Market leader claimed to be working on H2-fuelled V8 for 300 Series
Eight-cylinder engines may not be quite as done for as first thought, not if Toyota has anything to do with it anyway…
According to a fresh report out of Japan, the world’s biggest car-maker working on a new hydrogen-fuelled eight-cylinder internal combustion engine that could ultimately make its way into the snout of the new Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.
While the cylinder count is yet to be officially confirmed by Toyota, the graphic on the cover of the latest edition of Best Car depicts a V8 internal combustion engine hard up against the side of an H2-decorated 300 Series.
“The hydrogen engine under development by Toyota, its first model will be the Land Cruiser 300,” the report reads.
Hydrogen is more commonly associated with the fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) powertrain technology being developed by a range of manufacturers for use in heavy vehicles, including Toyota and the Hyundai Group.
But this isn’t the first time Toyota has toyed with hydrogen as a means of prolonging the internal combustion engine (BMW has also dabbling in H2-fueled ICE engines), nor is it the first time the 300 Series has been linked to hydrogen as a fuel type.
In December last year, the Japanese auto giant showcased the potential of hydrogen internal combustion engines with a specially converted GR Yaris, fittingly dubbed the Toyota GR Yaris H2.
Given hydrogen has a faster burn rate that petrol and therefor generates more heat, Toyota strengthened the turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine’s block, added new valve seals and then modified the fuel system to better suit the different fuel characteristics.
Just like a traditional petrol or diesel engine though, the hydrogen is poured into an on-board fuel tank and then pumped up to the engine.
If the theory works with a small but feisty force-fed triple, then there’s no tangible reason it can’t be upsized and applied to a gutsier large-capacity six- or even eight-cylinder configuration.
A hydrogen-powered LandCruiser has been on Toyota’s radar for a while. The company told local media in April last year the fuel type was an “attractive” proposition for the full-size off-roader, albeit in an FCEV application.
The recent buying frenzy of V8 LandCruiser 200 Series vehicles could help cement production of Toyota’s new mystery H2 ICE – if it hasn’t already.
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Keyword: Toyota LandCruiser could get hydrogen power