2008 Los Angeles Auto Show: Honda FC Sport

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LOS ANGELES — Honda thinks a green future doesn't have to be boring or slow, and it proves that here at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Japanese automaker's new hydrogen-powered FC Sport concept, designed in California at Honda R&D Americas, is both fast and clean.

The FC (for fuel cell) Sport "explores how to satisfy automotive performance enthusiasts in a world beyond petroleum," says Honda executive Dan Bonawitz. "People who love sports cars will still have a reason to love in a hydrogen-powered future."

The FC Sport emphasizes performance while focusing on the driver. The unusual three-seat layout places the driver in the center of the car, flanked by a passenger seat on either side. Access is provided through a canopy that opens upward from the rear.

The design team's thesis was to create the "ultimate Honda sports car" using the company's existing V Flow fuel-cell technology from the FCX Clarity sedan.

The system bundles a fuel-cell stack located between the rear seats with an electric motor positioned just ahead of the rear axle. The result is an ultralow center of gravity for optimal handling, plus a clean, quiet and powerful propulsion system that emits zero pollutants.

The car's glacier-white body has been designed to use body panels made from plant-derived bioplastics. Contrasting accents are provided by deeply tinted glass and dark wheels.

Inside Line says: So far, Honda is teaching its competitors how to make "clean" look cool. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent