In 1931, Ferdinand Porsche established a company that would change the auto industry forever. He imagined a company that would build the best sports cars not only in Germany but in the entire world. True to the founder's dream, Porsche has evolved into one of the most prominent and dominant forces in the motoring world, giving us some of the most iconic vehicles in history.

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Porsche has built so many fantastic cars over the last century that trying to pick just ten to represent them is almost an impossible task. Still, it has to be done. So, despite having to leave out some great contenders in this prestigious top ten, these are the most important Porsches ever built.

10 356

Let's kick off with the first-ever Porsche — the 356. Introduced in 1948, the 356 was a Volkswagen-Beetle-based sports car that quickly showed what the new automaker was all about.

The first 356 release wasn't quick enough to compete against the sports cars of the '50s, as it could only reach a top speed of 84 mph. However, later versions — such as the 356C — were equipped with beefier engines, making the 356 one of the most fun-to-drive cars of the '50s. The 356 is also the car that earned Porsche its first win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1951.

9 911

The 911 is not only Porsche's greatest car, but it's also widely considered to be the greatest sports car ever. People love the 911 for its looks, powerful engines, fantastic driving feel, and the fact that it's one of the few sports cars that can actually serve as daily drivers.

Having been in production for almost six decades, there are so many superb 911s to choose from, including the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7, the 2011 GT3 RS 4.0, and the 1967 S Coupe, to name a few. ​​​​​​​

8 917

The 917 is definitely the most important race car in Porsche's rich motorsport history. Introduced in the late '60s, the 917 is the car that gave Porsche its first overall win at Le Mans in 1970, a feat it repeated the following year.

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The 917 was powered by a 4.9-liter flat-12 engine, pushing out 630 hp, allowing it to reach a top speed of 246 mph — crazy numbers for 1970. There were several versions of the 917, including the gorgeous Langheck, the aerodynamic 917/20 or "Pink Pig," and the ruthless 917/30 or "Can-Am Killer." ​​​​​​​

7 918 Spyder

2013 was a fantastic year for the hybrid supercar market. Three of the best European manufacturers built what's commonly referred to as the Holy Trinity of hybrid supercars, proving that hybrids could be cool and fast. McLaren introduced the P1, Ferrari gave us the LaFerrari, and Porsche built the iconic 918 Spyder. ​​​​​​​

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The 918 Spyder is powered by a 4.6-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine producing 608 hp paired with two electric motors that deliver an additional 279 hp. It takes just 2.6 seconds to hit 62 mph and will go on to reach a top speed of 211 mph. ​​​​​​​

6 Cayenne

The '90s saw a massive shift in the auto industry. The demand for SUVs increased dramatically, forcing manufacturers to rethink their strategies. In 2003, Porsche decided to take advantage of the growing demand and developed its first-ever SUV — the Cayenne. ​​​​​​​

The Cayenne had everything SUV buyers could ever need — a decent design, plenty of passenger and cargo space, a luxurious interior, and the ability to go off-road. Unlike other SUVs, though, the Cayenne needed less than 5 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph and could go around corners better than some sports cars. The Cayenne has turned into a cash cow for Porsche, having sold more than 1 million units.​​​​​​​

5 Boxster

The '90s were terrible for Porsche and other European sports car manufacturers. Japanese automakers introduced cheap sports cars like the Honda NSX, the Mazda RX-7, and the Toyota Supra, proving that sports cars didn't need to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to be fun. ​​​​​​​

To be able to compete, Porsche knew it had to build a cheap sports car, so it introduced the Boxster in 1996. The Boxster was an instant hit, loved for its attractive price tag, beautiful design, and a mid-engined layout that made it one of the best-handling sports cars of the day. The Boxster is still in production to date. ​​​​​​​

4 Taycan

Over the last decade or so, the EV industry has exploded into the mainstream, with American company Tesla leading the pack. Porsche was among the first traditional marquees to take advantage of the growing demand for EVs, and it did so with arguably the best electric sports cars ever — the Taycan. ​​​​​​​

The top-of-the-range Taycan 'Turbo S' comes with a 93 kWh battery pack powering two electric motors sending 751 hp and 774 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels, allowing it to accelerate to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds. It has an EPA range of 201 mph, making it a great choice for both long and short trips. ​​​​​​​

3 959

Introduced in 1986, the 959 was Porsche's first supercar. It was developed as a Group B rally car at first and later as a road-legal production car to satisfy the FIA homologation requirements. Powered by a 444-hp 2.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine, the 959 had a 198-mph top speed, allowing it to break the production car speed record.

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​​​​​​​During its seven-year production run, the 959 was the most technologically advanced road-going sports car. It was equipped with ABS, a six-speed transmission, sequential turbocharging, all-wheel drive, and magnesium wheels with run-flat tires. ​​​​​​​

2 956

Porsche has built many race cars over the years, but none were as dominant as the 956. Built in the early '80s to comply with the FIA's new Group C regulations, the 956 was a horrifyingly dangerous and brutally fast racer that won almost every race it participated in. ​​​​​​​

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The secret to the 956's success lay in its aluminum monocoque chassis, revolutionary aerodynamics, and the efficient 620-hp turbocharged flat-six engine that propelled it to a top speed of 217 mph. The 956 famously lapped the Nürburgring in 6:11.13, setting a record that stood for 35 years. ​​​​​​​

1 Carrera GT

When Porsche discontinued its racing program in the late '90s, many of the revolutionary technologies it had developed looked like they'd go to waste. Fortunately, Porsche executives decided that at least some of the technologies should be integrated into a new production car — the result was the bonkers Carrera GT. ​​​​​​​

The Carrera GT had a race-developed 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V10 under the hood producing over 600 hp, allowing it to top out at 205 mph. The Carrera GT was famously devoid of driver aids, which meant it was a real handful to drive. Only 1,200 Carrera GTs were ever made.