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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  true thoughts - 2004 Porsche Cayenne
  By JAMES ATKINSON - April 23 - 12:03 pm

  GOOD QUALITY AND FUN

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  911 Cab - Highly overrated - 2004 Porsche 911
  By stevek55 - April 21 - 2:00 am

  I always dreamed of a 911 but little did I realize it would become a nightmare. I have always loved the look and sound of the 911, but have been generally disappointed since owning it. I still think the look and sound is outstanding, but the performance is really nothing special for a car that stickered out over $100 K. You can get better performance from a corvette or BMW M3 for half the price. In addition, the reliability has been abysmal as the car has been in the shop approximately every 2 months. Finally, the Porsche mystique has been severly compromised by the Boxster. My advice for future owners? Admire from afar but do not purchase!

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  Cayennes vs. BMW X-5 - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By wonderboy - April 19 - 2:00 am

  The Cayennes turbo is definitely the king of the hill in any comparison if you dont mind the 90K+ price tag. Yet the S-version was a big disappointment. The dead start acceleration was a dismal performance with no thrill or excitement. The X-5 will outperform the S in every comparison test. If you opt to equip the S like the standard features offered in the X-5, the price tag will easily exceed the listed $68,500 of X- 5 and you still dont have the performance like the X-5. The choice is yours.

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  Pain in the ...... - 2003 Porsche Cayenne
  By flegmon - April 14 - 10:00 am

  My ass cant fit in the seat. It feels like it is riding on both sides of the seat. All of the weight is on my hips. I only weigh 185 lbs!!! Does anyone else have this problem?

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  Go With the Ferrari Instead - 2003 Porsche 911
  By Richard - April 13 - 10:56 pm

  Service and reliability and Porsche NA are not worth the price of admission at any level. Save the money and go with the Infiniti G35 or bypass the lack of German workmanship and go with Italian craftsmanship.

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  Pure Pleasure - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By kate - April 12 - 9:26 pm

  Fom day one, I have not had any buyers remorse about my Porsche Cayenne S. It provides pure driving pleasure! I just returned from a road trip from California to Oregon and back. The vehicle performed wonderfully. Its steering, handling, power, Bose stereo, Navigation system, extra power from the S model, etc... I cant wait to go on my next road trip to Canada. Thank you, Porsche!

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  Smooth Ride - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By Litacher - April 11 - 10:13 am

  I love it! I have been a Porshe owner for many years and the Cayenne S is great. I sold my Carrera 911 for the Cayenne S. I wish I had done it sooner. It is truly a joy to drive, a serious road car. I travel about 80 miles a day round trip, 5 days a week. The downside to the SUV is the gas mileage.

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  love it! - 2005 Porsche Cayenne
  By tammy - April 8 - 4:23 pm

  i love this car. it drives awsome and handles great in the snow and rain.

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  One of the bettter Porsches of all time. - 2013 Porsche Boxster
  By clutchplate - April 7 - 10:06 am

  This is my 11th Porsche with most being 911s. Always wanted a Boxster but never liked the way they looked until now. The 2013 is stunning in person and is one of the best handling cars you can buy. The base model doesnt have much low end torque so you need to keep the engine between 4500 and 7000 rpms. Its plenty fast within that range but it brings the mpg to around 18 so you have to choose between power or mileage. You get 30 mpg as advertised with a very light foot. The handling is stupendous, cornering is quick and tight, the car feels glued to the road no matter how hard you push. My last car was a Lotus Elise, which had superb handling, the new Boxster could be better.

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  Best car ever - 2010 Porsche Panamera
  By gvan54 - April 6 - 10:00 am

  Easily the best and funnest car I have ever have. Including Bentley GT, BMW 7, countless Jags, Lexuses, and so on. The ONLY gripe is the center cup holder is too shallow. Everything you put in there tips over when corning.