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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  Awesome but no 911! - 2001 Porsche Boxster
  By T.Bruce - June 24 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my Guards Red 2001 Boxster S for about 2 years now...my first Porsche. The Germans really know how to engineer and building a sports car! Within a month or two of purchasing my S, however, I was already planning my upgrade. The cockpit could use a little more room (I am 6-2)...and of course as a car enthusiast I would love so more horsepower! Of course thats why they make the 911. All in all, the S is one hell of roadster for us "high end" sports car beginners...

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  Sports car-like handling in 5k lb truck! - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By ATAWAY - June 12 - 8:20 am

  This vehicle continues to amaze me. Braking is second to none. Handling for a large vehicle as this is world- class. Howd they do it is what youll wonder when you drive it. V8 power is more than sufficient, would not recommend V6 unless you are only picking up groceries and live in snow country. Ride is comfy, not too noisy, plenty of great lux features to please anyone. Beautiful design. Interior is lovely. Faux leather dash is quite nice. Seats offer plenty of adjustments. Nav works really well! Parking sensors are well worth the $. Dont need heated seats as in Southern CA not too cold.

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  A REAL Sports Car - 2005 Porsche Boxster
  By C. Blackman - Texas - June 11 - 10:20 am

  The new Porsche Boxster is their "BEST TO DATE" sports car. Previous models have been fine, but this car is way outstanding. Fast, Fun to drive, quiet with the top down and you can drop the top while you are driving under 30 mph. I have had the car for two weeks and it "turns heads." Bose stereo is great. Terrific "Ice cold" air conditioner (a must for Texas). Interior finish work is as fine as Mercedes; very well laid out instrumentation, etc. I checked out several convertibles and this car was the best all around car.

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  BEST CAR ON THE ROAD - 2003 Porsche 911
  By The Godfather - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Just couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of driving my friends 911 Turbo X50 for couple days. Well, now I know what a real car is!!! I swear its more than what you can ever imagine... incredibly fast, your eyes start watering when you start accelerating, it reminds me of the acceleration and fun of a 1000cc sport bike.. Fit and finish is unbelievable, with the stereo system being up there with the best of them! Grabs attention like no other car, I had a guy pull next to me at a stop light in a new S500 and ask me: "How does it feel to drive the baddest car in the world?" I have no words to express the experience.

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  My Cayenne - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By Howard Goodman - June 6 - 5:30 am

  I have my Cayenne for over 3 years and it performs as well today as it did the day I left the dealer. The vehicle holds the road better than any vehicle I have ever driven and give me a feeling of safety. You can drive any other vehicle and no one notices, when you drive your Cayenne everyone notices and wishes they were you.

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  A car that puts a smile on my face - 2007 Porsche Boxster
  By metroflyer - June 2 - 8:43 pm

  Ive had the car since new and have done nothing but enjoy it. It is great fun to drive, I almost always drive on side roads and not the freeway, just keeps the rocks and debris off the front end. The car handles great, feels like it is on rails when going around sharp corners. I am getting very good gas mileage, close to 30, keeping the RPM down helps.

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  Driving Impressions - 2004 Porsche 911
  By idssms - June 1 - 2:00 am

  Purchased new in 1995 a C2 Carerra and sold it in 1999. Thought I could be happy with Mustangs, Vettes and Camaros, I was wrong. Could not live without the 911, purchased one last month at HBL at Tysons and absolutely love it. Been on Fun Runs with it on the back Va country roads really putting the car to the test and it passed with flying colors. Porsche is a standard that sets the levels for all other sports cars.

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  AWESOME - 2001 Porsche 911
  By bobcat - May 30 - 2:00 am

  awesome

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  My First Porsche - 2007 Porsche Cayman
  By ron - May 25 - 12:56 pm

  I have had many Corvettes, all of which were maintenance nightmares. I moved on to the 2004 350Z, which never cost me a dime and delivered lots of performance and pleasure. I wanted to move up to Porsche and liked the mid-engine design. I love the sound this car gives to you with each gear change. It handles better than my Z and is just a touch faster.

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  Boxster - 2000 Porsche Boxster
  By SSS - May 21 - 10:00 am

  Excellent fun. Needs more power. Excellent handling. Some rattles.