Toyota won't let V8s die in EV era, develops hydrogen-powered mill with Yamaha
Sanjay · Feb 18, 2022 11:33 AM
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The revolution will not be televised, but we know it'll be powered by hydrogen: because that's how Toyota and Yamaha are reiterating their commitment to the internal combustion engine. With a stonking 5.0-litre V8, no less.
Developed by Yamaha for Toyota, the V8 plucked from the Lexus RC F features modified injectors, cylinder heads, and intake manifold, besides the obvious fuel change. It's clean and green but still mean, especially with a heady 450 PS at 6,800 rpm, and a peak torque figure of 540 Nm at 3,600 rpm.
Based on this, only if a bit more sexier
Gearheads will tell you that how an engine sounds is one of the most important bits, and Yamaha agrees. The V8's raucous engine note (described as harmonic high-frequency), produced by the mill's 8-into-1 exhaust manifold is still preserved, even as it burns a different type of fuel.
This is something Yamaha has oodles of experience in anyway. Their back-catalogue has lots of sweet-sounding engines, ranging from the Toyota 2000GT's straight-six, the high-revving 3S-GE and 2ZZ-GE, as well as the F1-alike V10 in the Lexus LFA, linked below.
Takeshi Yamada from Yamaha's Technical Research & Development Center’s Automotive Development Section explains: “Hydrogen engines have an innately friendly feel that makes them easy to use even without resorting to electronic driving aids.
Everyone who came to test-drive the prototype car would start off somewhat skeptical, but emerged from the car with a big smile on their face at the end."
"As I watched this, I started to believe that there is actually enormous potential in the characteristics unique to hydrogen engines instead of simply treating it as a substitute for gasoline.
This is a challenge we can sink our teeth into as engineers and I personally want to pursue not just performance but also a new allure for the internal combustion engine that the world has yet to see,” declares Yamada.
Last year, this hyrodgen-powered Toyota Corolla Sport completed a 24-hour endurance race at Fuji Speedway
Yoshihiro Hidaka, president of Yamaha Motor, explains that the company aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and hydrogen-burning mills strike a right balance: "Hydrogen engines house the potential to be carbon-neutral while keeping our passion for the internal combustion engine alive at the same time."
This development follows November 2021's joint pledge by Kawasaki, Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, and Yamaha to continue collaborative research into alternative fuel options for internal combustion engines in the quest for carbon neutrality.
With humble beginnings collecting diecast models and spending hours virtually tuning dream cars on the computer, his love of cars has delightfully transformed into a career. Sanjay enjoys how the same passion for cars transcends boundaries and brings people together.
