BMW X6 Hybrid to be world's most powerful gas-electric vehicle?
BMW X6 ActiveHybrid Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
"High performance hybrid" – an oxymoron? Not according to BMW, which has two new hybrids coming to the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. One of the two, the X6 Hybrid, promises to be the most powerful hybrid vehicle ever offered with 478 horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque from its twin electric motors and 4.4-liter V8 engine combined.
According to what appear to be leaked specs from BMW, the X6 Hybrid will scoot to 60 mph in about 5.5 seconds while returning a 20% fuel mileage improvement over the standard X6 with its twin-turbo V8. To set the hybrid apart from its more conventional sibling, BMW will bestow the new fuel-saver with a power dome hood (musclecar elements on a hybrid – HA!) and a bespoke metallic blue hue.
Quicker yet will be the upcoming 7 Series Hybrid, which will reportedly be able to cover the run to 60 in under five seconds flat via the 459 horsepower and 561 lb-ft of torque provided by its V8-based hybrid powertrain combination. BMW predicts an X6 Hybrid-matching 20-percent increase in fuel efficiency from its 7 Series Hybrid.
Gallery: BMW X6 ActiveHybrid Concept
Gallery: LA 2008: BMW 7-series ActiveHybrid
[Source: Autocar]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
simran 4:05PM (8/12/2009)
18-19 mpg for a hybrid...what a joke.....hybrids are a damn gimmick, why cant people see that?
Reply
wako 4:29PM (8/12/2009)
maybe this hybrid is a gimmick, but with a 49 combined MPG on the new prius a gimmick? I think not..
simran 4:35PM (8/12/2009)
the 2009 VW jetta TDI gets upwards of 50 mpg combined using clean diesel tech, with a much higher torque output and without the air of self-righteousness that is endemic in epidemic proportions with Prius owners.
Hybrids are a gimmick.
Rick 4:43PM (8/12/2009)
Inside line test the VW TDI and it got 30 city, 44 highway. Not bad, but far less than your claims.
Rick 4:43PM (8/12/2009)
*Inside Line tested* should read...
FSM 5:49PM (8/12/2009)
@ Simran
Personally I have never witnessed this smugness that SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many of you autobloggers appear to be a victim of on a daily basis from Prius owners. So all of you must stop at a light and talk to the Prius owners and then from your conversation you can determine that they look down their nose at you for not having a Prius. Or maybe the only smug and arrogant people out there on the roads are the ones that project a personality and stereotype onto EVERY Prius owner. HMMMM I wonder which of the two scenarios is closer to reality?
seanleeforever 6:10PM (8/12/2009)
To: Simran
"the 2009 VW jetta TDI gets upwards of 50 mpg combined using clean diesel tech"
No. 2009 VW Jetta TDI gets 30/41, no where near the 50 mpg that you claimed.
"with a much higher torque output"
No, 2009 VW Jetta TDI get 140 hp and 236 lb.-ft.
prius get 98 hp/105Lb-ft gas engine plus a 80hp/153 lb-ft torque. that addes up to be 258 lb-ft of torque, which was higher than TDI.
Just fyi, the electric motor in the 2nd gen prius output 295 lb-ft of torque alone, enough to blow the doors of any diesel lover who claims torque is everything. surprisingly, most diesel lovers keep saying torque = acceleration and fun, and they completely ignore prius....
"the air of self-righteousness that is endemic in epidemic proportions with Prius owners."
well. every car has some self-righteousness owners. in fact, most people who brought prius didn't even care much about cars, they buy because it saves money. unlike most TDI drivers, who always get ready to defend their purchase with tons of reasons, sadly, most of their reasons are invalid and laughable, just like yours.
"Hybrids are a gimmick."
no it is not.
1st. hybrid means something is powered by two sources of power. there are many things that are hybrid, include most of the submarines and ships.
2nd. gas-electric hybrid cars like prius emits 89 g/km CO2, which overtook any other cars except the single passenger Smart fortwo with its 0.8-liter turbocharged 45 hp diesel which emits 88 g/km according to the UK Department for Transport. and i don't need to tell you that pirus get the highest mpg (so far) among all the new cars in U.S.
Your entire post is full of incorrect information and assumptions. You could NOT give a single fact to support anything you said. That officially qualifies you to be a TDI owner, congratulations.
Fact: Prius emits less CO2 and NOX (the latter one is purposely omitted by most diesel owners, but does much more harm than CO2) than Jetta TDI.
Fact: Prius has a higher combined torque than Jetta TDI. even the previous Prius has a combined torque of more than 300 lb-ft.
Fact: it is hoursepower that gets you to a higher speed, and faster to a higher speed.
