Toyota Mirai Sport Concept Brings Hype to Hydrogen Cars
Details are still thin, but it’s a step in the right direction for fun, sustainable transportation.
Toyota is one of the few automakers with a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle on sale today. The automaker's Mirai sedan can go over 400 miles on a full serving of hydrogen with theoretically fast refuel times and zero harmful emissions. The Mirai isn't exactly an exciting car, however, and that's something Toyota apparently wants to change.
The Japanese automaker recently revealed a lowered, more aggressive version of the Mirai called the Mirai Sport Concept at the 24 Hours of Fuji. Details are still thin as Toyota hasn't said much about the car, but at least from the outside, it's much angrier. It features revised fascias, a lowered stance, and different wheels. The most detailed view of the car is on the Japanese car YouTube channel LOVECARS!TV!.
Under its carbon hood, the story is the same as the regular Mirai. The FCEV gets just 182 horsepower to drag around its roughly 4,200-pound curb weight. That's really not enough power to call something this big and heavy a sports sedan. The CT5-V Blackwing, for instance, weighs less and produces 668 hp. Power isn't everything, of course, but it could certainly use a boost when you have so much mass to haul around.
Still, though, this is the only road-going, sporty hydrogen car; so it's nice to see Toyota making an effort. As soon as the infrastructure to support FCEVs matures—which it seems like no one really wants to pay for—hydrogen has the potential to be one of the key energy sources for sustainable transportation. And as Toyota points out with this car, hydrogen fuel cells might as well be a little more fun.
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