Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell saloon has made its first motorsport appearance.
While certainly not a race car, the Mirai was quite the contrast to other cars at the Gurston Down Speed Hill Climb in Wiltshire, as one the world’s first production fuel cell saloons. Competing in one of Motorsport’s oldest and most traditional formats – a hill climb speed trial - the hydrogen car was driven by journalist David Finlay and was finished in a one-off mirror-chrome full body wrap. Recording a best time of 44.44 seconds over the 0.6-mile course, the Mirai averaged 62.5mph.
Meanwhile, in Monaco Prince Albert II drove a lap of honour in the Mirai to officially open the Monaco Grand Prix. From a rural British hill climb meeting to Formula One’s most glamorous occasion, the prince chose the Mirai for this high-profile appearance, reiterating his intention to make Monaco a pioneer of sustainable mobility.
At both events, the Mirai ran whisper-quiet and produced no tailpipe emissions other than water from its hydrogen fuel cell system. Introduced in selected European markets, including the UK, in the second half of 2015, the Mirai has a range of around 300 miles and refuelling time of between three and five minutes.