Long a proponent of and investor in liquid hydrogen powerplants, Tom Purves, BMW North America president and CEO, calls it "the fuel of the future for the car enthusiast." BMW believes that there is no alternative but liquid hydrogen as a clean power source for performance vehicles, and displayed the BMW H2R Concept as proof that environmental responsibility and the joy of driving are not necessarily mutually exclusive concepts. A mean, green, land-speeding machine, the BMW H2R arrived in California fresh from setting nine speed records at Miramas Proving Grounds in France. Powered by a liquid hydrogen-burning, 285-horsepower, 6.0-liter V12 engine, the BMW H2R accelerates to 60 mph in less than six seconds and cracked the 185-mph barrier on BMW's French high-speed test track, all while emitting zero pollutants. Designed in California at BMW Designworks USA, the H2R's streamlined skin is composed of lightweight carbon fiber to keep weight down, allowing the car to set speed records. Liquid hydrogen is stored in a vacuum-insulated, double-walled fuel tank mounted to the right of the driver's seat. The design of the BMW H2R is pure fantasy, but the technology behind it is not. BMW is committed to launching a dual-fuel 7-Series sometime in the next few years. This car will run on both gasoline and hydrogen, allowing owners to more easily bridge the gap between the technology and the infrastructure to support it. By Christian J. Wardlaw
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