The Best Looking Porsche Models Ever Made

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2 days ago

Porsche has never been about flamboyance. Every curve, angle, and detail reflects a relentless pursuit of engineering perfection. With just a few exceptions — like the first-gen Cayenne, Panamera, and yolk-eyed 996 — Porsche is yet to make an objectively ugly car.
Beauty is subjective, of course. Porsches may lack the wild flair of their Italian rivals, but their sleek, simple designs ooze elegance with just the right hint of aggression. Porsche found different ways of innovating, without slapping buck-tooth-inspired front grilles on their cars.
These are the best-looking Porsches of all time.
The Porsches featured in this article are based entirely on my personal opinion. All technical specifications, historical details, and performance figures are sourced from Porsche's official website, unless otherwise stated. Entries are ranked from oldest to newest.
The 356 was Porsche's first-ever production car, introduced in 1948. It had four different generations, with the first one being called the Pre-A. Apart from its traditional Porsche silhouette, the Pre-A 356 Coupe's details are what make it exceptionally beautiful.
Beyond its classic Porsche silhouette, it's the finer details that make the Pre-A 356 Coupe exceptionally beautiful. Chrome bumper guards, window trim, hood accents, and 'PORSCHE' badging on the nose highlight its sophistication — a trait many premium sports cars of the era flaunted. In many ways, the 356's design still echoes in today's 911, especially through its round headlights and iconic coupe roofline.
After the Pre-A generation came the Porsche 356 A in 1955. Since we've already covered the 356 Coupe, I only see it fitting to give the open-air version, the Speedster, a spot in this article. While it shares the same design philosophy as the Pre-A Coupe, the 356 A Speedster feels like an entirely different animal — less subtle and even more jarring.
Minor updates like the addition of the Porsche crest and chrome side accents were like the cherry on top of the cake. But it's the low, roofless silhouette that steals the show. Describing it as crescent moon-shaped sounds odd on paper, but somehow, Porsche made it look exquisite.
It's no secret that many big-name celebrities have a knack for Porsche. But one of their original fanboys was James Dean, who traded his 356 Speedster in for a 550 Spyder. Unfortunately, this was also the last car he ever had the chance to drive.
The 550 Spyder was as much a race car as it was artwork. Powering the extremely lightweight 1,212-lb topless Porsche was a four-cylinder boxer engine with 110 horsepower (hp) available. The 550 Spyder is one of my favorite Porsche cars of all time, not just because James Dean saw it as a worthy successor to the 356 Speedster, but because of its performance prowess and simple, yet stunning design.
The 904 is probably the closest thing Porsche has ever made to an Italian supercar, at least regarding its appearance. Its short nose and rear overhang remind me of the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, as well as its headlights. But under its voluptuous body, the 904 is a true Porsche sports car.
Being a homologation special, the 904 Carrera GTS's main purpose was racing. Therefore, it had an eight-cylinder boxer engine mounted behind the driver with 240 hp. Albeit a capable performer, the highlight of the 904 for me is its bespoke design, which no other road-legal Porsches have managed to replicate since, in my opinion.
The original Porsche 911 is one of the most beloved sports cars of all time. Introduced in 1963, the 911 was the successor to the Porsche 356. It pioneered the rear-mounted air-cooled flat-six formula, which 911s are famous for nowadays.
Although its design took inspiration from the 356, it smoothed some things out and made it even classier. Its round headlights, thin tail lights, and side profile are borderline flawless. As a result, every single 911 generation that came after it still sports a similar design language. As you know, there's beauty in simplicity.
At first glance, the original Porsche 911 and Carrera RS might be nearly identical, apart from a few stickers. But that couldn't be further from the truth. The Carrera RS 2.7 was lighter, more powerful, and it was Germany's fastest production car at the time, according to Porsche.
While the standard 911 had a 2.0-liter flat-six, the Carrera RS had a larger 2.7-liter unit with more than 200 hp. It received some tasteful upgrades too, making it look especially mean, including a ducktail spoiler and wide wheel arches.
