Normally, when news of a new Porsche breaks out, I don't really pay much attention. To me, they all seem one and the same, with either more power, or less equipment, or stripped out for racing. It's like a ready-made news template.

However, when I read about the new Panamera Turbo S, I took a while to catch my breath.

The Panamera is most definitely a love-it-or-hate-it car. While I'm not exactly a fan of its looks (as are many people I'm sure), I actually quite like the idea of a Porsche that can carry a family of four in comfort (albeit a rich family). I feel pretty much the same way about the Cayenne SUV as well.

The Panamera Turbo S, which was revealed by Porsche this week, is the fastest Panamera model yet. And it certainly packs a hell of a lot of punch, going by the figures released.

542bhp makes it more powerful than Mercedes-Benz's own powerhouse luxury performance sedan, the S63 AMG. But the most astonishing figure is that the Panamera Turbo S can rocket from 0-100km/h in just 3.8 seconds, even faster than the stripped-down, hardcore Porsche 911 GT3 RS. This is a car that weighs well over 1.8 tonnes, remember.

Top speed is rated at a pretty amazing 307km/h, a speed which unfortunately will not be seen anywhere except for the derestricted German Autobahns, or if someone is mad enough to take this hefty sedan around a race track.

This car is definitely going onto my list of "cars I have to try before I die".