Porsche Des Moines opened in September near Jordan Creek Parkway. (Photo: Porsche Des Moines)
By Steve Dinnen
Kenneth Rice grew up just a stone’s throw away from Entwicklungszentrum Weissach, the research and development center in western Germany where Porsche designs and tests its automobiles. He could see the cars, hear the cars and, as he said, make them part of his DNA.
Now he is in Iowa, selling his beloved brand now that Porsche Des Moines has staked a claim on the local market. It opened in September, nearly 20 years after another dealer stopped selling Porsches here in town.
I recently visited the new dealership at 7220 Lake Drive in West Des Moines (at the northeast corner of I-80 and Jordan Creek Parkway), where Rice works with salesman Daniel Truong to show off the inventory. These two have a pretty full stable of Porsches to offer, from 718s to 911s, plus Macans, Cayennes, Panameras and Taycans.
For a family shopping for new wheels, the Macan SUV seems to be a good bet. A carmine red Macan T lists out at $83,650. There are slightly thriftier versions, such as a black Mayan at $77,000. The Cayenne is a larger SUV, and you can buy a gray Cayenne E, a hybrid model, for $134,680.
The Panamera is a sedan. It’s frequently recognized as delivering sports-car oomph in a four-door vehicle. We spotted an iceberg-colored version for $150,080.
Right now, the priciest set of wheels on the showroom floor is a 2025-model 911 GT3 (992 II). It’s used, but with just 605 miles on the odometer, it seems the previous owner may have just kept it in the garage where he or she could just walk around and admire it every now and then. This particular dream machine costs $369,995 and has a mighty 502-horsepower engine.
Porsche is fond of big power. A new Taycan S, listed at $141,960, offers 429 horsepower. A Macan S has a 375-hp engine, compared to 261 hp for the standard Macan. Porsche also notes power output in both horsepower and kilowatts, be they electric or gasoline. One model, a dark gray Taycan 4S ($154,100), boasts an incredible 590 hp and 434 kW.
Porsche Des Moines also makes a market in used models. Besides that 911 GT3, a pristine 1968 Targa convertible came to the dealership by way of a trade-in. It has a manual transmission, common when it rolled off the line and still popular with Porsches. All you have to do is find the clutch.
Porsche isn’t common — and that’s the point
Porsche is not the top selling car in America. It is not second, either. It is 26th, according to a list of top brands compiled in 2025.
But then, the company never intended to be No. 1, at least in quantity. But for quality, it’s one of the most prestigious brands worldwide.
Toyota is the top selling brand in the United States, with 2.4 million cars sold nationwide in 2025. Ford is next with 2.1 million, followed by Chevrolet with 1.8 million. Porsche sold 76,219.
Japanese automakers dominate the ranks of foreign automakers selling in the United States. Germans, the strongest of European automakers, make a good showing with BMW being the top German brand in the U.S. market. It’s followed by Volkswagen, then Mercedes Benz, then Audi. All of these brands have stores in and around Des Moines.
Fiat, the Italian brand, is sold in Clive, and Swedish Volvos are sold in Urbandale. Other European brands in the city include Jaguar, Land Rover and Mini, all from England.
French brands Renault, Citroen and Peugeot are not currently available in the United States.
