BMW 750li 2006 News

Faced by even-tougher new anti-pollution rules towards the end of the decade, which put the focus on cutting the car's impact on global warming, motormakers are responding with a growing number of hydrogen- powered vehicles.In the past month there have been unveilings and real-world test drives for cars from BMW, General Motors and now Honda.BMW has demonstrated a 7-Series flagship which uses hydrogen in place of petrol in its internal-combustion engine, GM has revealed a near- production version of its Sequel fuel-cell car and now Honda has also weighed in with a hydrogen-powered fuel cell car called the FCX Concept.But this car is not a concept.It is a second-generation fuel cell car and a fleet of the vehicles will be on the roads of America and Japan in 2008, leased to customers to harvest real-world knowledge for the showroom-ready vehicles that will follow.Honda has already run an ugly-but-effective FCX fuel cell car in selected US cities but the FCX Concept is much more, combining a good looking body which was revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2005 with a 2006-standard power pack.It is charged with hydrogen but then converts this to electricity through its on-board fuel cell 'stack' to power the front wheels through a relatively-conventional gearbox.Honda claims a range of 330 kilometres and performance close to a regular family sedan.It has allowed journalists from around the world to test drive two prototypes at the Laguna Seca racetrack in northern California and the FCX Concept feels surprisingly production-like.Driving it is a genuine peek into the future, as the powertrain is almost silent, it handles surprisingly well, the cabin is large and comfy, and the whole deal is wrapped in a body about the size of today's Honda Accord Euro with similar equipment including air-con and a sound system."Here is what we have achieved," the head of Honda America's fuel cell marketing team, Steve Ellis, says."It's definitely not a publicity stunt. We want to show what the production process will be like."Honda says it has firm production plans for the FCX Concept in 2008, with a car which will be almost identical to the vehicle it previewed at Laguna Seca.Even so, it will only have a relatively small fleet and they will be leased - not sold - to customers as Honda pushes towards its ultimate goal of a regular production car which would be priced about the same as today's Honda Legend in 2008.Paul Gover is motoring editor at Australia’s biggest selling daily newspaper, Herald Sun. A full version of this story and other news, reviews and analysis will appear in this Friday's Herald Sun CARSguide liftout.

More than 25,000 admirers, tyre kickers and buyers packed the Convention Centre at South Bank on the second day of the show last Saturday, smashing all previous records.The 8000 increase on the previous single-day best crowd was helped by the official season launch of the V8 Supercar championship which featured all the stars and cars of the Holden versus Ford series in nearby Little Stanley St.While most come to dream there are those who use the opportunity to compare notes between rival brands at close range and under the one roof.With fuel prices remaining high, the cost of running a vehicle remains a key buying consideration among many buyers.For those wanting to stretch their dollar further at the pump there are fresh injections of turbo diesel variants in the passenger car line-up including Volkswagen's Polo oil burner for $22,990.Lexus provided the Queensland public with its first look at the GS450H saloon, a luxury petrol/electric hybrid which is scheduled to do business in local showrooms from May.BMW, which is showing off a new range of V8 engines in the 5, 6 and 7-series at the show, says it will have a hydrogen-powered 7-series on Australian roads in two years but there is a need for government intervention to possibly sort through filling station infrastructure.While the future is firmly set on alternative power sources, there remains an unwavering passion for hot blooded exotic sports machines.In performance alley at the show there is the stunning Pagani Zonda Roadster, priced at $1.3 million or the equivalent of four median-priced Brisbane homes.While Holden is flooring the fans with the hot rod Efigy, it also previewed its next four-wheel-drive wagon, the Capitva.VW took the covers off the new Passat sedan and wagon while Fiat had a range of Puntos which will signal the Italian maker's return to the passenger car ranks in Australia this year. The show continues until Sunday.