Midsize cars

Like other automakers, Porsche is up for experimenting with new things. While the German car company is most praised for its legendary sports cars, mainly the 911 and 718, Porsche is no stranger to deviating from its usual ways. This has resulted in some pretty interesting concepts over the years. What pushed the strife to explore new ways was, to an extent, Porsche’s financial trouble between the 1980s and 2000s. Interestingly enough, those were the years in which some of the most bizarre Porsche creations came to life. Even now, Porsche is churning epic new concepts, but sadly none of them transitioned to production models. While there are plenty of examples, I took it upon myself to find and research the five most obscure Porsche concept cars that time forgot. Some of them are more recent than you think, and this raises the question of why Porsche didn’t go through with them.

While the sales of EVs have experienced a slowdown in recent times, automakers continue to develop products until the market catches up. In the meantime, I’m curious to see how a brand like Porsche adopts to these challenges particularly when its facing competition not just in China (they shut nearly 29% of dealerships in 2024), but also in key markets like the United States and also in its home turf, once again from a looming threat of Chinese EVs.

Porsche sports cars like the 911 in particular, have a faithful following. With a legacy spanning over 60 years and counting, the car itself, and the people who drive them possess very specific traits. Whether we are talking about one of the many 911 versions, the EVs, or the SUV offerings, Porsche’s performance models are some of the most capable, pound-for-pound. There have been many Porsche 911 versions that have achieved legendary status and have even overshadowed other decent Porsche offerings. Then, there is the infamous brand tax, which is present on, both the new stuff, the classics, and limited-edition models, of which there are plenty on this list. While most of these models are deserving of their reputation, their exclusivity has priced them out of reach for all, but the most avid car collectors. This isn’t just limited to the 911 though and some Porsche models aren’t as deserving of the hype. Now, I know that including some of the models in this list may be controversial, but in my opinion, here’s why these are 10 of the most overrated Porsche models.

It’s almost 2025, and Porsche is still keeping the gas-powered Macan that received a facelift back in 2019. Yes, it’s an oldie among the other Porsche models. An all-new Macan is already here though, but it’s in EV form. The Macan Electric is a much better vehicle than the Macan ICE as it is more modern, luxurious, and potent. However, electric vehicles aren’t doing well in the U.S. market as they did a few years ago, and killing the Macan ICE altogether could mean that the nameplate may no longer retain its tag of being the most popular Porsche in the country.

As a best-selling Porsche model in the United States, the Macan nameplate needs no introduction. In the decade that it has been around, the Macan has won a lot of praise for being one of the most dynamically capable models, in the luxury compact SUV class. For 2024 though, the Macan receives a total reboot as it goes fully electric! If you’re still not ready to embrace electrification, Porsche will thankfully continue to offer the gas-powered model until 2026. The old four-cylinder/V6-equipped Macans are great for many reasons. First, they are affordable. Secondly, they are more practical than the similarly priced 718 Cayman, thanks to the crossover boy style and third, they drive like a Porsche.

While the 911 is the Porsche brand’s definitive sports car, it is far from the only performance model that the German automaker has given us. During the 1970s and ’80s, Porsche was experimenting with the more conventional, front-engine rear-wheel drive layout. This spawned a variety of Porsche transaxle sports cars that were produced alongside the rear-engine 911. One of the four transaxle models is the Porsche 944. Like with the 911 (and other Porsche models), there was a Turbo variant that sat atop the 944 range.

From your average Joe on Pimp My Ride to Celebrity builds, I’ve seen a fair share of some truly outrageous creations from West Coast Customs over the past two decades. But this one is special. Why? Because it involves a Billionaire, yes, with a capital ’B’. But this is not just any Billionaire, but Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, yes the same dude who runs the likes of some of the biggest tech / social media companies on the planet in the form of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Zuckerberg along with his wife Pricilla Chan, posted some pictures of a stretched Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT and a Porsche 911 GT3, on the very platforms that Mark runs, indicating that he may be a Porsche guy.

The Carrera, Porsche’s entry-level model in the iconic 911 lineup since its introduction in 1964, offers a thrilling driving experience that combines performance, luxury, and everyday usability. This rear-wheel-drive, two-door coupe seats up to four and embodies the 911’s legacy as a true driver’s car.

Despite its work on e-fuels, Porsche is firmly stepping into the electrification game. The German carmaker is best known for its 911 sports car, which for 2025 became a hybrid. Porsche is adamant that the iconic, rear-engine model will be the last to go fully electric. Meanwhile, models like the Macan and Cayenne are getting a full range of fully electric variants, with the 718 joining the EV bandwagon, in 2025. There is an obvious trend in the automotive industry, where with each new generation, the cars become bigger, heavier, and more burdened with tech.

