PORSCHE has moved into the family market, with a four-wheel-drive sport utility vehicle that is set to revolutionise the sector.
It differs from the rest in several important respects, not least of which is its supercar performance.
The idea is to attempt to cash-in on the current craze for 4WD vehicles, with enough room for all the family, and the sort of performance more normally associated with sports cars.
The result is the Porsche Cayenne, with the sort of performance that would have been the preserve of Ferraris just a few years ago.
Unusually for a four wheel drive SUV, it also has the handling to match.
The clever suspension enables it to sit squat on the road for the high-speed stuff, whilst raising the ground clearance for forays off the beaten track.
There is even a low-range box to endow the Cayenne with similar off-road ability to the new Range Rover, whilst leaving it standing at the lights.
The Cayenne Turbo's massively powerful engine pushes out a whopping 450bhp, which enables it to scorch from standstill to 60mph in a mere five and a half seconds, with a top speed in excess of 165mph.
It costs £69,000, which seems like a king's ransom, but not for a car with these remarkable attributes, and there is a cheaper alternative.
The non-turbo version costs about £25,000 less, and still manages an impressive 0-60mph time of 7.2 seconds, with a 150mph top speed.
The last word in luxury, the Cayenne boasts the same high build quality as that of any other Porsche, which have longer life expectancies than virtually any other vehicle.
It may just be the stuff of dreams for most of us, but the Cayenne will hit the second-hand market eventually.
For those in search of the ultimate high-performance family car, now is the time to start saving.
FAST FACTS
Porsche Cayenne Turbo
Price: £68,970
Mechanical: 450bhp, 4,511cc V8 turbo charged petrol engine driving all four wheels via 6-spd tiptronic transmission
Max speed: 165mph
0-60mph: 5.6 secs
Combined mpg: 18
Insurance group: 20
CO2 emissions: 378g/km
BiK rating: 35%
Warranty: 2yrs/ unlimited miles; 10yrs anti-rust; 3yrs paint