BMW X6 mean and green

Our snappers have caught a pair of BMW X6 SUVs undergoing testing - but they couldn’t be more different!

At one end of the scale is the barnstorming X6 M. Powered by the 507bhp 5.0-litre V10 found in the current M5 saloon, the X6 M eschews any notion of being an off-road 4x4 and sets its sights firmly on ballistic urban SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and the Mercedes ML63 AMG.

BMW remains coy on the subject of this halo 4x4, but the quad tailpipes, redesigned, gaping front apron and covered side vents of this test vehicle all scream ‘M car’.

And as if to offset this carbon-spewing monster, the Bavarian firm is simultaneously developing an X6 hybrid!

The X6 ActiveHybrid was first shown at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, so it comes as no surprise that BMW is working on it, but the speed at which development is taking place comes as a shock.

The prototype you see here is tantalisingly close to production, with the bulging bonnet hiding diagnostic equipment used to monitor the hybrid powertrain - developed with GM and DaimlerChrysler.

The hybrid X6 runs on either the electric motor alone or the petrol engine depending on speed, and can utilise both simultaneously for a burst of power if reqiored, much like the system found in the Lexus RX400h. It also uses regenerative braking to reclaim stopping energy as power for the battery.

Set to appear in 2009, the X6 hybrid features a clever panel in the rear apron that conceals the tail pipes when the electric motor is running. How about that for showing off your green credentials?