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Strange goings on this morning from the Jaguar development team at Germany’s Nürburgring, as our spy photographers have caught images of an XK mule that seems to raise more questions than it answers.

The XK seen here is sporting a bumper that differs from the unit used on the current car but it also seems to be a separate unit from the new face-lifted XK that has been recently spotted. The car has got other features that set it apart from the new XK mule as well, including new cutouts for the exhaust in the rear bumper, and the louvered hood from the XK-R.

Perhaps most strange though is the noise, or lack thereof, that was heard emanating from the car as it stormed down the famed ‘Ring. The photographer tells us that the car was much quieter than would be normal for a Jag driven in anger and speculates that this car may be some sort of hybrid prototype being tested. We’re not convinced that’s the case yet (a hybrid driven at full bore would still offer up an emphatic engine note), though non-hybrid options seem just as unlikely. A nearly silent Jaguar XK diesel has a certain appeal to it but until more evidence is offered up, all we can do is speculate.

We’re looking into the matter more deeply as of this writing and should new information come to light, NextAutos readers will be the first to know. Until then scroll down to read the spy shooter’s own words and check out the mystery XK images in the gallery above. Then, make sure to tell us what you think Jaguar is testing out there in comments.
 

What’s the thing with this strange Jaguar XK?

The front bumper does not look like the old, and also not like the one we have seen on the face-lift prototypes. So that’s a completely new one. And also the cut out for the exhaust pipes in the rear bumper look different. Bonnet is from the XK-R

One other strange think, this car was very quiet. We can normally hear all the Jag prototypes roar when out on the loose, especially on the Nürburgring track, but not this one. So that makes us wonder if this is a hybrid prototype from Jaguar.