BMW X6

Part rally assault car, part coupé, part technological showpiece: this is the BMW X6, the world’s first sports activity coupé. We can guess what you’re thinking – surely it’s just an X5 with the top bashed in? Well, yes and no. There’s more than a hint of the X5 in that imposing front end and high, wide stance. Jump behind the wheel and even the furniture is a carbon copy of the X5’s, with the exception of a pair of padded knee braces. That’s not a bad thing, given the high-quality materials and precision build.

At low speeds, it feels like an X5. It’s also comfortable, assured and adept at disguising its bulk. As speeds increase, however, the X6 moves into a league of its own. Throw it at a series of slippery bends and it zips through them with an eagerness and tenacity that would leave an X5 floundering – and that’s saying something.