2008 Porsche 911 Carrera

The Porsche 911 is one of the true icons in the automotive world, as well as one of the most recognizable and heralded forms in sportscar history.

Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com unanimously rave about the exterior styling of the 2008 Porsche 911, a "familiarPorsche look" that ForbesAutos says is "instantly recognizable."

The 2008 Porsche 911 lineup is extensive, and the styling ranges from conservatively devilish on the base 911 Porsche Carrera to downright menacing on the Turbo and GT models. Edmunds lists the available trim levels as "Carrera, Carrera S, GT3, Turbo and GT2" and notes that "the Carrera and Carrera S can be had in three body styles," which include a standard "coupe and convertible ('Cabriolet')," along with the "911 Targa 4" that comes "with a large power-sliding glass roof." The GT2 and GT3 models both come only as a coupe, while the Porsche 911 Turbo is "available in coupe and Cabriolet form," according to Edmunds.

Cars.com writes that the exterior of the base Porsche 911 Carreramodels is "nearly devoid of extraneous trim," and the "low, smooth-bodied 911 looks the part of a serious performance machine." The fearsome styling of the 911 Porsche Turbo includes "an LED-bearing bar across both outboard portions of the lower front air dam" and "twin gills behind each door," along with a "forward-canted spoiler" and "lower body work," according to Cars.com. Edmunds finds that visual changes for the GT3 include "a wider rear body and track" and "unique front and rear fascias," while Motor Trend writes that the GT2 gets "Audi R8-like LED light bars" and "a purer, more appealing prow," thanks to the deletion of the fog lamps. On the 2008 Porsche 911 Targa, ForbesAutos reviewers find that "all Targas have polished aluminum trim that follows the arc of the roofline" and note that the "extra chrome fits the more ostentatious persona Porsche seeks to give the 911 Targa."

The tremendous praise heaped on the Porsche 911 is not limited to the exterior. Reviewers also love what Car and Driver describes as the "great interior" on the 2008 Porsche 911. Edmunds says that the "driver-centric Porsche 911 interior features a single-pod gauge cluster," though ConsumerGuide remarks that those "gauges are closely placed and may seem daunting at first." Even aspects of the interior that might be considered drawbacks in other cars are justified in the Porsche 911. For example, ForbesAutos says that the "911 feels more utilitarian inside than the average luxury car--but this is by design, to keep the focus on the joy of driving." The one criticism of the interior that did arise in reviews read by TheCarConnection.com comes from ConsumerGuide, which comments "many switches are undersized and hard to decipher."