Best Porsches – from Boxster to Carrera GT, there's a Porsche for everyone
Not all the best Porsches are 911s and not all the best 911s are GT3s, though as you’re no doubt expecting, there are plenty of both peppering this list
Trying to round up the very best modern Porsches is a difficult task, given that by and large, they’re all rather good. Then you remember that in spite of all the cars Porsche makes now, from electric saloons to SUVs, the essence of Porsche is its sports cars, whose purpose for existing is the thrill of driving.
Without them, the brand simply wouldn’t have the credibility, or enjoy the reverence it does today. By definition, the best Porsche sports cars are the best Porsches, which narrows things down nicely, even if at least one of its monster SUVs has now made its way onto this list.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997.1)
- Star rating: 5
Porsche arguably perfected the 911 GT3 with the 997 generation but in this four-car generational run of standard-setting driver’s cars, the 997.1s get a bit forgotten, even the mighty GT3 RS. It’s worth remembering given the premiums people pay for 997.2s, the original GT3 RS is 2007 evo Car of the Year winner, fair and square, with editor-at-large John Barker exclaiming, ‘well, that’s everything else f***ed, then’ within the first few hundred yards of driving it. The GT3 RS was a car for which our “pros” section in The Knowledge lists “everything”, with only its £15k premium over the regular GT3 being a downside. Oft-seen in eye-searing Viper Green, the racier 409bhp, 8000rpm 3.6 RS was lighter, more stable, sharper, more vocal, and even more of an adrenaline pump than the regular car.
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4
- Star rating: 5
- Read our Porsche Cayman GT4 review
Though it might have gained a noise-restricting particulate filter and a few kilos of weight, the last Cayman GT4 is still a stunning example of what might be considered sports car nirvana. Powered by a 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated flat-six, derived from the excellent turbocharged 3.0-litre from the 992, it puts 414bhp and 309lb ft of torque to the rear wheels through one of the best manual transmissions on the market, albeit one with painfully long ratios. The 718 GT4 is host to an exceedingly rare attribute in its class, offering an incredible connection that turns even slight inputs into instant responses. It’s a worthy successor to the standard-setting 981 Cayman GT4 and that it’s a fellow evo Car of the Year winner only adds to the kudos.
Porsche 911 GT3 (996.1)
- evo rating: 5 stars
- Read our Porsche 911 GT3 (996.1) review
We couldn’t have known that following the introduction of the Porsche 911 GT3 in 1999, it would spawn a dynasty of some of the best performance cars we’ve ever driven – one that in its various forms has won evo Car of the year seven times. What we could tell instantly was that the GT3 was a very special car. Porsche was already enjoying the fruits of the Boxster and 996 cash, but it needed to be cost efficient because sales and marketing didn't think there would be a market for it but motorsport needed it for homologation. So the distinctive look similar to the 996’s Tequipment accessory aero kit and optional wheels, if not identical, with the GT3’s aero tweaked but bespoke to meet homologation requirements. The Mezger flat-six engine was however new to the 996, good for 360bhp and therefore 100bhp/litre, revving to 8000rpm. It was both more capable and tactile than the already talented standard 996 and it remains brilliant today, its compactness and steering feel more than making up for its lack of speed and precision next to the very latest GT3s.
Porsche Boxster GTS 4.0
- Star rating: 5
- Read our Boxster GTS 4.0 review
To an extent there is a bit of ‘McLaren syndrome’ when it comes to the very best Porsche sports cars, in that most of them combine essentially the same elements: a charismatic flat-six, a manual transmission, rear-wheel-drive and a deftly-judged chassis. Ask for all those things and everything from the Boxster GTS 4.0 to the 911 S/T will apply. It’s the joys of the former that we’ll celebrate first, for it’s the Boxster in arguably its finest, most well-rounded form (no manual in a Spyder RS, remember. Plus that roof is a pain). It uses a detuned version of the GT4 4-litre engine, which is to say it still has almost 400bhp, and a real well of torque, at least by comparison to the 2.7s and 3.2s of old. The result is that even with the frustratingly long gears in the six-speed ‘box, you can enjoy stroking the Boxster along a good road at whatever speed you choose. And if you don't like the idea of a Boxster, its Cayman cousin is equally brilliant.
