Toyota has uploaded a video highlighting the sound of the hydrogen-powered engine used by its new Corolla Sport race car — and it sounds like hydrogen might be just what we need to save the engine exhaust note.
If you’re a car guy, you might have noticed that in recent years, there seems to be an inverse relationship between the performance of a new sports car and the sound of its exhaust. For example, the next-gen Porsche 911 Turbo S, the final boss of quarter-mile drag races, sounds like a souped-up vacuum cleaner.
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And with automakers moving further toward turbocharging and, primarily, electrification, engine exhaust notes aren’t just getting underwhelming — they’re disappearing altogether. But Toyota’s new hydrogen-powered competitor is an exception to the rule. Despite emitting no CO2 emissions (beyond a minute amount of combusted engine oil), the Corolla Sport’s turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine sounds quite good.
According to racing driver Hiroaki Ishiura, it even feels just like a regular, gasoline-powered engine. “It’s not as different as I had expected,” he said. “It feels like a normal engine. (If I’m not told anything) I’d probably think that this is one normal engine.”
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Unfortunately, there are some downsides to hydrogen combustion engines that will probably deter adoption. They’re not very efficient at producing power compared to gasoline-powered engines, which are themselves already fairly inefficient.
Additionally, while they emit no CO2, they still produce NOx. It’s possible that the downsides of hydrogen engines could be mitigated with further investment and research, but it’s more likely that if hydrogen is to become an important part of the automotive industry, it will be in powering fuel cell vehicles instead.
Nonetheless, there may be a place for hydrogen among automakers seeking to make an emotionally engaging car that doesn’t rely on burning fossil fuels.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.