He was released a few years later and started building his first car with his son, Ferry Porsche. The car was named the Porsche 356 and it was a sports car and a reminiscent of the Volkswagen. It had the same four-cylinder boxer engine that was rear-mounted, just like the VW. It was far from being a powerful sports car, developing only 40 bhp and a maximum speed of 87 mph (140 km/h). First produced as a convertible and later as a hard top it distinguished by the very elegant and innovative body. It was developed in the workshop of Erwin Komenda, a master of restrained streamlining who had been in charge of sheet metal and design techniques at Porsche since the VW Beetle. The new style of closed coupe was designed by Komenda and it soon became the embodiment of the sports car, thanks to its fastback.

This tradition was continued by Komenda and Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche, the founder's grandson, with the 911.

The 911 became easily recognizable: it had attractive sloping bonnet and what later became characteristic "frog eye" headlights, curves running from the top edge of the windscreen to the rear bumper and a straight waistline. From a functional and technical point of view it was more like BMW 1500, although it retained the stylistic features of the original Porsche. The new 911 will become the foundation stone of Porsche's identity, even though the design was not always appreciated. During the 1970`s and 1980`s, the designers attempts to distance Porsche from its legendary design brought the company to the edge of disaster. The more modern 924 model, "a people's Porsche", developed with Volkswagen, as well as the 928 were far from fulfilling the expectations.

In the 1990`s, the company realized that what for over twenty years was perceived as a straitjacket, it was in fact a market advantage. During the 1990`s, Porsche became highly profitable since they now knew that the typical Porsche features were timeless. Nearly forty people now worked in the design department on further developments of the long-running 911. These developments included the 911 GTI, a powerful combination of sports and racing car, put forward by the in-house designer Anthony R. Hatter. In 1999, chief designer proudly presented the new Boxster which enabled Porshe to establish a second independent range of models.

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The 911 Turbo (type 997) has a few improvements. It has an output of 480 bhp at 6,000 rpm, a 3.6 litre engine, a rated torque of 620 Nm and a maximum torque available between 1,950 and 5,000 rpm. All these numbers are translated into driving performance, as the 911 Turbo with six-speed manual transmission only needs 3.9 seconds to get from zero to 100 km/h. The coupe reaches 200 km/h in 12.8 seconds. Despite these performance statistics, Porsche developers succeeded to keep the average consumption to 12.8 liters per100 km.

For those who need even more speed, the 911 Turbo offers the optionally Tiptronic S automatic transmission. This way, it can reach 100 km/h from a standing start in just 3.7 seconds and 200 km/h in a mere 12.2 seconds. Both manual and automatic transmissions have a top speed of 310 km/k. Available for the first time, the optional "Sport Chrono Package Turbo" enhances the vehicle's flexibility even further.

The Porsche 911 Turbo features a redesigned all-wheel drive with an electronically controlled multi-disc clutch. The result will be the transfer of the available power to the road. That's because, depending on the driving conditions, this system will determine the optimal torque distribution to ensure the best-possible drive. Also, Porsche Traction Management (PTM) ensures variable power distribution to the two driven axles. This means that on the road the 911Turbo will prove outstanding traction in the rain or snow, high agility on narrow country roads and optimal active safety even at high speeds.

The new 911 Turbo's driving performance is duly tempered by its brake system, which comprises monobloc fixed-caliper disc brakes with six pistons at the front axle and four at the rear. The diameter of the internally ventilated and perforated brake discs at the front and rear wheels is 350 millimeters. An optimized ceramic brake system that Porsche offers is Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB). This high-tech system reduces with 17 kilograms the standard brake system and provides an excellent fading stability.

The major bodywork change of the 911 Turbo is the modified front end with its distinctive, tautly drawn cooling air inlets. Combined with the standard oval bi-xenon headlights, it will define the new unmistakable image. From the rear perspective too, the Turbo will seem more powerful. This is due first and foremost to its tail end, 22 millimeters wider than that of the previous model, to which the redesigned wing spoiler element has been aligned.