Porsche 911 Carrera T
- Star rating: 5
- Read our 992 Carrera T review
The Porsche 911 Carrera T is a nice, easy starting point for getting into the (many) 911s on this list. Because jumping right in with the GT3 RSs and S/Ts would be a bit predictable. The mission statement of the Carrera T speaks enormously to what we look for in the best performance cars. They’re not about power, performance, or tech. They’re about sensation. The Carrera T proudly combines the least powerful 911 engine – just 365bhp in the 991.2 Carrera T, 380bhp in the 992.1 and 389bhp in the 992.2 – with a manual gearbox, a limited-slip diff and lightweight options to distill the essential 911 experience. Is it a budget 911 GT3? No. It’s an altogether different proposition, still with a turbocharged engine, basic and frippery-free. The 992.2’s adoption of a six-speed ‘box with a tighter, GT-esque feel, plus that evocative shift knob and the visual details teasing its analogue focus, might just be the 992.2 sweet spot.
Porsche Boxster Spyder (981)
- evo rating: 5 stars
- Read our Porsche Boxster Spyder (981) review
Porsche reprised the 987 Spyder’s recipe with the 981 Boxster Spyder that arrived in 2015. Visually, it wore an aero kit similar to that of the Cayman GT4 that debuted concurrently, and like its predecessor, Porsche managed to cut weight, with 30kg removed compared to the GTS, some of which came from the simplified, manual roof (which was thankfully easier to operate than that of the old Spyder). Mechanically it was pegged back compared to the GT4, though with 370bhp, it was still 45bhp up on the GTS. The Spyder felt special, and its driving experience was the most vivid yet in a Boxster. Not quite on par with the Cayman GT4, granted, but it’s one of the very best Boxsters there’s ever been.
Porsche 911 R
- Star rating: 5
- Read our 991 911 R review
The concept of a back-to-basics 911 driving experience is nothing new, though as each generation has brought with it a new level of sophistication and competency, so too has the hunger grown for 911s that do less for and demand more of their driver. That’s what the Porsche 911 R of 2016 was, finally reintroducing a short, sharp six-speed manual gearbox to a car in the GT3 lineage. The 911 R also featured reduced sound deadening, the magnesium roof from the GT3 RS and a lightened flywheel for sharper throttle response from the 493bhp 991 GT3 RS engine. The first non ‘wing’ car from Porsche Motorsport too, reduced downforce but maintained high-speed stability via a new diffuser and the active wing from the Carrera S. It’s perhaps unsurprising that it all added up to probably the best 911 in half a decade. That’s inclusive of the eCoty-winning 991 GT3, so the 911 R’s 2016 win wasn’t exactly a surprise.
Porsche Carrera GT
- Star rating: 5
- Read our Porsche Carrera GT review
Surely in with a shout of the title of best Porsche ever outright, is the Carrera GT. Possessed of a carbon tub, inboard suspension and a howling V10 from a stillborn Le Mans prototype it may be, but within the Porsche Carrera GT beats the heart of the ultimate sports car, not a road-rippling lap time weapon. It’s a champion of interactivity and emotion, its six-speed manual gearbox and sonorous ten cylinders instruments in one of the great man-machine dialogues. It’s a car all who are privileged enough to have had a go, end up craving. It’s also the car we’re all hoping Porsche is looking to for inspiration as it prepares its next hypercar, diverting away from an all-electric direction in the process. Now of course, it’s better than ever, thanks to revised suspension and most impressively, new tyres, that allow it to get around the Nürburgring some 20 seconds quicker now, than when it was first launched. Seven minutes and twelve seconds – as fast around the ‘Ring as a 911 GT3 some 20 years its junior.
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS
- Star rating: 5
- Read our Porsche 997 guide and review
On the more attainable side of Stuttgart’s exemplary output is the 997 911 Carrera GTS, if holding firm at £70k some 14 years on is classed as attainable... It was looked at with cynicism when it arrived in 2010, as a bit of a parts bin special to wave the 997 off into the sunset. What it turned out to be, was the last genuinely lovable 911 before the 991 GT3 arrived, some three years later. Pairing the 408bhp ‘power kit’ flat-six with the widened Carrera 4 body, it was the most potent 911 you could get without a turbocharged engine or a big wing. Happily, the wider footprint didn’t push its limits beyond what was enjoyable on the road and at any speed, the still-hydraulic steering is a joy to interact with. You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone – never more true than when 997 GTS dealer stock made way for the first of the 991s…
Porsche Cayman R
- Star rating: 4.5
- Read our Porsche Cayman R review
The Cayman has quietly harbored the potential to be a better car than the 911 since its arrival in 2005. It wasn’t until the GT4s that Porsche really let it off the leash but the Cayman R, the car that bid farewell to the 987 for Porsche, indicated things were going in the right direction. Though the R badge suggested something a lot more extreme, it was still a nicely honed version of an already standard-setting sports car.
