HURTLING around a Silverstone test track at break-neck speeds behind the wheel of a two-ton luxury saloon may seem somewhat incongruous but in the case of the Porsche Panamera it serves a very important purpose.
Subjected to F1-style racing starts using launch control, sideways drifting at motorway-busting speeds, skid-pan slaloms and fearsome emergency braking illustrate why the Panamera is no ordinary large saloon.
Criticised for its lacklustre looks and facing intense competition from gorgeous rivals such as the Maserati Quattroporte and Jaguar XFR, the German newcomer needs to carve itself a special niche.
Porsche has decided that its unique selling point is to be engineering excellence to a standard not surpassed by other ultra-high performance supercar saloons.
Porsche wants to emphasise that this is a car for purists, car connoisseurs who appreciate the art of driving for its own sake - those who like the fact that there are more than 100 buttons to control every aspect of the car's performance and dynamics.
Let's start with launch control, which in the case of the turbo model enables 500bhp to be generated and sent directly to the wheels so that the car can sear its way to 60mph in just a fraction over four seconds.
This creates the sort of neck-jerking G-Force (1.5g) that dissuaded Michael Schumacher from returning to F1 following a lingering motorcycle neck injury.
There are a host of other associated technological wonders designed to maximise the performance, steering, handling - even the ride height governed by the air suspension - yet all of them can also be turned off, which seems somewhat pointless.
The bottom line is that whatever anyone thinks of the Panamera's styling, which some have accused of being merely a stretched 911, it is a technologically awesome five-door hatchback.
So what makes it so special? Well, it is a generously proportioned four-seat saloon with a large boot, engineered to the highest standards whilst boasting the sort of performance that is often the exclusive preserve of impractical lightweight roadsters.
There are initially three Panameras on offer in the guise of the standard two-wheel drive S and the four wheel-drive 4S that are both powered by a 4.8-litre V8 generating 400bhp plus the range-topping 4WD turbo that gets an additional 100bhp.
Prices are £72,250 for the S, £77,250 for the 4S and £95,250 for the Turbo.
Acceleration times to 60mph are 5.6 seconds, 5.0 Seconds and 4.2 seconds with top speeds of 177mph, 175mph and 188mph and economy ranging from 22.6mpg to 25.4mpg.
There is a considerable difference in the CO2 emissions but the bottom line is that they are all so great that even the S model incurs the maximum 35 per cent tax liability.
The fact is that there is a hefty price to be paid for a carriage capable of achieving so much and Porsche knows that there is no shortage of potential punters although there is expected to be a less expensive 3.2-litre version soon.
Few vehicles have been criticised for their appearance as much as Porsche's Cayenne SUV and that model virtually drives itself out of showrooms worldwide because of its dynamic prowess and the enduring strength of the Porsche badge.
Personally I love the way the Panamera looks - possibly, like the 911, because of what it represents in terms of engineering excellence - just as I adore its performance and awesome driving dynamics.
It faces formidable opposition from a host of similar saloons including not only the Quattroporte and XFR but also the BMW Alpina B7, Mercedes CLS 63 AMG, Audi RS6 and the forthcoming Aston Martin Rapide and Lamborghini Estoque to name just a few.
Deciding which one is a dilemma that anyone who loves cars would die for.