Fact: Jetta is a quicker car than prius, NOT because it has more torque, but because it has more HP.
ps:i will gladly to see my post get marked down by mindless german-diesel fanboys without any reason or fact.
simran 6:25PM (8/12/2009)
Prius owners have a holier than thou attitude across the board. I happen to be friends with many of them who sometimes look at me when i drive my shelby gt500 (so no, i don't own a diesel, nor will i ever own one) like i raped someone.
i admit my initial figures for the jetta were false, i got them from an outdated motortrend article which, as it turns out, was simply speculating.
and ummm just because you write fact in front of statements like " Fact: it is hoursepower that gets you to a higher speed, and faster to a higher speed." does not make them true. Torque has a much greater effect on acceleration than horsepower. aside from the fact that i already knew this, it took a 2 second google search to reaffirm my initial conviction.
and you cannot sum the torque of both the electric and gas engine on the prius like its a first grade math problem, thats not how they work.
and dont have the cheek to try and explain to me what a hybrid is, im getting my PhD in mechanical engineering you condescending prick.
tankd0g 6:35PM (8/12/2009)
478hp, 575 ft.lb of Torque and gets 20+mpg? What other SUV does that?
wvuquentin 6:41PM (8/12/2009)
simran - With punctuation and capitalization like your's, it is a good thing you aren't getting a PhD in English. Sorry, it irritates me when people tout that they are getting XYZ degree to support their point. Either way, one good turn is worth another. As an actual engineer, I think the hybrids are quite neat. The planetary geartrain used to switch between gasoline and the electric motor to power the wheels is quite clever. It is a different way to solve a problem. I'd think someone studying to be an engineer would appreciate that.
simran 6:51PM (8/12/2009)
@ wvuquentin:
I was an actual engineer after my undergrad many years ago. So please dont tell me im trying to be one.....the vast majority of engineers, yourself included im guessing, do not get PhDs.
This is a sort of blog....not my dissertation, I'm not nearly as concerned with my punctuation as I am with people treating websites such as this to try and one up each other any way they can.
I do appreciate the design of hybrids, I'm just saying that most car manufacturers, especially one's such as BMW, are treating them like gimmicks and as a way to capitalize on the green movement.
FSM 8:03PM (8/12/2009)
I wonder who tend to be more SMUG? Prius owners or people who have a PhD? I think I know the answer, but let me first go ask a PhD to be sure.
simran 8:10PM (8/12/2009)
definitely PhD holders.....but they very well have a reason to be so. you cant just throw 26000 at a japanese company to get one.
that being said, its not the "smuggness" of Prius owners which bothers me, its that they think they are better than me because i drive a v8.
PhD's dont think they are better than others, they just realize that obtaining one is no walk in the park.
Mike 9:40PM (8/12/2009)
Simran - So you have friends that look down on you? So tell me again why you are friends?
I have a Prius. LOVE IT!
I've driven at least 5-6 diesels and can tell you Torque helps get the car moving.. but diesels have such a low redline its a pain to keep shifting!
I have a Stick shift MR2 spyder - 30mpg and TONS (actually only 1 Tonne) of fun! Autocross I laugh at the guys with mustangs. They think they can put bigger tires on it and be faster.. yet they are slower.
I also have a stock vq35 maxima that spanks on the mustangs (well not the newer ones and svt's etc..) but the 4.6 260 hp ones are a joke. I can tear them up from stop light to stop light and STILL get 25% better fuel economy.
A 450hp SUV (5000+lbs) and still gets better gas mileage than a mustang. A gimmick? Better gas mileage, faster AND carries more people/stuff.
Put that engine into your mustang and your looking at low 4seconds to 60 and probably 29mpg. Would that be a gimmick?
Anything that recoups WASTED energy from the brakes is worth it. it would be great to have a type of capacitor hooked to an electric engine and use is as a type of "nitrous". That would be great!
Hopefully you won't close the door on new technologies.. at one point in time the ICE was new and people didn't want to give it a chance.. and look at it now.... we would all be driving steam engines if they didnt give it a chance.
my 02 cents..
simran 11:07PM (8/12/2009)
are you seriously comparing you're little toys to a shelby gt500? i didnt buy this car for the fuel economy. i got it for the 4.4s 0-60 time (on a good day)
yyrose22 1:33AM (8/13/2009)
My friend recommended me a very interesting place ***MeetingWealthy.C om *** It's where wealthy singles looking for someone to enjoy their wealthy lifestyle
wako 4:33AM (8/13/2009)
simran,
you still have failed to point out how Hybrids are a gimmick.
I honestly dont care about your personal life and your suppose friends who think you raped someone simply because you own a GT500. If you have problems with that maybe you need to find new friends.
You seem to have some odd inferiority complex going on towards hybrid owners as you seem to have a deep passionate hate for the owners but lack any real reason to hate the car. Hybrid cars are clearly not a gimmick as you pay quite a bit for the technology while gaining A LOT more mileage to the gallon. I will agree with you that BMW do indeed take advantage of the whole green movement. However your original comment of "hybrids are a damn gimmick," is quite the claim.
simran 4:51AM (8/13/2009)
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveonaCar/TheCostlySecretsOfHybridCars.aspx
this is officially my last post on this ridiculously overstretched topic which started off with me disapproving of bmw's lame effort at trying to be green.
the above is one of a plethora of websites that make my point exactly.
akboss302 4:05PM (8/12/2009)
Its probably the fastest because most other manufacturers realize that the primary goal of a hybrid isn't to be stupidly powerful. Granted fast cars are awesome, but clearly BMW is sacrificing some serious MPG's to get it - 20% better than a twin-turbo V8? I'm no mathematician but that still sounds pretty crappy. Why not combine the hybrid powertrain with their excellent diesel motor, then it would actually be efficient.
Reply
Luis 4:23PM (8/12/2009)
I think the idea is to use the hybrid powertrain to boost output without making the car less efficient. 20% is still good, although we see how well this worked for the Accord Hybrid (remember that?) and the GS450h, etc. The X6 (and 7) are niche cars and the hybrids will be niche models. Once they perfect the tech they can introduce it to higher-volume models.