– Stuttgart, Germany

Buying a plug-in hybrid does not mean giving up on driving excitement – at least if you elect one of Porsche’s plug-ins. We’ve already detailed the furious performance of the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, but Porsche is also fitting its Panamera with a lesser-powered fuel-saving powertrain called the 4 E-Hybrid. It combines a biturbocharged V6 engine with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack, providing all-electric mobility while also boosting output to a healthy 462 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque – gains of 132 hp and 185 lb-ft over the base car.

“Our first goal was performance, and at the same time, we wanted to improve the efficiency of the vehicle,” says Gernot Döllner, vice president of the Panamera product line. “But we had a clear focus on performance.”

Though U.S. economy figures haven’t been finalized, the car is rated for 31 miles of all-electric driving under (often optimistic) European tests, yet it will still tear all the way to 172 miles per hour when given enough derestricted autobahn. So, it’s quicker, faster, more powerful, and also more fuel efficient than the standard Panamera. And you thought hybrid cars were boring.

Pros

It’s still fun to drive. Whether operating as a hybrid or in full-bore Sport+ mode, the Panamera is an absolute joy on everything from winding country roads to speed limit-free autobahns. A huge well of power awaits at just the merest nudge of your toe. The sprint to 60 mph clocks in at just 4.4 se...