The Porsche 718 EV will soon join the Porsche Macan electric and four-door Taycan as the third model in Porsche’s lineup. This shows that regardless of a slowdown in sales, Porsche is going to continue models that it already had in the pipeline. So besides the 718 EV, the Cayenne and even a rumoured Taycan will be here before the end of the decade. However, the flagship model of the Porsche brand, i.e. the iconic 911 won’t be going electric until well into the early 2030s. So until then, it begs the question, why doesn’t Porsche use something that’s already here to cater to the discerning luxury car buyer, who’s looking for a sleek coupe in the form of a Taycan Two-door? Okay, this may sound preposterous and unrealistic in the real world, considering something like this will involve a considerable amount of retooling on the production line, but let’s just try and make the case for such a model, hypothetically.

We live in a world of A.I. and gone are the days where you need to be a design guru to come up with something truly unique. However, depending on the LLM (Large Language Model) and your ability to write the right prompts, you can come up with something either truly spectacular or absolutely bizarre and hilarious. I’ll admit that I haven’t been at the game long enough myself, but I’ve taken A.I. assistance to dream up everything from a compact all-electric 911 and it was just about acceptable at best. At the other end of the spectrum, you have folks who have gone about coming up with a GT3-inspired pram. More recently, I stumbled upon a Type-996 wagon that I found on Instagram, which I feel is not too bad. So let’s talk about it.

Lamborghini has unveiled the all-new 2025 Temerario, a cutting-edge hybrid supercar that succeeds the iconic Huracan, which reigned supreme from 2014 to 2024. For the first time, this all-new baby Lambo combines a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with three electric motors, delivering a staggering 907 horsepower to catapult from 0-62 mph in a mere 2.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 213 mph. While the hybrid powertrain offers improved efficiency and uses a small-sized battery to offer electric driving up to short distances, not all Lambo lovers will appreciate the advancements, considering naturally aspirated engines are slowly dying, and the 5.2-liter V10 was just sublime.

As a fan of both Mercedes and Porsche, I can’t help but feel a bit giddy when talking about this 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E (W124). I’m particularly fond of this era of Mercs for their tank-like build quality and frankly, nothing resonates better with that Yakuza mafia look that you get a boxy Mercedes from the 1990s. When it comes to the over-engineered W124, you’ve got the luxury and sophistication of Mercedes combined with the raw performance chops of Porsche. This particular car is a highly modified example that showcases the craftsmanship of Auto Fashion Factory (AFF), a premier automotive tuning shop based in Tokyo, Japan.

The Porsche Macan finally emerges as an EV for the 2025 model year. The German brand, mostly associated with high-performance sports cars, has been firmly in the SUV game since 2002. The original Cayenne turned out to be the company’s saving grace and it was only a matter of time before a smaller version of the popular 4X4 model arrived. The Macan has been the entry-level Porsche SUV since 2014, and after 10 years and two mid-cycle refreshes, the second generation is here. The new, 2025 Porsche Macan doesn’t just mean a new generation for the SUV.

The 2025 Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS, a two-door, 2+2-seater sports car, marks a significant evolution in the iconic 911 lineup. This eighth-generation 911, known as the 992.2, introduces a new 3.6-liter turbocharged flat-six engine paired with an innovative T-Hybrid system, delivering a combined output of 532 horsepower and 449 pound-feet of torque, helping it rocket from 0-60 mph in three seconds, 0.3 seconds faster than before. However, the seven-speed manual is gone, which can be a big drawback for enthusiasts.

The 2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4S returns after a one-year hiatus, marking the arrival of Stuttgart’s honed 911 Targa series’ 992 generation. As expected from the new generation, it gets a more powerful 3.0-liter twin-turbo boxer-six setup, generating 443 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of twist. A new eight-speed PDK automatic replaces the dated seven-speed PDK, but enthusiasts still get the seven-speed manual transmission.

The 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS is a high-performance sports car that bridges the gap between the Carrera S and the top-of-the-line Turbo models. It combines the iconic 911 design with cutting-edge technology and exhilarating driving dynamics. The 2022 model is part of the 992-generation 911 lineup (the 992-generation represents the eighth iteration of the iconic sports car), which was introduced in 2019.

Hot on the heels of the Macan EV, two test mules of the all-electric Cayenne were spotted testing in the Alps under heavy camouflage. Following the Taycan and the Macan, the Cayenne will be Porsche’s third EV. Now an electrified Cayenne has existed since 2010 in the form of an e-Hybrid variant, but this upcoming Cayenne will be the first to go all-electric. The Cayenne of course is one of the models that saved the Porsche brand and took the performance SUV mainstream. With the brand set to electrify 80% of its model lineup which also includes the 911 by 2030, it comes as no surprise that the German automaker is expediting the electrification of its best-selling models, the Macan and the Cayenne.