it would be.

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  Porsche Boxster - 2006 Porsche Boxster
  By Frank - September 22 - 12:13 pm

  This car is very fun to drive, just a slight push on the gas petal tells you why...The first scheduled maintenance is two years or 20,000 miles...Can you believe that! Oil changes every 20K no way...The dealer advised not to drive it over 120 mph during the first 2,000 miles for brake in..Holy cow...That is as fast as you need to be on U.S.A. roads

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  Uber Shweet - 1999 Porsche Boxster
  By Raiffe - September 20 - 10:03 pm

  The car is great! I drive from my home to class mon-fri and not a day goes by when people dont stare! It easily cruses at 100mph and has great highway acceleration in 5th gear. I found that the exhaust wasnt loud enough so I installed one myself and it sounds like a beast. Gas consumption is also amazing for a sports car, I get 26.8 avg. but who really cares! Get it!!!

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  Super-Car! - 2002 Porsche 911
  By rogerdee - September 19 - 5:13 pm

  Its a great car to look at, a delight to drive, a great trophy to own.

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  First impressions - 2006 Porsche Boxster
  By Cricket - September 15 - 12:36 pm

  Just drove the car 1700 miles in 3 days, so heres my first impression: This car is a blast to drive. I have a couple pet-peeves already, but I have no regrets about my purchase!

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  Great Car. - 2001 Porsche Boxster
  By dhaleat - September 12 - 10:00 am

  I tested about everything before getting the Boxster S; Audi TT, BMW Z, Ferrari, MB, 911, etc. All things considered, the S was the clear winner. I guess the bottom line is, If I were buying today, I would still choose a Boxster. Although I would probably buy a used one that was low milage.

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  Perfect Sports Car - 2007 Porsche Boxster
  By Porsche Nut - September 5 - 11:00 am

  My bride and I ordered this car in June of 2006 as our wedding gift to each other. Even though we bought the "base" Boxster, we optioned it up with all the goodies including the hardtop to a list of $67000! We got the base as it has plenty of power, great performance and really does get over 30 mpg on the highway. It is great for tooling around the backroads of Pennsylvania, Virginia, West (by God) Virginia and Maryland and can hold enough luggage for a week and still have room left for making frequent stops at the wineries! The overall performance is superb. I have owned Alfas, Fiats, Lancias, Triumphs and nothing compares to the Porsche. Expensive yes, but well worth it.

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  C4S, the Turbo without the 400 HP engine - 1996 Porsche 911
  By Duane C. - August 24 - 10:00 am

  The 993 is the last of the air-cooled, handmade Porsches. Not only a beautiful car to look at, but with all-wheel drive and "big red" brakes, it goes like stink at the track. Dont buy this car if all you want to do is parade down main street. Youll regret it and sell it within a year. Its primitive, noisy, has a lousy stereo. Like an F-16 fighter, its designed to do one thing and do it better than any thing else and that is to get from point A to point B fast. With the 993 series, the 15K manual valve adjustment requirement is gone and they have no bad habits. If you want a REAL sports car, this is one of the top contenders. And if it rains, youll look like Micheal Schumacher.

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  Great Car - 2004 Porsche 911
  By Brian Newmark - August 17 - 10:36 am

  Great car.

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  Great Ride - 2007 Porsche 911
  By blueGT3 - August 9 - 4:03 pm

  GT3 is a one of the all time great rides. Drove 16 hrs down the east coast as snow was soon arriving, got 26 mpg, no tickets, its 70 degrees. GT3 is built like a vault. Everything works flawlessly. Exhaust note is exceptional when you want it, and quiet when you dont. The least conspicuous supercar made but still gets tons of looks and comments, along with cell phone picture taking. The ceramic brakes are remarkable often the standard in braking comparisons. 3000 perfect miles since August.