New car news

I rather like how car manufacturers are claiming hybrid "membership" in the same way Clarkson described the stars of Hollywood. They(the stars) own a dozen cars, all ruthlessly thirsty V8s and V12s, and then plop a Prius among them to kind of quell the angry eco-mentalist media. Manufacturers are doing the same thing, it's beautifully smug really, BMW came out with a "hybrid" X6 that has a 480BHP 4.4l V8...SUPPLEMENTED by two 90HP electric motors; genius BMW; that's only a petrol to electric ratio of 3:1.Now if only the hybrid badge on the X6 were 1/3rd the size as the other ones.

Link to this comment

Hardcastle's law of thermodynamics states: You don't get owt for nowt. The notion that hybrids are magically more efficient is tosh. charging from the mains uses elctricity from fossil fuel guzzling power stations. the other dumb notion is that its a case of where you pollute: not in our urban areas. a stiff breeze makes nonsense of that. Your only Carbon Neutral when you stop breathing.

Link to this comment

Why do car makers insist on using Hybrids to boost performance. Don't get me wrong I love performance cars, but shouldn't the Hybrid versions of vehicles be more fuel efficient. Why not have the X6 doing 0-60 in 7.5 seconds and 35 - 40 mpg. Lexus are just as guilty with their Hybrids. STUPID. If people want all out power they'll get the petrol and sod the fuel costs. Or get an M5.

Link to this comment

its possible to make a more pointless car than the original X6? well done BMW..?

Link to this comment

@quin: You do have a point, but source-to-wheel efficiency in hybrid vehicles is slightly higher than a straightforward petrol engine even in countries where power is generated from burning fossil fuels. Also don't forget that in countries such as Norway and Iceland where electricity is generated almost entirely from renewables, there is a larger difference. However, I still think that this BMW is a waste of time, but only because I wish people would drive smaller/lighter cars (Do you know how much heated seats way for instance? Do you know how that added weight much that costs each year in decreased fuel efficiency?). Still though, as long as there is demand for SUVs, and there is, then BMW etc. will carry on making them - and they may as well be a half arsed hybrid.

Link to this comment

Funny that you give the figures of 1.6 miles for the battery run, over here the in yesterdays AutoMotor Sport they say its a full hybrid and and can do 60 Km's on the battery and they use a type of Kers to re-charge the battery, somebodies got their facts wrong here. Who???

Link to this comment

I should add that I live in Germany.

Link to this comment

Well I could also take a Airbus A380 stick the electric motor from a toy car in it , But it isnt going to mean much is it and technically its still a hybrid.

Link to this comment

I like it, completely pointless but handsome in a brutal way. Actually, who is it that tries to tell us what cars we should buy when we all are increasing the wealth of far eastern countries who are building and operating coal fired dirty power stations so that we can buy cheap plastic toys and chipboard coffee tables transported here by the containerload on diesel powered ships that do about 3 miles to the ton?

Link to this comment

So, is BMW just using the X6 as a platform for pointless records and achievements? What on Earth is the point of the World's most powerful hybrid? If you care about power, you'll get a petrol one, probably the equally pointless X6M, or leave it altogether and plump for an M5. If you care about the environment, you'll get a diesel, or more likely you won't buy an X6 at all. Perhaps a 3- or 5-Series diesel 'Efficient Dynamics'. And if you want both, you'll get a 330d or 535d, or an Alpina D3 BiTurbo, like TG mag did, because they're brilliant AND frugal. And anything this side of a Ssangyong in an accident is prettier than a BMW X6.

Link to this comment

wise up bmw. the point of hybirds is to get better fuel economy, wasting all that development money on a hybird for the x6 when a lpg kit can be installed in it giving fuel at half the price. bmw should concentrate on diesel hybirds for the 1-3 and 5 series cars they would make no sense. but nonetheless if its trendy to make a big deal of putting essentially a dynamo and some batteries onto a car (something old bicycles had many years ago) and creating a big fuss well good on you. keep up the good work

Link to this comment

EEEWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!! come on let me guess next there gonna bring out a Land Rover 1.8 TDI or or or a um Lamborghini Gallardo Spider.....1.3 HYBRID?????????

Link to this comment