The Panamera has always had its detractors.
Those who hated the way the last car looked won't be greatly reassured by the new one.
There will also be those who still can't accept that a four-door pseudo-saloon belongs at the summit of Porsche's model hierarchy, in the place once taken by the elegant 928 coupé.
Such grumblings aren't unheard of even among Autocar road testers. But the new Panamera's success is in its ability to wipe away any reservations about what it is via the sheer breadth and brilliance of all it does.
In the 4S Diesel in particular, Weissach has a car that's astonishingly complete for a modern GT. Fast, tactile, smooth, easy to drive, poised, engaging, comfortable, spacious and long-legged, its versatility is incredible.
Our final rating doesn't mean we think it's flawless, but Porsche has added such strength to this car, from cabin to chassis to engine and elsewhere, that it now stands apart from any sub-£100,000 GT on the market.
For that, and in recognition of Porsche's enduring ability to make a better driver's car wherever it turns its gaze, only five stars will do.