BMW's H2R concept vehicle, a 5.4-meter, aerodynamic racecar, utilizes liquid hydrogen (the "H" in the car's name) as its power source. The name sounds like a chemical compound, and indeed the long, silver concept car possesses an unusual automotive alchemy: It burns hydrogen in an internal-combustion engine rather than using it to generate electricity in a fuel cell.
The vehicle's 285-horsepower, 6.0-liter V-12 engine is based on the gasoline-powered BMW 760i's power plant. The engine allows the H2R to zoom from zero to 60 mph in six seconds. Its top speed is 186.5 mph.
The "R" in the vehicle's name stands for "records," as in the nine hydrogen-fueled internal combustion standards set by the H2R in speed trials held in France.
The concept is built on the BMW M5 chassis. The car's rear wheels are hidden by an overhang, and the tiny cockpit — the lone break in the body's exterior — fits one slim body, buckled in by a five-point harness.
A roll-bar structure is hidden near the dashboard; another rests over the lone seat. The concept is as silver as an Airstream trailer, with the exception of blue graphics reading "BMW Clean Energy — Powered by Hydrogen."
The H2R was built by DesignworksUSA, the German brand's Southern California design shop. It will not be offered for sale. |
|
