Chinese BYD Presents Lexus RX-Identical S6

China's BYD Auto makes the headlines one more time but, once again, with a shameless clone of the popular first-generation Lexus RX. A more shocking news is that the Chinese automaker actually received the European patents for the S6 SUV's design, according to Carscoop. As you can see for yourself in the adjacent photos comparing the two models, the S6 is almost identical with Lexus RX, except the slightly different grille, reshaped headlights and tail lights.

Details are pretty scarce at this point but the aforementioned source writes that this new SUV is expected to be unveiled next month at the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show (April 20-28). Toyota and Lexus have not commented on the news so far, but we're still waiting for an official statement soon.

BYD has always managed to impress using surprising news. The Chinese automaker, for instance, announced in January 2009 that it is working on the world's first production dual-mode plug-in hybrid that would come in the form of a family crossover.

“What sets the e6 apart from other pure electric vehicles are its size and performance. With current battery capacity limited, most other manufacturers have elected to focus on small, lightweight EVs that stress efficiency over performance and range,” BYD said.

In case it enters production, the car will be powered by an advanced battery pack capable of providing an autonomy of up to 400 km (248.5 miles) without altering the overall performance. The car accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 8 seconds, while maximum speed goes around 100 mph (160 km/h), fairly enough when talking about a hybrid vehicle.