Porsche is one of those manufacturers that everyone knows, even if they know little about cars. The 911, with its very distinctive shape and often with a huge wing sprouting from the back, has become as much a symbol of wealth as a sports car.
Once the nascent Porsche emerged from an early history tied up with the darkest days of Nazi Germany, the 911 became a symbol of the company for many decades, until it led the premium markets’ dive into SUVs and then electric cars.
Much of the history and make-up of Porsche may surprise many a reader, especially its relationship to German giant Volkswagen – so just who owns who?
So who or what is Porsche?
Dr Ferdinand Porsche founded his business in Stuttgart, Germany in 1931 – although the first cars carrying the Porsche name didn’t arrive until 1948. A Czech-German automotive engineer, Porsche joined forces with his son-in-law Anton Piëch and Adolf Rosenberger, who soon after would found Auto Union, the company that was reborn decades later as Audi.
Porsche’s early work was in development and consulting for other manufacturers, and one of his first customers was Adolf Hitler. Hitler wanted a people’s car, a ‘Volks wagen’ and Porsche led the creation of what eventually became the massively successful Volkswagen Beetle, while also running the factory that was due to build it.
In 1939, Porsche used several Beetle components to produce its own car, which was called the 64, before the outbreak of war saw the company turn to military design and production. These included tanks and, to build them, Porsche employed forced labour mainly from Poland. Ferdinand Porsche was a member of both the Nazi party and the notorious SS, and after the war he was arrested, serving 20 months in prison. Released in 1947, he later suffered a stroke and died in January 1951.
With the Volkswagen factory now run by British major Ivan Hirst, Porsche’s son Ferry tried developing his own car. This entered production in 1948 as the 356 and is regarded by the company itself as the first Porsche, with its trademark rear engine and two-door body shape that is still recognisable in Porsche’s sports car models today.
With parts in short supply in post-war Germany, the 356 initially used several VW components, which were gradually replaced as it was developed. It also established a reputation for Porsche in motor racing, which was to become a company hallmark.
The phrase iconic is overused when describing cars, but the Porsche 911 deserves such a title. Launched in 1963, it is still in production seven decades later. While today’s 911s are thoroughly modern sports cars that share not a single component with the original version, they still share that rear-engine layout and ‘duck’s-back’ body shape.
Porsche did plan to drop the 911 in the 1970s, replacing it with the front-engined 928, but neither the latter car, nor its cheaper sister the 924, lasted long. While there were other models, Porsche remained known effectively for one car. Then in 2002, the company shocked the market by becoming one of the first ‘premium’ manufacturers to launch an SUV, the Cayenne – soon it became Porsche’s best-selling model.
Equally significant was the launch in 2009 of the Panamera, which in its original tried – unsuccessfully, to most eyes – to apply 911 styling cues to a much larger saloon vehicle. The current model has managed to improve the styling considerably.
Porsche has always maintained a close relationship with Volkswagen – Ferdinand Porsche’s nephew, Ferdinand Piëch, served as chairman and CEO of VW between 1993 and 2002 and then took the helm of the VW supervisory board. A ‘merging of manufacturing operations’ from 2009 saw the Porsche SE holding company, created in 2007, effectively taking control of VW by 2015.
The Porsche of today makes electric vehicles and a choice of SUVs – but most observers still see it as the maker behind the 911.
What models does Porsche have and what else is coming?
Core of the Porsche model range remains, as it always has, the 911 sports car, though in its current incarnation, launched in 2019, it’s known as the 992. It comes in a host of varieties that comprise coupé, convertible and targa body styles, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, a flagship Turbo model (although all 911s are now turbocharged) and very- high-performance models called the GT3 and GT2.
While consistently given top ratings by the media, the 911 does not fare so well in ownership and reliability surveys, and The Car Expert only gives it a D score in its Expert Rating system.
