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James May’s Favorite Car Is for Sale to Make Room for “Something More Exciting”

“I think it’s the nicest car I’ve ever owned” is how a charming bloke by the name of James May describes his Toyota Mirai. The fuel-cell sedan is up for grabs for two reasons, starting with the number of hydrogen stations in the United Kingdom. More to the point, only 11 stations are currently operational across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
James May’s favorite car - his 2019 Toyota Mirai 11 photos
Photo: DriveTribe on YouTube
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Adding insult to injury, filling up with liquid hydrogen is a little on the expensive side of personal transportation. Measured in kilograms rather than liters or gallons, the most abundant chemical substance in the universe costs anything between 10 to 15 pounds sterling per kilogram. For reference, dinosaur juice costs approximately 1.25 pounds sterling a liter.

As for the second reason the British journalist decided to bid farewell to his Mirai, “I’m going to replace it with something altogether more exciting.” James doesn’t mention what’s going to replace the eco-friendly sedan, but he did offer a hint at the beginning of the following clip from DriveTribe.

“I have had it for a while, and I do believe that cars are a little bit like fashion. You have to move on,” said Captain Slow. The Ford Mustang Mach-E is fashionable in my book, but I can’t imagine James behind the wheel of a Mach-E because he would be livid about it not being a Mustang.

Effectively an electric car without many EV drawbacks, the Mirai takes minutes to refuel instead of hours to recharge a lithium-ion battery. The four-door sedan from Japan does have major limitations, though, including the sticker price. In 2019 when this particular example of the breed was registered, the Mirai used to retail from 66,000 pounds sterling or $91,345 at current exchange rates. That’s a lot for a Toyota if you ask me, but don’t forget that alternative fuel technologies have always demanded a premium.

Redesigned from the ground up last year, the second-generation Mirai is scheduled to arrive in the United Kingdom this summer. Longer and sexier than its predecessor, the 2021 model offers up to 402 miles (647 kilometers) of driving range as per the Environmental Protection Agency.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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