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Porsche cars are considered to be amongst the finest performance vehicles in the world, with a virtually untarnished reputation. It's a well deserved reputation, With razor-sharp handling and power aplenty, offering a unique driving experience. For many car enthusiasts, the marque has come to define the sports car category. For many years, the only Porsches available were their hallmark, sleek sports cars, but the lineup has recently expanded to include other types of vehicles including their ground-breaking 4x4 Cayenne.

The Porsche brand has its roots in the Porsche Engineering Office, founded in Stuttgart, Germany, by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931. Ferdinand 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 concept of Ferdinand 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 '50s saw the arrival of two of the most iconic Porsches, 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 remained located in the rear of the vehicle.

By the '70s, Porsche had introduced the 914 (the "affordable" Porsche with a mid-engine 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 '90s the 928 had been discontinued and the 944 was replaced by the similar, but improved 968. Because of a lack of dynamic product and a tough market climate, Porsche was suffering financially. The company's savior, the Porsche Boxster, debuted in 1997 and brought back the spirit of the old 550 Spyder. In 2003, Porsche did what purists considered a sin as the company brought an SUV, named Cayenne, to the market. However, once those enthusiasts discovered the Cayenne's sporting performance (especially in 450-hp turbo form) all was forgiven. Two years later, Porsche brought out the ferocious (605-hp) Carrera GT supercar.

Throughout its history, Porsche has exhibited amazing resilience, weathering changes in the economic climate and remaining fully independent from any larger automaker. Today, the ever-robust company continues to be known for making vehicles that raise the bar in the performance sports car arena.