Hydrogen-Powered Mazda RX-8

Mazda’s two-car hydrogen fleet doesn’t feel futuristic, and it doesn’t feel like a science project. The RX-8 Hydrogen RE starts immediately with the turn of a key. There’s no waiting for it to warm up. And once the car’s on, there’s no whirring, no clicking, no hiss. There’s nothing to announce the hydrogen being combusted in the 1.3-liter rotary. It merely purrs a soft tremolo whirr.

The downside is power loss. The standard RX-8 makes 232-hp and 159 lb-ft of torque, whereas the hydrogen variant produces 107-hp and 103 lb-ft of torque. Range, at 62 miles hydrogen and 28 miles gasoline, isn’t very impressive, either. But get this: The RX-8 Hydrogen is fun. It makes moves like its gasoline counterpart, with quick responses and an intuitive feel. It even has a six-speed manual. You can heel-toe.

Surprised? You shouldn’t be. The RX-8 Hydrogen shares the majority of its components with the standard model — even its assembly line. In fact, with the decals removed, you’d be hard-pressed to spot a difference. On the road, the throttle response isn’t as crisp, but you won’t notice unless you’ve just climbed out of a standard RX-8. You might not even notice the extra 187 lbs., the total weight penalty for the hydrogen components.