What's all this about?

This is pretty much the fastest way to transport several people and their luggage across a large land mass without taking to the skies. The full name of Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo rivals Subaru Imprezas of the past for sheer complexity, but it's more or less self-explanatory.

I'd like a bit more explanation please!

If you insist... It's a Sport Turismo, so it's the estate version of Porsche's new Panamera executive express. The Turbo S E-Hybrid bit? That's where things get interesting, as that signifies that the Panamera Turbo's 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine is now bolstered by the presence of a 136hp electric motor.

Wait a minute... what?

You'd think that the Panamera Turbo's performance would be enough for anyone, right? Wrong. Combined, the combustion and electric elements deliver 680hp and 850Nm of torque, the latter available from a little over idle speed. All told, this means a 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 192mph.

And the handling?

Here's the tricky bit; while acronyms like PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management), PCCB (Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake) and XYZ (we made that one up) are standard, the big batteries slung behind the rear axle may affect the chassis balance. Perhaps Porsche is harking back to tail-happy 911s of old... All-wheel drive, a torque-vectoring rear e-diff and an eight-speed automatic gearbox also feature.

It's a hybrid, so it's frugal, right?

According to the officially quoted figures, yes, but in the real-world things may be rather different. Fuel economy on the NEDC cycle is said to be 97.4mpg, with a battery-only range of 31 miles said to be achievable at speeds up to 140km/h.

How much does it cost?

While there's no solid word on UK pricing yet, the fastest Sport Turismo will set you back €188,592 (£165,240) in Germany, so expect a similar jump of around £30k over the regular Turbo when it goes on sale here.

Maurice Malone - 26 Sep 2017