Ford GT90

Last updated
Ford GT90
Ford GT90 Front.jpg
Overview
Manufacturer Ford Motor Company
Production1995
Assembly Dearborn, Michigan, United States
Designer James Hope [1]
Body and chassis
Class Concept car
Body style 2-door coupé
Layout Rear mid-engined, rear-wheel drive
Platform aluminium and carbon fibre monocoque chassis with steel for extra torsional rigidity
Powertrain
Engine 5.9 L (5,927 cc) quad-turbocharged DOHC V12
Power output720 hp (537 kW; 730 PS)
Transmission 5-speed FFD-Ricardo manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,946 mm (116 in)
Length4,470 mm (176 in)
Width1,963 mm (77 in)
Height1,140 mm (45 in)
Curb weight 1,451 kg (3,199 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor Ford GT40 (spiritual)

The Ford GT90 is a high performance concept car that was developed and manufactured by American car maker Ford. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show. [2] [3] The car is currently on display at Hajek Motorsports Museum, Ames, Oklahoma. [4]

Contents

Design

The GT90's design places emphasis on angles, specifically highlighting triangles throughout the car. Ford GT90 Back.jpg
The GT90's design places emphasis on angles, specifically highlighting triangles throughout the car.

The mid-engined GT90 is a spiritual successor to the Ford GT40, taking from it some styling cues, such as doors that cut into the roofline, but little else. In regard to angles and glass, the Ford GT90 was the first Ford to display the company's "New Edge" design philosophy. The GT90 was built around a honeycomb-section aluminum monocoque and its body panels were molded from carbon fiber.

Performance Data

GT90 at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show Ford GT90 Salone di Ginevra 1995 - 3244565086.jpg
GT90 at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show

The GT90's 48-valve V12 is constructed on an aluminium block and head, displaces 5.9-litres (5,927 cc), and produces an estimated 720 hp (537 kW; 730 PS) and 660 lb⋅ft (895 N⋅m) of torque. [5] It has a redline of 6,300 rpm. It is equipped with a forced induction system that uses four Garrett T2 turbochargers. [6] The engine architecture was based on the 90-degree Ford Modular engine family, based on the same architecture and bore and stroke as the 4.6-litre V8 engine, but with four more cylinders added, two more in each cylinder bank. This yielded a 90-degree V12, with a 90.2 mm (3.55 in) bore and a 77.3 mm (3.04 in) stroke with the cylinders arranged in two banks in a single casting. [7] The power produced by the engine is delivered to the rear-wheels through a 5-speed manual transmission developed jointly by FF Developments and Ricardo. The exhaust of the GT90 gets so hot that it would be enough to damage the body panels, and thus ceramic tiles, similar to those on the Space Shuttle, are used to keep the car from melting. [2]

The suspension is a double wishbone variant. The steering is a power-assisted rack-and-pinion. The brakes are ventilated discs.

The GT90, according to Ford, was capable of accelerating from 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 3.1 seconds, 0–100 mph (0–161 km/h) in 6.2 seconds, and had a quarter mile (400 m) time of 10.9 seconds at 140 mph (225 km/h). Top speed was listed as 253 mph (407 km/h). [7]

Development

The GT90 was built as a secret project by a small engineering team in just over six months. It shared many components including the transmission and chassis from the Jaguar XJ220, as Jaguar was also owned by Ford at the time. The V12 engine, unique to the GT90, [8] was developed by using a Lincoln Town Car as a test mule, in which they put the prototype engine in order to refine it.

The GT90 was originally going to be the successor to the Ford GT40 and Ford GT70, and the predecessor to the Ford GT, but after the plan for production was cancelled, the chronology was changed, making the Ford GT the new successor to the GT40 and GT70. [9]

Media

GT90 interior Ford GT90 interior Salone di Ginevra 1995 - 3244569506.jpg
GT90 interior

The Ford GT90 appeared in the video games Need for Speed II , Sega GT 2002 , Sega GT Online , Ford Racing 2 , Ford Racing 3 , Gran Turismo 2 , Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA , TOCA Race Driver 2 , Top Drives, Project Gotham Racing 3 and Ford Street Racing.

Top Gear

The car was featured on Top Gear in Series 34, Episode 6 (aired originally on 26th October 1995), tested by Jeremy Clarkson , while the car was still planned to enter production. In that episode, Jeremy was really delighted to test the GT90, as he couldn't fit in the Ford GT40 (which had to be given to drive to a former Old Top Gear presenter Noel Edmonds two episodes earlier). However, Jeremy's opinion about the GT90 would change, as shown in Series 3, Episode 1 (aired on 26 October 2003, the month and day is coincidentally the same as when the GT90 was tested 8 years back), “And then, in 1995, there was the GT90. I actually drove this, and it was horrid! Had a top speed of 40, it handled like it was in a cartoon.”

