DETROIT – While VW may be ready to write off hydrogen power, the lightweight gas is becoming the option of choice for its German rival, BMW. The Bavarian automaker staged the U.S. debut of its record-setting, 300-mph H2R prototype, which uses a hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine.
The streamlined racer has already set nine world records, and it is serving as the prototype for BMW’s first production car. A modified version of the 7-Series will be able to run on either hydrogen or gasoline, BMW’s U.S. CEO, Tom Purves, told his L.A. Auto Show audience. It will go into production “during the life of the current (7-) Series.”
BMW isn’t ready to give up on gasoline, however, and it also lifted the covers on its Competition Package for the already quick M3 model. Think of the $4000 package as “the razor’s edge,” Purves said. It includes 19-inch forged alloy wheels, a modified steering and suspension system, less intrusive stability control, and beefier, 13.6-inch brake rotors. The Competition Package will go on sale in February.
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