Why Porsche is right at the top of its game

Cast a quick eye over our ratings in the reviews section for the Porsche line-up and you’ll soon be overwhelmed by superlatives.

The Boxster is “scarily brilliant”, the Cayman “a five-star car by any measure”, the Porsche 911 “more than worthy of its iconic status”… and it goes on, all the way to the Porsche Macan and Porsche Cayenne SUVs and the Porsche Panamera.

As we know, Porsche is pushing ahead with an expansion and redefinition of its sports car line-up, as well as squaring up to the thorny issue of selling turbocharged engines in ‘normal’ 911s later this year. Casting aside 52 years of naturally aspirated heritage would be daunting for most car companies, but Porsche has navigated choppier waters with barely a wobble in recent years.

It might be tempting to take Porsche’s consistent high standards for granted, but that would be a mistake. At the heart of this company is a steely focus on engineering brilliance, and while that may not set the pulse racing like some of the more haphazard offerings from more flamboyant rivals, it underpins what will surely be viewed by history as a golden era for the firm.