Nissan X-Trail Fuel-Cell Vehicle Hits the 'Ring, has the 'Ring jumped the shark?
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Nissan X-Trail Fuel-Cell Vehicle Hits the 'Ring, has the 'Ring jumped the shark?
Nissan X-Trail made a respectable showing, rounding the famous Nürburgring circuit in 11:58.
TROISDORF, Germany — It's no Chevrolet Camaro, but Nissan reported on Wednesday that its X-Trail fuel-cell vehicle did some time at the Nürburgring recently and clocked in at a respectable 11:58 minutes.
In comparison, a Chevrolet Camaro SS recently ran the Nürburgring in 8:20, while the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 did it in 7:26.4. Nissan issued a statement to mark the event, saying that it's "the first automaker to record an FCV [fuel-cell vehicle] lap on the famous racetrack."
Frank Eickholt, who piloted the X-Trail FCV around the famous circuit, griped that wet weather affected the vehicle's performance. "If the course hadn't been so wet, I could have gotten more momentum out of the curves," he said. "Thirty to 40 seconds could have been shaved off for sure."
The X-Trail FCV is a five-passenger electric vehicle that has been undergoing testing in Japan and California since 2006. It has a top speed of 93.2 miles per hour and a range of 310 miles. Maximum power is 118 horsepower and torque is 206 pound-feet. Nissan said in a statement that it hopes to see fuel-cell vehicles in series production by 2015.
What this means to you: Expect to see more fuel-cell vehicles making appearances at the 'Ring. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
In comparison, a Chevrolet Camaro SS recently ran the Nürburgring in 8:20, while the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 did it in 7:26.4. Nissan issued a statement to mark the event, saying that it's "the first automaker to record an FCV [fuel-cell vehicle] lap on the famous racetrack."
Frank Eickholt, who piloted the X-Trail FCV around the famous circuit, griped that wet weather affected the vehicle's performance. "If the course hadn't been so wet, I could have gotten more momentum out of the curves," he said. "Thirty to 40 seconds could have been shaved off for sure."
The X-Trail FCV is a five-passenger electric vehicle that has been undergoing testing in Japan and California since 2006. It has a top speed of 93.2 miles per hour and a range of 310 miles. Maximum power is 118 horsepower and torque is 206 pound-feet. Nissan said in a statement that it hopes to see fuel-cell vehicles in series production by 2015.
What this means to you: Expect to see more fuel-cell vehicles making appearances at the 'Ring. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
The 'Ring used to be the hallowed playground of exotics, and now they're trying to use it as a marketing tool for fuel-cells. My question to you is, has the 'Ring officially jumped the shark? I think I can guess Mike's answer already.
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