Video: The 7 best Porsches that aren't a 911

07th March 2024

Simon Ostler

When you think of Porsche it’s impossible not to think about the 911. It’s one of very few cars in the world that truly deserve to be branded with the word ‘iconic’. Since it first appeared in 1964 as the company’s first diversion away from the 356 it has become cemented in history as perhaps the most famous car on the planet.

It would be easy to think, therefore, that if you want the best Porsche, you’d need to buy a 911. Ultimately, that probably is the case, but there are several alternatives that certainly deserve a mention in any conversation about the greatest Porsches of all time.

Take, for instance, the Porsche Carrera GT, which is certainly one of the most exotic Porsches you can buy. Powered as it is by that gorgeous V10 that was originally conceived for F1 in the 1990s, it looks and sounds absolutely heavenly, even 20 years on from its launch.

Then there’s the Boxster, a more affordable yet still incredibly capable convertible sportscar that brought the idea of Porsche ownership to a whole new market. The Cayman GT4 RS, is a car that has been engineered to an incredible degree, delivering handling on a level that we’re not sure we’ve seen before. Not to mention that 9,000rpm redline that echoes through the inlet plenum like the valves are in your ears.

Put simply, loads of brilliant Porsches don’t wear that 911 badge, and we’ve picked out the seven that we think are the best.