Secondly, the lateral air inlets behind the doors have been redrawn and now they offer a more efficient supply of cooling air to the charge-air intercoolers.

The basic price for the 911 Turbo is 115,000 Euros. In the USA, from July 8, 2006, the vehicle will be available at $122,000 (not including taxes).

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The Porsche Carrera GT was introduced as a 2004 model and until 2005 there were already a few changes in order to make the Carrera GT the new Porsche super car. These were minor updates in order to make it a little more street friendly. Between the supplemental bar hoops is now mounted a glass screen. The seats height is adjusted along with the additional bolstering in the thigh area. The Carrera GT is easy recognizable, as it's a low, sleek, lightweight roadster, very beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside. Two removable panels that can be stored in the front trunk make the foul weather protection available.

The car has unique features, among which are: 5.7 liter, 605 horsepower V10 engine, monocoque chassis with Porsche-patented engine and transmission mounts made of carbon-reinforced plastic and the first use of a ceramic composite clutch in a production car. A very important aspect is that The Carrera is safe and stable at speeds up to 205 mph, thanks to its aerodynamic and race-bred suspension package.

The design of the suspension is so sophisticated that the shape of its components improves the Carrera GT`s aerodynamics. The designers used lightweight materials such as magnesium for the car's substantial wheels and the frames of its special sport seats, the result being a faster and safer car. To prove so, The Carrera GT accelerates from a standing start to 62 mph (100km/h) in only 3.9 seconds reaches 100 mph (160 km/h) in less than seven seconds, 125 mph (200 km/h) in less than 10 seconds, and can achieve a top test-track speed of 205 mph (330 km/h).

What makes this car have these impressive results is it's 5.5 liter, normally aspirated V10 engine for racing created in the development center in Weissach, Germany. That engine's bores have been enlarged to displace 5.7 liters in the Carrera GT. It has a very low center of gravity, a 68-degree V angle and four valves-per-cylinder heads. Since the block, crankshaft and camshafts are all made of light alloys, the engine weights only 472 pounds (214 kg).

To stop this "monster" Porsche`s team used a high-tech braking system. Developed for demanding motorsports applications, ceramic brakes are the first to work for on-road use. The massive 15 inch ventilated discs and six-piston calipers have the amazing capacity of bringing the car to a sure and safe stop, matched only by the stunning acceleration of Carrera GT.

Porsche Carrera GT is definitely a exotic appearance, a car that can do it all: fascinate you with its good looks, astound you with its performance and abilities on the race track.

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Since his adolescence, Ferdinand Porsche showed glimpses of technical genius: at the age of 18, he wired family's home for electricity in 1893. Still, he didn't show many signs of disciplined engineering skills that will eventually become his trademark. Even if the "Doctor" is usually appended to his name, it is in essence honorary, since his only formal technical training was as a part-time engineering student in Vienna.

By the age of 25, the young Ferdinand Porsche had entered the field of automotive design. His first car design was already accepted by Lohner & Co. of Vienna. Over the next 20 years, Ferdinand Porsche, the temperamental but brilliant engineer succeeded in associating with every major automobile manufacturer in Germany. At the same time, he designed a dozen of the most technically significant cars in history.

Working for Mercedes-Benz, he helped develop the most revered Mercedes-Benz cars of all time: the SSK series. For NSU, he designed Auto Union Wanderer and the Type 32, a precursor of the Volkswagen Beetle.