A 9bhp boost to 325bhp and a saving of 30kg (55kg if doing without the air-con and stereo as standard) are subtle revisions that in combination with a standard limited-slip diff and passive suspension that’s 20mm lower, subtly elevate the Cayman experience. With hindsight, it’s a high point, being the last to use hydraulic steering and occupy quite so little space on the road.
Porsche 911 Turbo S (992.2)
- Star rating: 4.5
- Read out Porsche 992.2 Turbo S review
It’d be easy to brush off the verdicts on the latest 992.2 911 Turbo S. For £200k, it really wants to be better, doesn’t it? But the facts are the facts, the last 911 Turbo S was far from slow, unresponsive or uncomfortable.
Yet the latest car, with over 700bhp, nicks two car lengths on it from a standstill on the way to 62mph. It responds instantly thanks to electrified turbochargers that all but eliminate lag (at least, the lag you don’t want). Its 400-volt electrical system means the active PDCC suspension can be both more stable and supportive and more comfortable. It is markedly better at all the jobs you ask of a modern 911 Turbo. And a modern 911 Turbo is almost by definition, one of the best all-round cars you can buy.
Porsche 918 Spyder
- Star rating: 5
- Read our Porsche 918 Spyder review
It’s weird to think that the Cayman R and Porsche 918 Spyder are separated by only a few short years. While the little R champions the most old school of Porsche-flavoured pleasures, the 918 was alien in concept, at least at the time. While it did use a repurposed 4.6-litre 9000rpm version of the amazing RS Spyder prototype’s naturally-aspirated V8, it combined it with two electric motors – a 113bhp unit on the front axle and a 127bhp unit on the back of the engine – to deliver 875bhp. It also swapped the manual for the PDK dual-clutch transmission and in the end, ended up weighing over 1600kg.
A potential recipe for disaster, then, for those who value an uncorrupted, uncomplicated, lightfooted driving experience. In this respect, the 918 turned out to be more impressive than the Carrera GT. While its predecessor had all the ingredients of the ultimate driver’s car, the 918 was as good as it was in spite of all the tech. It’s a masterclass of engineering and calibration, that delivers not just enormous capability and versatility but the very best in dynamic thrills.
Porsche 911 S/T
- Star rating: 5
- Read our Porsche 911 S/T review
The 918 Spyder was Porsche daring to explore new-generation tech in the pursuit of performance and driving thrills. The 911 S/T is its polar opposite; a collection of decidedly old-school approaches to enhanced performance, carrying on in ethos, the good work of 2016’s 911 R. It’s a bit lighter, the track’s a bit wider, the cams of its naturally-aspirated engine are a bit hotter and the gear ratios for its short-throw six-speed manual gearbox are shorter. Its clutch and flywheel are smaller and lighter for improved responses, while the suspension has been painstakingly re-engineered. This is barn door engineering by comparison to the software-driven, driving mode-dictated nature of the 918, a car that’s a decade older than the limited-run 911. But the results are evident in the S/T. It’s one of the most engaging driver’s cars Porsche has turned out in the last 25 years, with an uncompromising focus on tactility and responsiveness.
Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT
- Star rating: 4.5
- Read our Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT review
It’s the sporty SUV that started it all. When Porsche first announced it was putting its iconic badge onto something that wasn’t a low-slung sports car, there was outrage. Porscheophiles were out for blood, incensed that such an abomination should be allowed to occur. And yet we can confidently say, Porsche as we know and love it and the star cars it’s produced since, owe their existence to it. No Cayenne? No 997 4.0 RS, no 918 Spyder, no 911 R, no 911 S/T… The top-spec Turbo GT version of the third-generation Cayenne, launched in 2021, genuinely has the chops to be included in a ‘best Porsches’ list, too. It featured both powertrain and chassis upgrades with all the toys backing it up. The 631bhp tune of the V8 engine is unique to the GT, with upgraded turbochargers and some serious hardware updates across the engine’s breathing, injection system and cams.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS 3.8
- Star rating: 5
- Read our Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997.2) review
Of course it was once within the remit of GT3s and GT3 RSs to be the most mechanically engaging Porsches. The 997.2, with its 444bhp happens to be one of the finest of the breed and the last to retain a six-speed manual transmission. It’s also the last to use feelsome hydraulic steering and the last, really, to occupy what we’d now call a diminutive amount of space on the road. More compact, slower, with lower limits, these cars are endlessly exploitable, inimitably interactive and infinitely rewarding, in ways not even the 911 R and 911 S/T can replicate. Its status as one of the all-time great performance cars we’ve tested over the last 25 years doesn’t waver. It’s not often that an eCoty win pales among accolades but, the GT3 RS 3.8 really did graduate beyond that 2010 victory.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0
- Star rating: 5
- Read our GT3 RS 4.0 review
Indulgent as it may sound to jump straight into another, ostensibly very similar 997 RS derivative, the 997 GT3 RS 4.0 couldn’t not be included. Because it was the RS – arguably, it could still be. Why? More power, more intensity and motorsport componentry sprinkled on top of what was already an all-time great driver’s car. The RS 3.8 is arguably the more rounded, accessible car but the rewards offered by the 4.0 are rich for those able to dance with it. Truly the last of its kind, without equal in Porsche’s recent sports car lore and a high point of its entire history. Its 2011 eCoty win was almost a formality.
