Road Test: Porsche Panamera 3.0 V6 S E-Hybrid 4dr Tiptronic S

Why isn't Lexus building cars like this? In a GS450h, you're hard-pushed to get above a crawl before the internal combustion rouses itself, but in this new plug-in Panamera you really can do some miles and speed on electric alone. I got from central London to the M25 - about 14 miles - before the battery was spent, and never got bored of flicking between all the displays showing power flow, energy use and the like. Especially not the one that told me I was doing infinite mpg...

The electric motor delivers 94bhp, which in a car weighing the top end of two tonnes means pacein e-mode isn't particularly vivid, but it will carry on pulling all the way to 84mph. What economy you actually get will vary wildly depending what you're up to, but I did 130 miles at 42mpg. Couple of things to note. More than any other Panamera, this is a weighty, bulky thing to drive and likes wide, well-surfaced roads to play on. Pay close attention to the brakes, too, so as not to clout the back of cars ahead.

But the biggest issue is cost. The S E-Hybrid is almost £90k, and while I don't doubt it's a costly car to develop and produce, that's a tough sell. But if you're a wealthy type who does much urban driving and wants to do your bit, then it makes sense. Well, psychologically rather than financially.