The world’s first hydrogen racecar? Not exactly. But certainly one of the first hydrogen rally cars — that is a sure thing.
As the course pre-runner for the Japanese Rally Championship in Shinsiro, this TMG-tuned Mirai is a fresh take on the Prius EV and hybrid theme.
So, if the Mirai did not actually compete, what is the point?
The point is that the Mirai is absolutely ready for primetime. It has been exhaustively crash-tested and this rough-course racing environment is a huge vote of confidence from Toyota in the Mirai FCV’s essential Toyota-ness: the core tenets of Quality, Durability and Reliability.
For this latest decade of Toyota models under new scion Akio Toyoda — we may need to add an “F” for “fun” onto that QDR.
QDRF indeed with this Mirai rally car.
2016 Toyota Mirai Rally Car
Trailblazing Toyota FCV to Feature in Final Stage of 2014 Japanese Rally Championship
Shinshiro, Japan.
A Toyota fuel cell vehicle (FCV) will be put through its paces in the final installment in this year’s Japanese Rally Championship: the 285 km Shinshiro Rally, held in Aichi Prefecture on November 1 and 2. Before the race starts, the FCV, specially tuned and outfitted for rally racing (as pictured below), will check the safety of the roads as a zero car―while emitting zero CO2 or harmful substances.
Toyota’s FCV sedan, a next-generation environment-friendly vehicle powered by hydrogen, will be launched in Japan before April 2015 and in summer 2015 in the U.S. and Europe.
Toyota has been developing fuel cell vehicles for more than 20 years. The company’s commitment to environment-friendly vehicles is based on three basic principles: embracing diverse energy sources; developing efficient, low-emission vehicles; and driving real and positive environmental change by popularizing these vehicles.
Tom Burkart is the founder and managing editor of Car-Revs-Daily.com, an innovative and rapidly-expanding automotive news magazine.
He holds a Journalism JBA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Tom currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his two amazing dogs, Drake and Tank.
Mr. Burkart is available for all questions and concerns by email Tom(at)car-revs-daily.com.