After being dismissed from Mercedes for disagreeing with the firm's staid engineering policies, Porsche decided to establish what later became Porsche A.G.: his own engineering consulting group. In a small office in Stuttgart, the senior Dr. Porsche gathered a select group of engineers to work under the dramatic name, "Doctor of Engineering Ferdinand Porsche, Inc., Construction Facility for Land, Air, and Sea Transportation." One of his employees was his youthful son, Ferry. His primary interest was one that any young man might select: sports and racing cars

The senior Dr. Porsche and his team were kept extremely busy. The consulting firm developed for Steyr (now the utility-vehicle wing of the Steyr- Daimler-Puch combine), the Austria luxury sedan, but it did not progress beyond the prototype stage. They worked a lot for Auto Union, now Audi: the company developed the Front, the world's first front-drive economy car. They astonished Auto Union with the mid-engine Grand Prix cars and their supercharged V-12 and V-16 engines which, together with Mercedes- Benz racers, dominated European auto racing for nearly a decade.

After that, the firm created its best-known designs for NSU and Zundapp. The pair of prototypes was characterized by Dr. Porsche's patented torsion-bar suspension and a rear-mounted engine. Since neither company moved rapidly enough to manufacture the designs, Porsche sold the concept to the German government. Then, he oversaw the construction of a plant on Wolfsburg to manufacture the design. His drawings called the car the Type 60. The world came to know it as the Volkswagen Beetle

After the second World War, the Porsche Company started to create vehicles that beard its name, and so became knows world wide. Now, nearly a century later, Porsche became the marque and the family that created outstanding, often unique and surely lasting contributions to automotive engineering and design.

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The models available were initially coupe, cabriolet (luxury convertible) and then roadster (a stripped down convertible). Before being withdrawn in 1965, it went through several changes. The most desirable versions were 356 "Carrera" (often sold for well over $150,000), "Super 90" and "Speedster". In the late 50`s, the original selling price for a Porsche was $4,000.

In 1954, Max Hoffman, the only importer of Porsches into United States needed a lower cost, racier version for the American marker. Therefore, the company created 356 "Speedster" that became a instant hit thanks to the low, raked windshield (easily removable for weekend racing), bucket seats, and minimal folding top. These days, this car is still very appreciated as it is sold for over $100,000 and it has been used in several films, including 48 Hours, its sequel – Another 48 Hours and Top Gun. In 1957, the production of Speedster peaked at 1,171 cars. In 1959 it was replaced by the Convertible D model, which featured a taller, more practical windshield, glass side windows, and more comfortable seats.

Year after year, the basic shape of Porsche 356 remained the same and was easily recognized and remarked, even though changes were made, especially in the mechanical area. Coupe and cabriolet models were produced every year up to 1965, with the last 356B Roadster built in early 1963. The final model build was 356 C that featured disc brakes and the most powerful pushrod engine Porsche so far: the 95HP "SC".

In the year that Porsche launched 911, 1964, Porsche 356 production peaked at 14,151 cars. Still, the company continued to sell the 356C in North America through the end of 1965 as a lower-cost vehicle. When the customers complained the price for 911 was too high (almost twice the price of the 356), Porsche started producing the 912, using the 356 engine. The 912model was sold between 1965 and 1969.

56 years after the beginning of the production, Sports Car International named 356C number ten on the list of Top Sports cars of the 60`s. Today, the 356 is a respected car among the collectors, as it stood the test of time. Worldwide, thousands of 356 owners maintain the tradition, preserving their cars and driving them regularly.

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Porsche Panamera will be produced in the new plant at Leipzig alongside the Cayenne. It is the first V8-engined sports car built by Porsche since 1995, when the 928 was discontinued and some consider it a suitable successor to the two-doored 928. The company built the new model as a direct competitor to the Mercedes-Benz CLS 55 AMG and Maserati Quattroporte and (to a lesser degree) a less expensive alternative to expensive vehicles such the, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, Bentley Continental GT and Aston Martin Rapide.

Like Porsche Carrera`s name, the Panamera`s derives from the Carrera Panamerican race. Before it, there were other four-door sedans prototypes, such as the 1991 Porsche 989 prototype or the even earlier 4 door prototype based on the 911, but they never went into production.

