Toyota Ku:Rin snags compressed air top speed record with 129.2 km/h run
Posted Sep 23rd 2011 2:00PM
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Developed by a subsidiary of Toyota Motors called Toyota Industries Corp., the arrow you see above is the three-wheeled Ku:Rin. Powered by compressed air, the Ku:Rin showcases Toyota's expertise in developing compressors for automotive air conditioning systems.
Recently, the Ku:Rin prototype hit the track at Japan Automobile Research Institute's test facility in search of a speed record for compressed air vehicles. The Ku:Rin's posted top speed of 129.2 kilometres per hour should be enough to rocket it into the record books, and Toyota says it will submit the results to Guinness World Records.
Power for the Ku:Rin comes from a reversed A/C compressor that generates energy from the expansion of compressed air, while the vehicle's on-board compressed air tanks serve as "fuel." Though 129 km/h seems reasonable, the Ku:Rin's three-kilometre total range is laughable. This thing may be fast, but talk about range anxiety.
