“First, Porsche are trying to deprive Londoners of their democratic right to decide in the mayoral election on May 1 whether they want gas-guzzling and polluting cars to drive in London when there is absolutely no need for them to do so.

“Second, they are trying to impose on all Londoners unnecessary levels of pollution and greenhouse gases by a tiny minority.

“No-one is allowed to throw their rubbish in the street and Porsche should not be allowed to impose gas-guzzling, polluting cars on Londoners who do not want them.”

Porsche's plea found little sympathy from environmentalists. Tony Juniper, the director of Friends of the Earth (FoE), said: “Porsche has founded its business on the promotion and supply of highly polluting vehicles.

“Along with the rest of the German car industry they are desperately resisting the strong measures needed to tackle the car industry’s contribution to climate change.

“Instead of spending time and energy battling these popular initiatives, such as the congestion charge, it would be more appropriate for Porsche to put its effort into making a new generation of much less polluting vehicles.”

According to FoE figures, 44 of the 46 models in Porsche's range would face the £25 charge. Its most polluting model, the Cayenne Turbo S, emits 378g of CO2 per kilometre, about four times as much as the most fuel efficient vehicles on the market.

Opponents of large off-road vehicles being used in cities also ridiculed Porsche's plea. Blake Ludwig, campaigns director for the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s, said: “We know from the enormous amount of support for our campaign, and from our own surveys, that charging the most polluting cars a higher congestion charge is already very popular with the public.

“When we started campaigning for this measure in 2005, we asked 5,400 shoppers in central London their opinion and 95 per cent agreed with the idea.”

But among motoring organisations and drivers there were qualms about the Mayor's new charge regime.

Edmund King, of the RAC Foundation, said: “We are concerned that the Mayor has changed his scheme from a congestion charge to an emissions charge almost overnight.

“Larger families with some people carriers or estate cars will also be hit. These families in London tend to do lower mileage, use public transport more and keep their vehicles longer. The (car tax) band G people carrier in London will often produce far less CO2 than a smaller vehicle elsewhere due to lower mileage.

“A report for Transport for London on the scheme has already warned that ’the accessibility and social inclusion of children and Asian people in large families could be negatively affected by the proposed scheme should their family car incur the higher charge until their vehicles were replaced by lower emission alternatives’.

“Many ordinary families in London will be hit by these extortionate charges as they will be unable to replace their vehicles by October.

“The Government should take a lead on how to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles rather than having different local authorities cashing in on their own schemes.”

Charlie Mullins, managing director of Pimlico Plumbers in central London, said: “I am fully behind Porsche’s call for a judicial review. The congestion charge was supposed to be about getting London moving and not a money-making exercise thinly-disguised as an environmental issue.”