Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Morgan LifeCar

For a company that still makes cars out of wood, Morgan knows not only how to hang in there, but to come up with some really neat stuff. The LifeCar divides a line that reaches well into the past and well into the future. Its lines are retro modern -- or is that modern retro? -- with all the traditional early-20th-century coupe cues done in aluminum. The hydrogen powerplant is theoretically good for a 200-mile range and "sporting" British performance. Check out the press release for the full details, and be sure to look at the gallery of hi-res images below.

Morgan has signed on as one of the key players in an all-British consortium that will team to produce a high-performance zero-emissions fuel cell sports car.

Morgan's partners in the effort are QinetiQ, Cranfield and Oxford Universities, BOC and OSCar. The two-and-a-half-year project will culminate with the unveiling of the LIFECar (see above illustration), which be based on Morgan's Aero Eight and feature a QinetiQ fuel cell that will power four wheel-mounted motors. The LIFECar will use regenerative braking to recharge its ultra-capacitors which will be used to provide additional power during acceleration. The setup will allow QinetiQ to use a smaller fuel-cell than the ones in use on other prototypes of this nature. The LIFECar project's £1.9m budget will be covered by a combination of government (Department for Trade and Industry) and industry sources.

In addition to providing the donor platform, Morgan will be responsible for the vehicle's final assembly. We love the fact that this high-tech concept will have Morgan roots, as that is possibly the last marque that springs to mind when thinking of cutting-edge alternative fuel vehicles. It ensures that the LIFECar will have something many of the other alterna-fuel concepts and prototypes sorely lack: charm.

We hope that the next two years go by quickly, because this is one we're looking forward to seeing.

(Press release after the jump)

[Source: Morgan Motor Company]