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Porsche Burro designed the body after wind tunnel tests made for the Type 114, a V10 sports car that was never produced. Dr. Porsche wanted to enter the car in the 1939 Berlin-Rome race. The bodywork company Reutter built three cars in shaped aluminium. Out of the three, one was crashed in the early World War II by a Kraft durch Freude (Volkswagen) bureaucrat. The two remaining were used by the Porsche family. Later on, they put one of them in the storage and used only one. In May 1945 American troops discovered the one put in storage, cut the roof off and used it for joyriding for a few weeks until the engine gave up and it was scrapped. Pinin Farina restored the remaining Porsche 64 in 1947, as it was owned and driven by Ferry Porsche. In 1949, the Austrian racer Otto Matte bought it and won the Alpine Rally in 1950 in it.

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After all, they will cover some extremely expensive carpet. The combination of high quality and good looks that will complement the interior of your car, no matter what floor mats you choose. You will be driving a car worth a hundred grand and you won't want your Porsche 911 floor mat, Porsche Boxster floor mat, or other Porsche floor mat on the carpet look like it came from the dollar store. You can find protective and attractive high-end floor mats for year-round use in fair climates, and also heavy-duty rubber floor mats if you use your Porsche to trek through deep winter locales.

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The Cayman is strictly a two-seater because the engine sits where the rear seats would otherwise be. This means that the engine is not quite readily accessible, although there's a way into the oil filler via the boot. Under that long tailgate, is revealed a generous luggage area to supplement the front 911/Boxster-sized boot. Like all other Porsche, the Cayman is not very big, which makes it very practical and usable. And for all its obvious Boxster genes, the Cayman is very much its own car with its curvaceous rear wings and neat fastback roof. As with other Porsches, there's a movable rear spoiler, which deploys above 120km/h.

Going back to were we started, the engine, the Cayman has 3.4 litres, a mix of the cylinder barrels of a 911 with the crankshaft of a Boxster. A 911 engine is of 3.6 or 3.8 liters and a Boxster S has a 3.2-litre engine. It's a strange thing, but even though today's Porsche engines are water-cooled, they still overlay their intake and exhaust notes with a breathy whine like that of the giant air-cooling fans of old.

Basically, the Cayman is a mix and it doesn't have a huge number of new and unique parts. In short, the Cayman is a structure two and a half times stiffer because it's just a Boxster with a roof. In turn, that means that the driving experience becomes much more focused because its suspension can have tauter, sportier setting.

Porsche Cayman reaches a maximum speed of 275 km/h and gets from zero to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds, even if the fuel thirst is low for such pace. The Cayman is especially good with the optional Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), but unlike a 911, it works well enough without it, thanks to a ride that's firm but seldom turbulent. PASM makes the Cayman sit 10mm lower, and in its Sport mode it tautens the damping. And it feels absolutely fantastic when you have the Chrono option (complete with stopwatch for timing your hot laps).

Bottom line, Porsche Cayman is a remarkable illustration of a rigid, solid-roofed bodyshell's advantages. The Cayman S has all the positive Porsche attributes you could want, and none of the snags. It's not the fastest Porsche, not the fiercest, not the most breathtaking. It is a pooling of other Porsche parts, which means that the Cayman is not expensive to develop but it will generate big profits. The new car, by the way, takes its name not from a tax-haven archipelago, but from a type of crocodile.

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First of all, you should check the oil, but only when the engine is warm. That's because it expands when it's hot and contracts when it's cold; different temperatures will give you different readings. And since you're already checking the fluids you should also check the brake fluid. It's easy to do and only takes a minute.

Radiator fluid, or coolant, is the most important part of your Porsche's cooling system, which protects your engine from overheating. Low coolant can lead to a breakdown and expensive repairs. Before checking the power steering fluid (which is also easy on most cars) you should see if you have it. Try to parallel park with one hand and eat an ice cream cone with the other. If you can do that, then you have it.

If you have an automatic transmission, you'll want to check the automatic transmission fluid (ATF) every month. Also, if your Porsche has a hydraulic clutch that connects the clutch pedal to the transmission, you should check that fluid too.

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