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Nissan Considering Fuel Cell Powered High-Performance Sports Car

Toyota Prius, Honda FCX Clarity, BMW Hydrogen 7. If there’s something wrong with today’s alternative fuel vehicles, it’s that they are all missing a crucial amount of glamour. You won’t find any teenage boys rushing to put posters of the Prius or the FCX


Toyota Prius, Honda FCX Clarity, BMW Hydrogen 7. If there's something wrong with today's alternative fuel vehicles, it's that they are all missing a crucial amount of glamour. You won't find any teenage boys rushing to put posters of the Prius or the FCX up on their bedroom walls and even if you did, odds are they'd rather you didn't know about it.

I, for one, don't aspire to own a hybrid or a hydrogen-fuelled car, but that's not because I want to see the icecaps shrivel and consign several Pacific island nations to a watery grave. No, I don't want one because to date, no manufacturer has bothered to try to apply hydrogen technology to a truly sporty high-performance chassis.

It looks like Nissan may be coming to the rescue on that front though. As Autocar reports, the Japanese automaker is considering making its first-ever fuel cell powered production vehicle either a high performance sports car, a luxury model or perhaps both.

There are a few caveats though: for one, Nissan hasn't yet committed to the development of a production fuel cell car (the decision will most likely be made early next year) and even if they do, the earliest introduction date would be sometime in late 2014.

Chances are high that Nissan will choose to proceed with the fuel cell project though, as the company is currently collaborating with Honda and Toyota to further develop and refine technology for hydrogen-powered vehicles and the distribution infrastructure needed to support them.

So, can we expect a fuel-cell powered GT-R, Z or Silvia by 2015? It's still far too early to tell, but it's a promising sign that at least one car manufacturer is going to the trouble of keeping enthusiasts and the environment happy.

[Autocar]

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