The influence that Porsche
has had on road-faring sports cars and the auto industry really can’t be undersold. Since its founding in 1931, the Stuttgart, Germany-based automaker has been synonymous with powerful, precise-handling, and fast sports cars, notably the Porsche 911. Over the past century, Porsche introduced the four-door Macan and Cayenne SUVs and sedans, such as the Panamera and the Taycan EV. But which Porsche models can boast of being the top products from the bigwig automaker? Jerry
attempts to do the near-impossible—pick the top 5 best Porsches of all time. The Porsche 356 is one of the best Porsches of all time
The Porsche 356 was manufactured a few years after the Stuttgart luxury carmaker rolled out its first hand-built aluminum prototype called "No. 1." The two-seater 356 featured a rear-mounted engine coupled with a 5-speed transmission.
While it didn't come out of the factory as a speed machine, Porsche modified it into a race car. Its efforts succeeded as the 356 SL series went on to win the 1951 Le Mans—a feat that earned Porsche a place among the globally-recognized performance-car manufacturers and asserted the company's future takeover of the sports car racing arena.
According to Porsche, the 356 was powered by a Volkswagen-derived 1.1-liter air-cooled flat-four engine that increased its power output to 35 hp. With that power, the vehicle could hit a top speed of 83 mph. It was one of the best performance cars of the ‘50s, so much so that it caught the eyes of many Hollywood superstars, including Steve McQueen and James Dean.
The 917 and 911 2.7 Carrera RS take the next two spots
Another Le Mans winner, the legendary Porsche 917 has been released in a wide range of variants. According to Goodwood
, the exceptionally proportioned Langneck and the low-drag Pink Pig 917 raised the bar for sports car knowledge and aerodynamics. Porsche used that experience to create the powerful 917/30—a successful American Championship winner. You'll be hard-pressed not to include a 911 in this list. The 911 2.7 Carrera RS is perhaps the best 911 of all time, especially since the 200 Lightweight models hit the market. The car celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year, having made its debut at the Paris Motor Show in 1972. It was created and included in Porsche's Group 4 GT class following the discontinuation of the 917 due to regulation changes.
It had a wide-shouldered 2.7-liter flat-6 RSR engine that cranked out an impressive 207 hp, reaching a top speed of 152 mph. It was an indomitable racecar, winning six out of nine rounds and the European Championship. It's the 2.7 Carrera RS that inspired Porsche to create a street-race car version of the model, resulting in the GT2 and GT3 RSs that we love today.
Which are the fourth- and fifth-best Porsches of all time?
The Porsche 956 comes hot on the heels of the 911 Carrera RS at the fourth spot in the best Porsches since history. It was created to replace the 936 in the Group C class. Its all-aluminum body reduced the weight to 800 kg, making it one of the lightest race cars on the track. It won the Le Mans four consecutive times (1982-85) and set a 25-year-long record for the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
It was the first Porsche with ground effect aerodynamics, giving it three times more downward force than the 917. That DNA passed on to the Porsche 962, which takes the fifth position on our list. As noted by Historic Porsche
, the 962C set a 35-year record for the fastest Le Mans race—a feat owed to the high power output of its 3.0-liter twin-turbo Flat-6 engine. The 962 was a prolific winner, clinching 21 constructor titles within a decade. Its affinity for the track made it a mainstay in many championships even after the discontinuation of Group C class, though it competed in a modified form.
MORE: A Higher Offering of Luxury and Speed: The McLaren P1 and the Speedtail
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