The other two out-and-out sports cars in the Porsche line-up are the mid-engined pairing of the soft-top Boxster and its hard-roofed sister the Cayman. The current versions, launched in 2016 and dubbed ‘718’ to recall a 1950s Porsche model, are good to drive but still derided by some as “poor man’s 911s” and their ratings also suffer from reliability, running costs and emissions issues.
Porsche made many rival brands sit up and take notice with the launch of the Cayenne SUV in 2002. It was an inspired move, however – the Cayenne has routinely outsold all other Porsche models ever since.
The current version is the third generation that first went on UK sale in early 2018 – this was also the first Cayenne to gain a more coupe-like but far less practical sister model. Today you can buy Cayennes with a choice of three petrol engines and hybrid and turbo options, and like the 911s they score for their driving experience, less so for costs and ownership.
In 2009 came another major diversification with the Panamera, a huge four-door saloon designed to look as much like a 911 as possible. It’s never been regarded as the prettiest car on the market, but it has proven very popular. A second-generation version launched in 2017 and was substantially updated in 2020 – today, you can buy it with petrol or plug-in hybrid drivetrains and also as an estate, though Porsche prefers that you call it a ‘Sport Turismo’.
Current Porsche range on our Expert Rating Index
Porsche also offers a mid-sized SUV sister model to the Cayenne, launched in 2014, called the Macan and effectively a much more upmarket version of sister brand Audi’s Q5. Most recently facelifted in 2021, it follows the trend of wowing those who drive it but being less impressive as an ownership proposition. However, a new Euro NCAP five-star rating after crash tests conducted in 2024 has enhanced its safety reputation.
Much more recent is a battery-electric version of the Macan, which finally started finding its way to customers in 2024. An eventual replacement for the petrol version, it also removes many of the factors dragging down the ratings of its sister models, such as emissions.
Finally for now there is the Porsche Taycan, the first full-electric vehicle from Porsche launched in 2019. It’s on sale as a four-door saloon and two estates, with rear-wheel or all-wheel drive and a choice of battery sizes. It’s gained many highly positive reviews, some saying it is the closest challenger to the cars of EV standard bearer Tesla.
The next new model from Porsche is likely to be an all-electric version of the Cayenne – prototypes have been spotted on test and it could well launch in 2025, selling alongside the petrol-engined version. Electric variants of the Cayman and Boxter are also on the cards.
Where can I try a Porsche car?
Porsche is an upmarket manufacturer and therefore potential owners are expected to travel a bit to secure their purchase – you won’t find a dealer, or Centre as Porsche calls them, in the motor alley of every town.
There are a total of 46 Porsche Centres spread across the UK, including Ireland, and the flagship outlet is based at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit, with its own private test track that enables owners to be taught some performance motoring techniques before taking their powerful machines out on the public road.
What makes Porsche different to the rest?
Very few car manufacturers can claim to make what are considered highly desirable lifestyle items – Porsche is one.
While the company today produces many an SUV and electric crossover, saying the word Porsche still immediately conjours a picture of the 911 – in movies the 911 is used as an immediate visual indicator of someone doing well, and while the car is often criticised today, many still regard driving one as a sign that they have really made it.
A Porsche fact to impress your friends
Porsche has won the Le Mans 24 Hours, regarded by many as the world’s toughest motor race, more times than any other manufacturer with (as of March 2025) 19 victories.
The first came in 1970 with the 917, a car as iconic in race circles as the 911 is on the roads. Porsche clocked up seven wins in a row between 1981 and 1987, and last won in 2017. Nearest rival is sister brand Audi, with 13 wins.
Summary
Porsche remains regarded as one of the upmarket car manufacturers, still trading heavily on a reputation established by one model close to 70 years after that car first appeared. The company makes much more these days of course, and is embracing the switch to electric, if a little slowly – the actual arrival of the Macan Electric in showrooms, for example, has been a somewhat tortuous process.
Overall, however, Porsche remains one of the true destination brands and for this manufacturer the future looks bright.
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