Fun fact: This was Porsche's first time using the Carrera name — a title used by near-base model 991s nowadays.
Porsche redesigned the 911 for the 1974 model year. This generation, called the G, was initially available in two different body styles, namely a hardtop coupe and a targa, with the latter being my personal favorite.
Despite having black plastic bumpers and trim pieces, the 911 G didn't lose its sophisticated undertone. And thanks to a wide stance accompanied by 15-inch Fuchs wheels, the Carrera didn't sacrifice its sporty nature either. With the plastic top removed, the Carrera Targa looked like nothing else on the road with its stainless steel roll bar and gigantic rear window.
In the '80s, Porsche introduced the first-ever 911 Turbo, also referred to as the 930. In standard form, the 930 Turbo was a gorgeous piece of kit already, but there's a specific version thereof that I consider even more beautiful — the Flachbau. In essence, this was a 930 Turbo with pop-up headlights and a sharp front end.
Believe it or not, the Flachbau wasn't done by some sort of aftermarket company like Singer. Instead, some Porsche customers could order it via the Sonderwunsch program. In English, Flachbau translates to Slantnose or Flatnose — pretty self-explanatory if you ask me.
In 1982, Porsche released the 944 — a front-engined four-cylinder sports car meant for those who want something a bit more tame than a 911. Albeit vastly different from the rear-engined 911, the 944 was still a sight for sore eyes. And even better-looking was its Turbo variant.
Instead of having heaps of black plastic and rubber, the 944 Turbo's bumpers were all color-matched, with the only outlier being a black rear wing. The 944 is one of the lesser-popular Porsche models — a shame, honestly, especially considering its mighty 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
The Porsche 959 is arguably one of the most innovative cars of all time. In 1986, it had active suspension and a sequential twin-turbocharged engine that allowed it to reach 199 mph. Performance set aside, the 959 is a true piece of art to look at.
Usually, Porsche will have their cars feature a purposeful design that's not too in-your-face. The 959 was the exception. At first, the 959 was supposed to be a Group B rally car, based on the 911. But because Group B was cancelled, Porsche went on and built their very first-ever supercar.
I consider the 964-generation Porsche 911 as the most underappreciated 911 of the bunch, especially the Turbo. Not because it has a lackluster performance, or is heinous to look at, but rather because it existed at the same time as the aforementioned 959.
Like its predecessor, the 930 Turbo, the 964 has a monstrous rear wing that complements its flared wheel arches, emphasising its uniqueness. That said, it's still not as attention-grabbing as its Italian rivals, such as the Lamborghini Diablo.
I know, I know; another 911 Turbo. And like the Porsche that came before it, it too isn't vastly different from the one prior. From a mechanical point of view, the 993 Turbo changed quite a bit, including the use of two turbochargers instead of one, and all-wheel drive.
It's sleeker than those that came before it — almost like Porsche put a 964 in the sun and remolded it. As a result, the lines flow slightly better, the headlights are slightly slanted, and its monstrous rear wing is more integrated. This also marks the end of the air-cooled Porsche 911.
The Carrera GT wasn't about innovation, but rather pure insanity. Inspired by LeMans, Porsche ditched the traditional flat-six in favor of a symphonic 5.7-liter V10 with more than 600 hp on tap. In my mind, I'll always think of the Carrera GT as a 911 that became severely obsessed with working out.
The Carrera GT takes the average 911 and turns everything up to the max. It's longer, wider, lower, and much more intimidating than the 996 Carrera, yet doesn't stray too far from its roots. The result is a jaw-droppingly gorgeous Porsche supercar that's on every enthusiast's bucket list.
A phrase that gets thrown around a lot regarding the 911-based GT cars, like the GT3 and GT2, is that it's 'a racecar for the road.' While that statement carries a lot of truth, I don't consider all the Porsche GT cars necessarily beautiful. And while I know many consider the 997 GT3 RS 4.0 one of the best-looking Porsches ever made, I argue that its more hardcore, turbocharged version, the GT2, looks infinitely better.
