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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  The Review of the Porshe Boxter - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By Lissa Green - March 14 - 10:00 am

  I love this car.Its the best car ever.I think that everybody needs to get one of these cars.They have excellent handling-even on slick roads- ,they run great, and the design is great also.the only thing that I do not like about mine is that it is a 5 speed I would much rather have an automatic.Thank you for reading this review.

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  Great - 2003 Porsche Boxster
  By TriGem - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Greatest Sports car for the price, Nothing can compare. Never driven a car that has everything i wanted such as Power, Torque, Style, and being fun to drive. Would recomend it to anyone lookin for a sports car

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  PostAlimony Thrill - 2000 Porsche Boxster
  By threeputtsnomore - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I studied and shopped for this car for literally months before I found the right one. Ocean blue/metropol with almost all of the bells/whistles. My patience was rewarded by the euphoria of a fun-to-drive head-turner that will run all day without breathing hard. The Tiptronic is great for both wife and me (bad backs)and we look forward to years of fun with our Boxster.

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  Cayenne S - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By sandmed - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I have enjoyed the Cayenne S and can highly recommend it. I tried out BMW X5 4.6, Range Rover, Lexus GX/LX470, and Toureg V8. I have occasional towing requirements and carry 4 passengers routinely. The Cayenne has the best engine, transmission, and suspension of that group, and its interior design and luxury is on par, too. Several strangers have stopped me and raved about its good looks but its the driving experience that hooked me. Its a blast!

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  Road Warrior - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By Matt - March 5 - 2:00 am

  This car is a road warrior. I have over 100k miles on it and it still runs like it is brand new. It loves the open road, I once drove across Nevada non stop doing well over a 100 mph and felt comfortable, stable and safe. Will buy another one when this one wears out, could be a while.

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  Great sports car - 2012 Porsche Panamera
  By jimcbr - February 28 - 7:19 am

  Really great car, shockingly so. Its a very comfortable 4 door sedan, decent headroom, comfortable, usable seats, both front and rear, smooth and quiet ride, nice interior. At the same time, it has absolutely unreal, incredible sports car handling. The only car Ive ever driven that handled the road as well as the Panamera was a 360 Modena. But that was a very noisy 2 seater, you could feel every bump on the road, difficult to get in an out of, etc. Amazing, they basically took a Ferrari and made it pleasant to drive, with virtually no degradation in performance.

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  911 base - 2017 Porsche 911
  By Porsche guy - February 24 - 2:32 pm

  I bought a base c2 with a manual transmission. Outstanding performance. The 7 speed manual makes all the difference. I had a 2014 c4s before with a PDK and the new c2 is a better car in my opinion. It is faster and is more responsive. Puts a smile on my face every time I drive it.

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  Know what youre buying-youll be happy! - 2001 Porsche Boxster
  By CNC - February 16 - 2:00 am

  You cant buy a Boxster expecting to get a Carrera or an M5... If you need .5 seconds faster in 0-60 there are a lot cheaper ways to go, but if youre shopping Porsche its probably because you *want* one-- youre not looking for a cheaper ride. Yep, it has rattles with the top up and the stereo is marginal. What are you doing with the top up and stereo on? Get a BMW sedan. The real sound system is 6" behind your head! When cornering Ive never driven a better car; the looks still turn heads all day; and it sounds amazing @5300RPM. Seriously consider a 3-6 month old used one-- some serious savings over the sticker price.

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  Truly a Porsche! - 2006 Porsche Cayenne
  By Crazy4Carz - February 15 - 4:03 pm

  Amazing vehicle. As an owner of a 911 Cab and a 356 SC Sunroof Coupe, it only seemed appropriate to get a Cayenne as the household SUV. I strongly considered the Range Rover Sport as it is stunning, I just could not get past the truck like performance and handling. The Cayenne on the other hand is all Porsche. Nimble, quick and just plain fun to drive. Incredibly comfortable and aggressive looks with the titanium package. Love the features though the navigation and radio are not intuitive. Also, Porsche needs to package options as there are so many that it can be confusing. No excuse for not having mp3 aux jack as standard. Options are very robustly priced. Get one!

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  What a treat! - 1996 Porsche 911
  By Sarahfink - February 14 - 10:00 am

  Last of the air cooled 911s (95-98). The sound and ride are "priceless" as the ad says. Looks, handling, comfort, speed - what else do you need? No cup holders... get over it!