With the recent launch of the hydrogen powered Toyota Mirai we've had hydrogen vehicles on our mind, so we compiled a list of the ten fastest ever made.
10.) BMW H2R
Speed: 187.62 MPH
Using a V12 from the 760i modified to run on hydrogen and a very slippery body with a drag coefficient of .21, this BMW car set nine FIA certified hydrogen combustion records:
"Flying-start kilometre: 11.99 s 187.62 mph
Flying-start mile: 19.91 s 181.85 mph
Standing-start 1/8 kilometre: 9.92 s 45.62 mph
Standing-start 1/4 kilometre: 14.93 s 60.62 mph
Standing-start 1/2 mile: 17.27 s 65.15 mph
Standing-start mile: 36.73 s 98.60 mph
Standing-start 10 miles: 221.05 s 163.81 mph
Standing-start kilometre: 26.56 s 84.72 mph
Standing-start 10 kilometres: 146.41 s 153.90 mph"
Suggested By: themanwithsauce, Photo Credit: BMW
9.) Rocket Powered Bicycle
Speed: 207 MPH
If you have an incredibly low sense of self preservation then boy do I have the bike for you! This bicycle ridden by insane frenchmen Francois Gissy hit 207 mph at Paul Ricard and pummeled a Ferrari 430 Scuderia in a straight line.
Suggested By: POD, Photo Credit: Exotic Thermo Engineering/Swiss Rocketman via Facebook
8.) Ford Fusion 999
Speed: 207.297 MPH
It would be stretching it to call this a Fusion since it was built on a tubular chassis and weighs 6,700 lbs., but it is extremely fast. It uses hydrogen fuel cells to power a 770 hp electric motor that sends power to the rear wheels via a 6 speed manual. It was good for 207 MPH at Boneville.
Suggested By: autojim, Photo Credit: Ford
7.) Buckeye Bullet 2
Speed: 302.887 MPH
Built by students at Ohio State University who clearly had never heard of beer pong, this vehicle holds the FIA record for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. Does anyone else feel like their college education was a waste?
Suggested By: Stig-a-saw-us-wrecks, Photo Credit: Buckeye Bullet
6.) Vanishing Point
Speed: 386 MPH, 3.58 sec 1/4 mile
Piloted by Englishman Sammy Miller, this hydrogen peroxide powered rocket dragster holds theofficial quarter mile record, but more on that later.
Suggested By: Redbulldidlo, Photo Credit: vetechnet.com
5.) Kitty O'Neil's Rocket Powered Dragster
Speed: 412 MPH, 3.22 sec 1/4 mile
Unlike Sammy Miller's record, Kitty O'Neil's record in her rocket powered dragster isn't recognized by the FIA or NHRA but it still stands as the quickest 1/4 mile ever recorded. Wherever you stand on the official vs. unofficial debate, both are insanely fast.
Suggested By: Auto-Tunned Eli Manning, Photo Credit: OMCA Collections
4.) X-43A
Speed: Mach 9.6 (~7,000 MPH)
This NASA aircraft never made it past the experimental stage, but not before setting a speed record for the fastest jet powered aircraft.
Suggested By: Brian, The Life of, Photo Credit: NASA
3.) Space Shuttle
Speed: 17,000 MPH
Technically, as reader DennyCraneDennyCraneDennyCrane points out, this is a hybrid since it uses rockets to get it up in the air, but the main engines are powered by pure liquid hydrogen.
Suggested By: DennyCraneDennyCraneDennyCrane, Photo Credit: Matthew Simantov
2.) Saturn V
Speed: 24,500 MPH
Like the Space Shuttle, the Saturn V is a hybrid and a damn fast one too.
Suggested By: Arch Duke Maxyenko, SHAZAM!, Photo Credit: NASA
1.) Helios
Speed: 157,087 MPH
Since the two Helios probes are in orbit around the sun, which is made of hydrogen, they technically are the fastest hydrogen powered vehicles ever made.
Suggested By: DennyCraneDennyCraneDennyCrane, Photo Credit: NASA
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