Its design isn't as rowdy as the GT3 RS, yet it still honors the same race car spirit. It retains the humongous wing and wide hips and intakes you'd expect from a GT Porsche, but doesn't share the RS's over-the-top appearance. Simple, classy, with a hint of aggression.
The Porsche 918 Spyder forms part of the Holy Trinity of plug-in hypercars, which include the Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1. All these cars have aged tremendously well, with the Porsche's design showing no age at all. Therefore, I'd argue it's one of the best-looking Porsches ever made.
Being the spiritual successor to the Carrera GT, it shares a similar philosophy to its V10 relative. This includes exhaust pipes mounted right behind your head, an extremely low, wide stance, and a cheeky rear spoiler for that extra touch of pizzaz.
Although some may argue the 911 GT3 is too much of a purpose-built race car to be considered a work of art, I think it's the perfect balance between the two. Although it has a rear spoiler, it's conservative in size and tastefully integrated.
Other race car exterior elements include 20-inch center-lock wheels, dual exhaust tips, and front and rear bumpers that nearly scrape the ground. Once again, the guys over at Stuttgart created a racecar that looks like it belongs in a museum.
I suppose you can consider the 911 Speedster somewhat of a Frankenstein creation — a pretty monster, that is. The Speedster is a prettier, more understated version of the otherwise track-ready GT3. It shares a host of performance parts from the GT3, including its wheels, brakes, and 503-hp flat-six that revs up to 9,000 rpm. However, its design is truly bespoke.
Unlike the ordinary Cabriolet or Targa, the 911 Speedster has a unique roof that consists of only one piece of fabric. That's not all Porsche has done, though. They also shortened the window frames and made the side windows smaller to give the Speedster, as they say, an "athletic profile".
For a long time, many called the Boxster nothing more than the poor man's Porsche — a wannabe 911. How those people are eating their words now. The Cayman GT4 uses a mighty 4.0-litre flat-six, similar to the one found in the 992.2 GT3, but it weighs a lot less. With that engine comes a racecar-inspired exterior refresh, too.
Like a proper Porsche GT car, the Cayman GT4 benefits from a stupendous rear wing, accompanied by a front lip spoiler, 20-inch wheels, and pronounced side air intakes. Albeit not as hardcore as the GT4 RS, I feel the GT4 is far easier on the eye.
The 718 Spyder is mechanically identical to the previous entry, the Cayman GT4. Yet, I think the Spyder looks exponentially better than its hardtop twin in every single way. Although I adore the GT4's rear wing, I still prefer the Spyder's petite spoiler.
Look past the spoiler, and you'll see the Spyder has similar humps as the 918 Spyder and 911 Speedster. And although removing the fabric roof is quite a tedious process, it's worth it. Not just for aesthetic purposes, but a topless Porsche GT car gives you a driving experience like no other.
Although the 992-generation GT3 RS is a cool-looking car, I can't bring myself to associate its boldness with beauty. And while the much less extravagant GT3 is gorgeous — and just broke a Nürburgring record — its wingless version, the GT3 Touring, is the Porsche that wins my heart. It's timeless.
It combines the traditional 911's iconic silhouette with some more bold design elements from the GT3, like its bumpers and wheels, but ignores the spoiler. I know we're supposed to just focus on exterior appearances, but I think the latest GT3 Touring deserves some brownie points too, since it's one of the very few cars on sale that still come with a manual transmission.
Porsche's greatest designs aren't just beautiful — they're timeless. From the earliest 356 to their latest halo cars, Porsche has perfected the art of evolution over revolution. Rather than chasing trends, Porsche designs stick to their roots.
Many Porsche models, particularly the 911, have maintained a familiar design language for decades. It's not laziness or lack of imagination — it's because they got it right the first time. It's a rare balance that very few brands in the automotive world have ever mastered.