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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  996s are the value of the century - 2003 Porsche 911
  By Porsche Lover - June 23 - 11:26 pm

  I bought my 911 on 9/11 from an individual who had babied it. It only had 13K miles when I bought it 5 years old, so essentially I got all the experience the first owner had when it was new at about 1/3 of the original price. 996s, especially the later ones, like this one, are very underrated, mainly because of the different shape of the headlights. Let me say this - when youre cruising down the road and going through the gears, youre in a Porsche. Period. It is still a work of art, a marvel of technology and a high performance race car all rolled into one. I bought an extended warranty from Easy Care just in case, but havent had to use it. Great value on quintessential sports car!

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  Best in class, excellent face lift! - 2008 Porsche Cayenne
  By John - June 20 - 5:00 am

  I bought mine early March and so far love it. The 3.6 puts out 290 HP and works well for my needs, I have the tip trans. and Im happy with the smooth shifting. We had 7 inches of snow a few weeks ago and this thing eats its way up my snow and ice covered drive much better than the X5 ever did!

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  Amazing! - 2009 Porsche 911
  By James A - June 19 - 6:36 am

  This is the best car I have ever owned. Not one problem after 9 months. I love driving it and love how it looks!

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  awesome Ride - 2007 Porsche Cayman
  By jay - June 16 - 5:00 pm

  The Porsche Cayman handles like a dream. Its performance is great, the lines look like a 37 Bugatti Atlantic. Porsche did a great job with this car.

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  First Time in Porsche - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By 1st Time in Porsche - June 10 - 6:50 am

  After driving five other so called competitors of the Cayenne it was no contest when it comes to performance. As a Corvette driver, I have been spoiled with high end performance car but now that my wife and I will be blessed with a child...it was time to think bigger. The Porsche SUV was not on my initial list but the more Ive compared the extra few dollars can be well justified.

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  best car Ive ever owned - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By randy hunt - June 5 - 4:53 am

  This is by far the best car Ive ever owned. All around it is the best in every category. I had a Tiptronic twin turbo 911, and for a sports car that was the best. The Cayenne is just as much fun to drive. My only regret is that I did not buy the turbo version, but I thought Id send my daughter to a year in college instead.

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  Great car - 2017 Porsche Macan
  By peter Ring - June 5 - 2:15 am

  Its simply more expensive than others in its class but it does drive so so well and it looks incredible.

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  2009 - 911 Carrera S with PDK - 2009 Porsche 911
  By Phil - June 2 - 2:03 am

  Being my first Porsche, it truly lives up to my expectations of a Premium Sports Car. The exterior design/look, as well as handling in combination with the "instant" acceleration available is truly fantastic. The PDK, along with the heated/ventilated seats and upgraded Bose sound system, make this car one that I always look forward to driving every day. The dealership and salesman that I worked with was extremely professional and did not apply any pressure to sell me a car even in light of this tough economy. They had no problem with me discussing maintenance issues directly with the mechanic staff and reviewing the prep work order/paperwork on the vehicle that I ultimately chose.

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  Is this heaven? - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By ds2k1 - May 29 - 2:00 am

  Havent had my Boxster S long, but I cant imagine a better first impression. Handles unbelievably, has excellent power and torque, is absolutely gorgeous to look at, has an excellent amount of storage for its class, is pretty roomy inside, and provides about 95% of the thrills of a 911 cabrio for at least $30K less. And for me, it is an absolutely livable everyday driver, whereas the S2000 (the other car I considered) is not. If youre thinking about the Boxster, just do it - you wont regret it!

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  Boxster S "A Hedonistic Dream" - 2000 Porsche Boxster
  By Claud in DC - May 24 - 10:00 am

  This car is the most fun to drive car I have ever owned. It isnt the quickest off the line and it isnt cheap. However, it is the best handling stock performance car available for under 55K and its a Porsche. The stability (even is adverse conditions) is remarkable and it has been reliable to boot thus far. Not cheap to maintain, but given the fact that maintenance is due every 15,000 miles makes the high price reasonable.