Porsche Cayman GT4 981
- Star rating: 5
- Read our 981 Porsche Cayman GT4 review
It’s easy to forget about the Cayman and Boxster when you’re in GT3 land, but the 981 Cayman GT4 is on reflection, one of the sweetest of all Porsche’s modern sports cars. Contrast to the hard-edged motorsport-engined GT3s, S/Ts and Rs, the Cayman was relatively humble of heart, utilising the 3.8-litre flat-six from the 991.1 911 Carrera S. But spectacular chassis work (the GT3-inspired front end set-up was a real highlight) married to what was a properly sweet motor, and one of Porsche’s best shifts in that six-speed manual box, was a recipe for an eCoty-winning car. The ratios were too long but not even that couldn’t scupper the win for the GT4.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS 992
- Star rating: 5
- Read our Porsche 911 GT3 RS 992 review
It’s not too surprising when a 911 GT3 wins eCoty, but the 992 RS’s win in 2023 was a definite shock. Why? Well, everyone, from those in our team even to Porsche themselves, thought a wet, cold, bumpy test in the Scottish borders might not shine this racetrack refugee in the most flattering light. Then we got to exploring its vast range of adjustability, which, correctly calibrated, meant this car handled some truly nasty British country roads better than the standard GT3 could ever hope to. It was the 992 GT3 RS’s chassis that won it eCoty but of course, but it's among a number of extraordinary pleasures to be had from this car. Just looking at the thing is an event, as it is the best possible impression of a GTE Le Mans racer with numberplates. Then you explore the performance and vocals of its 520bhp, 9000rpm flat-six, you feel how its front axle breathes with a road. It’s like a Mr Olympia Champion that happens to be a world-class ballet dancer – inexplicable yet utterly fascinating.
Porsche 718 Spyder RS
- Star rating: 5
- Read our Porsche 718 Spyder RS review
Ever since the Boxster arrived almost three decades ago, we’ve wondered whether Porsche would ever allow it to reach its full potential, or let it languish in the shadow of the 911. It took some time, but the line of Boxster Spyders that began with the 987 in 2010 ends for now, with this, the Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder RS. It’s a different sort of Porsche evoking the elegance of the 550, 904 and 908 rather than any 911. It also places the mouth of the 4-litre motorsport engine’s respiratory system just inches behind your right ear. The effect is a rip roaring induction rasp that some deem too much. Some, are wrong. Intense it may be but we should be thankful for such a rare sensory experience. Why not the GT4 RS? The Spyder RS fixes all that car’s problems that mostly related to it being at times unpleasant on the road, in terms of its ride and compliance. By contrast, the Spyder breathes with even rutted, undulating British roads. An utter sweetheart, only let down by being PDK only.
Porsche 911 GT3 (992.2)
- Star rating: 5
- Read our Porsche 992.2 911 GT3 review
As thrilling as it was, the Gen 1 992 GT3 wasn’t perfect. It was a bit rough on the road, it could have done with some added braking stability, it was a bit compromised in terms of practicality. The latest GT3 is always the best so moan the cynics but the facts are, the 992.2 retains the phenomenal engine (revised for regulatory compliance but not dulled in its scintillating character), it retains its astonishing capability and focus, it gains the shorter gearing of the 911 S/T (a godsend). Yet it’s more comfortable, with S/T-influenced revised suspension. As well as being comfier, the new carbon seats can fold, leading to if you spec them, rear seats. Yes the revised aero and suspension and gears make the GT3 more stable, more interactive. But it’s also more usable – the most usable GT3 yet. A GT3 that’s easier to justify to your cohabitants without losing focus, is a much-improved GT3.
