Toyota is seriously ramping up the PR machine for the Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, and they are taking a step towards legitimacy by letting a specially-prepared Mirai pace the Toyota Owners 400 race at Richmond later today. The Mirai has met NASCAR’s performance requirements for a pace car, but a quick look back in history shows just what can pass for a pace car (Chrysler LeBaron convertible, Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais, Pontiac Fiero…) so the 153-hp sedan should be just enough to make it around the track and it’s 300-mile range should be good for the race…unless it turns into a complete wreckfest.
Honestly, if you’re going to put out a forward-thinking technology, this is a pretty decent way to test it out in the public eye and it should garner Toyota plenty of positive attention so long as the floor mats don’t ball up under the accelerator pedal. What isn’t known is where the hydrogen was sourced from, but if Toyota is still keeping up with the “fueled by bull” campaign, we’re sure they can find plenty of the stuff if they just follow the guy named France around. And Harry Hogg should be shown a picture of the Hindenburg disaster before suggesting that Cole go out and hit the pace car.
(Courtesy: Carscoops)
Too bad they don’t give out an award for the ugliest POS to go around the track. Looks like we have a winner here folks.
How will it go over ?
Unless it goes pure Hindenburg not one person in the stands will notice.
Now those who choose to drink their own beer and pee in their own toilets will have to endure about 15 minutes ,pre race, of how great the car is and at least a one full lap monolog every atime it comes out during a caution.
I’ll wager there is a TWIN close buy ,powered by gasoline, just in case….
Not well . Not at all well .
But then again … considering the fact that 99.999% of all current NASCAR fans are a bunch of beer [ and other substances ] addled brain dead red necks ..
Who in the ___ with half a brain gives a damn what they think ??
Well – all I’ve got to say is that I hope its bulletproof!
Yeah its pretty ugly. Be kinda neat if it worked though .
The troll is strong with this one. #lovinit
NASCAR? They still doing that shit?
Yeah, but can it stop a half empty beer can???