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Porsche is one of the most popular sports car brands in the world. Originating from Stuttgart, the German automaker is responsible for producing iconic sports cars over the last few decades. This includes the widely popular Porsche 911 and the new, all-electric Taycan.
Porsche has a rich history in the world of motorsports, competing in several competitions throughout Europe and the world. This racing pedigree is what translated to the brand making some of the most powerful luxury sports cars on the market.
Want to learn more about the iconic German automaker? Here’s everything you need to know about Porsche.
10 Started As A Motor Vehicle Consultancy
While Porsche is now one of the most successful automakers in the world, the brand can trace its roots back to Stuttgart in the early 1930s. Ferdinand Porsche founded the company as a motor vehicle consultancy that did development work for other automakers in the region.
The company evolved over time and helped design and build tanks during the second world war. Before this, the company was instructed by the German government to build a car for the people, Volkswagen. This is when the consultancy expanded and started investing in automotive manufacturing and design.
9 Luxury Sports Cars
After the second world war, Porsche diverted away from consultancy and started designing its own luxury vehicles. In stark contrast to Volkswagen, the brand decided to design luxury sports cars for the European market.
This resulted in the Porsche 356, a sports car that shared several components with the Volkswagen Beetle but came in a more luxurious package. The brand built on the success of the 356 and developed performance vehicles that had the capability of racing throughout Europe.
8 Motorsport History
Porsche has a long history of competing in various competitions throughout Europe. While many of the earlier competitions were not factory-supported teams, Porsche eventually created a racing division where they build and maintain racing cars for a variety of different classes.
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The factory team has also competed in Le Mans, holding the record for the greatest number of wins as a manufacturer at 19. Porsche’s racing division has also grown to become the largest race car manufacturer in the world, producing hundreds of racing cars every year. This division also works with the Porsche team to create road-legal racing cars.
7 The Porsche 911
While Porsche did manage to build a successful brand throughout the 50s and early 60s, the Porsche 911 is what helped elevate the brand to a whole other level. This Porsche came with a rear-mounted engine and a unique design that helped it stand out from other sports cars on the road at that time.
The Porsche 911 featured round headlights and a coupe-styled body. The popularity of this sports car defined the entire brand for decades to come, with modern models still making use of the same design language today. Porsche evolved the 911 over the last few decades, creating efficient and powerful engines in the process.
6 Porsche Designed The Beetle
As mentioned before, Porsche used to be a small automotive consultancy in Stuttgart. This agency helped work on a number of automotive projects in Germany and was tasked by the government to develop a new brand of car for the average German.
This saw Porsche work with local officials in Lower Saxony to create a local automotive company. This company evolved to become what we know as Volkswagen today. Porsche helped develop the company by designing its first car, the Beetle. This development helped Porsche later as they utilized many of the same components to create the first Porsche.
5 Relationship With Volkswagen
Porsche boasts a long and profitable history with Volkswagen over the last few decades. Despite Porsche’s influence in the creation of Volkswagen, Porsche operated as its own automotive company throughout the years. However, the two companies did collaborate on a number of projects throughout the years such as the Porsche 914 and 914-6.
Porsche underwent restructuring over the years as well. The family created a holding company to hold 50% of Porsche and 50% of Volkswagen. This also led to Porsche and Volkswagen signing a deal to become a singular automotive group. This agreement saw the two brands share technology, resources, and finances within a single corporate structure.
4 Expansion Into Family Vehicles
Porsche was known as a luxury sports brand for a long time. However, the new corporate structure saw Porsche take a slightly different direction. This saw the brand expand into family vehicles such as the Cayenne, the Macan, and the Panamera.
The Porsche Cayenne was the modern 911 for the brand as it helped to redefine what a Porsche could be. This SUV radically grew the company’s sales and allowed Porsche to invest in more models such as the Macan. The sporty SUV was one of the first performance SUVs on the market, with many crediting Porsche with creating an entirely new segment of the market.
3 Hybrid Powertrains
Despite having a rich history of flax-six engines, Porsche has been heavily investing in hybrid technologies. This saw Porsche offer hybrid powertrain options for a number of their models. This includes the Cayenne and Panamera.
Known as the E-Hybrid powertrain, this unique option offers both instant torque and improved engine efficiency. Porsche also invested in other powertrain options and regularly showcased its intentions to create a PHEV in the future. However, Porsche did create a hybrid hypercar, the Porsche 918 Spyder.
2 The Taycan
Porsche announced their intentions to create a fully electric car in 2015 with the launch of the Porsche Mission E. The German automaker followed up on its promise with the Porsche Taycan in 2019. This all-electric sedan came with a fully electric design that included more than 200 miles of range.
The Taycan also included modern finishes and tons of new technology from Porsche. In this way, Porsche was giving the auto industry a glimpse of what the future of the brand would look like. The Taycan was an instant hit, with over 20,000 units being sold in 2020 alone.
1 Competition With Tesla
As Porsche expanded into electric vehicles, the brand now finds itself competing with the American electric car company, Tesla. While Tesla has been making electric cars for a while, Porsche has the prestige and history that other manufacturers struggle to compete with.
This legacy and experience help set the Taycan apart from the Tesla Model S and makes the Taycan look and feel like the better deal. Despite the Model S having more power, the Taycan comes with a premium interior, superior build quality, and dynamic driver modes. This makes the Taycan look and feel as nimble and agile as the rest of the Porsche range.