Porsche Nabs Five Spots in Esquire’s 100 Hottest Cars

By Adam Pockross - October 16, 2015

Porsche 356

As a Porsche enthusiast, I’m sure you have your own idea about what should make the list of hottest cars of all time. But even so, you have to admit, Esquire‘s Top 100 is pretty darn good. It runs the gamut of collectibles, old and new, with only one caveat: at least one “fully drivable example” had to be made. From TVRs to Jaguars, Ferraris to Maserattis, Camaros to Mustangs, and all things in between, every click produces just a bit more saliva in the drool pool. But the Porsche clicks are certainly some of the most spittle-worthy of the bunch.

In Porsche’s long and illustrious history, one could choose any number of hot rides that should be on this list. But since Esquire‘s list attempts to be all-encompassing, we should probably be happy with how well Porsche is represented, starting with the Porsche 356 from 1954 to 1965, which they rank as the 56th hottest car ever, because it pre-dates the 911 “as the iconic German sports car.”

Up next, at No. 46, is the RUF CTR “Yellow Bird” from 1987, which Esquire says is “essentially a heavily modified Porsche 911,” which “inspired many young car lovers when it first appeared in the 1980s.” Seems like solid reasoning to me.

Coming in at No. 35, we have the Porsche 959, “an automotive icon of the ’80s,” which “featured ground-breaking technology from bumper to bumper, including a revolutionary all-wheel-drive system.” I know I had a poster of one on my wall during that decade. (Where the heck did that poster go?)

Now we’re getting to the real goods. At No. 26, the 1973 Porsche Carrera 2.7 RS rears its beautiful head. “With it’s 210-hp engine and telepathic steering, the ’73 RS sums up everything that is wonderful about the 911 design,” boasts Esquire.

And finally, cracking the Top 10 at No. 6 is the Porsche 550 Spyder from 1953 to 1956, the car that did James Dean in. “The 550 Spyder was a svelte, low-riding convertible that helped solidify Porsche’s worldwide fame.” And deservedly so, and perhaps deserving of higher placement on this list?

All in all, though, it’s a good list, except maybe the Spyder 918 does seem to be noticeably absent. And maybe we didn’t need to see 15 Ferraris (the 250 GTO is Esquire‘s No. 1). But whatever, 5 out of 100 ain’t bad. Right?