CLASSIC British manufacturer Morgan's futuristic LifeCar is to make its UK debut at The Co-operative Ins-urance Eden Project Sexy Green Car Show, opening on Friday.

The show runs at the unique environmental project near St Austell in Cornwall until May 31.

Morgan's hydrogen powered LifeCar, based on the design of the company's ultra-sleek Aero-8 roadster, combines unique futuristic styling with Morgan's trademark retro-charm. It has been co-created by a partnership of UK-based companies and universities with funding from the Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform The LifeCar concept was the brainchild of Morgan and Hugo Spowers of RiverSimple, a specialist company investigating new ideas in environmentally sound transport.

Morgan and Spowers say it has an energy consumption equivalent to 150mpg on petrol, can reach 0-60mph in just seven seconds, has a top speed of up to 85mph and an average range of 250 miles.

Unlike hybrid and bio-fuel cars already on the market, the LifeCar produces zero harmful emissions - the only waste product released from the car is water vapour.

The car also employs the latest braking technology which allows it to store the energy used when braking much more efficiently than in normal regenerative braking systems. This energy is stored in a bank of ultra capacitors which can absorb and release energy more efficiently and quickly than batteries.

The result is that up to 50 per cent of the energy used to brake can then be re-used to accelerate.

Spowers said: "The lessons we have learned from developing this car are proving extremely useful to RiverSimple in the development of our next project - an urban car which will revolutionise the efficiency and cleanliness of the way we travel in towns around the world."