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford GT40</span> High-performance endurance racing car

The Ford GT40 is a high-performance endurance racing car designed and built by the Ford Motor Company. It grew out of the "Ford GT" project, an effort to compete in European long-distance sports car races, against Ferrari, who had won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race from 1960 to 1965. Ford succeeded with the GT40, winning the 1966 through 1969 races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche Carrera GT</span> Mid-engine limited production sports car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Porsche

The Porsche Carrera GT is a mid-engine sports car that was manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Porsche from 2004 to 2006. Sports Car International named the Carrera GT number one on its list of Top Sports Cars of the 2000s, and number eight on its Top Sports Cars of All Time list. For its advanced technology and development of its chassis, Popular Science magazine awarded it the "Best of What's New" award in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aston Martin Vanquish</span> Aston Martin luxury vehicle

The Aston Martin Vanquish is a grand tourer introduced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin in 2001 as a successor to the Aston Martin Vantage (1993).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aston Martin DB9</span> Grand touring coupé and convertible

The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin. Available in both coupé and convertible bodystyles, the latter being known as the Volante, the DB9 was the successor to the DB7. Aston Martin unveiled the coupe at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show, with the Volante subsequently following in 2004. The DB9 represented the first model built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford GT</span> Flagship sports car manufactured by Ford

The Ford GT is a mid-engine two-seater sports car manufactured and marketed by American automobile manufacturer Ford for the 2005 model year in conjunction with the company's 2003 centenary. The second generation Ford GT became available for the 2017 model year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari 360</span> Italian two-seater sports car

The Ferrari 360 is a two-seater, mid-engine, rear wheel drive sports car manufactured by Italian automotive manufacturer Ferrari from 1999 until 2005. It succeeded the Ferrari F355 and was replaced by the Ferrari F430 in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aston Martin DB7</span> Aston Martin vehicle

The Aston Martin DB7 is a car which was produced by British luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2004. It was designed by Ian Callum and Keith Helfet as a grand tourer in coupé and convertible bodystyles. The prototype was complete by November 1992 and debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1993. The six-cylinder DB7 was positioned as an "entry-level" model below the hand-built V8 Virage introduced a few years earlier. This model was the most-produced Aston Martin automobile up to that point in time, with more than 7,000 built before it was replaced by the DB9 in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari Enzo</span> Italian flagship sports car

The Ferrari Enzo, officially marketed as Enzo Ferrari, is a mid-engine sports car manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari and named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was developed in 2002 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fibre body, F1-style automated-shift manual transmission, and carbon fibre-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite disc brakes, as well as technologies not allowed in F1, such as active aerodynamics. The Enzo generates substantial amounts of downforce through its front underbody flaps, small adjustable rear spoiler and rear diffuser, which work in conjunction to produce 3,363 newtons (756 lbf) of downforce at 200 km/h (124 mph) and 7,602 newtons (1,709 lbf) of downforce at 300 km/h (186 mph), before decreasing to 5,738 newtons (1,290 lbf) at top speed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari 456</span> Four seat grand tourer manufactured by Ferrari

The Ferrari 456 and 456M are front-engine grand tourers which were produced by Ferrari from 1992 to 2003. The 456 was a replacement for the front-engine 412 as the company's V12-powered four seater. The updated 456M, which was the last Ferrari model to use pop-up headlamps, was replaced in 2004 by the 612 Scaglietti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari F50</span> Italian flagship sports car produced by Ferrari from 1995–1997

The Ferrari F50 is a mid-engine sports car manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari from 1995 until 1997. Introduced in 1995, the car is a two-door, two seat targa top. The car is powered by a 4.7 L naturally aspirated Tipo F130B 60-valve V12 engine that was developed from the 3.5 L V12 used in the 1990 Ferrari 641 Formula One car. The car's design is an evolution of the 1989 Ferrari Mythos concept car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche 911 GT1</span> Grand Touring race car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Porsche

The Porsche 911 GT1 is a car designed and developed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche AG to compete in the GT1 class of sportscar racing, which also required a street-legal version for homologation purposes. The limited-production street-legal version developed as a result was named the 911 GT1 Straßenversion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari 550</span> Grand tourer produced by Ferrari

The Ferrari 550 Maranello is a front-engine V12 2-seat grand tourer built by Ferrari from 1996 to 2002. The 550 Maranello marked Ferrari's return to a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout for its 2-seater 12-cylinder model, 23 years after the 365 GTB/4 Daytona had been replaced by the mid-engined Berlinetta Boxer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguar XJ220</span> Mid-engine sports car manufactured by Jaguar

The Jaguar XJ220 is a two-seat sports car produced by British luxury car manufacturer Jaguar from 1992 until 1994, in collaboration with the specialist automotive and race engineering company Tom Walkinshaw Racing. The XJ220 recorded a top speed of 212.3 mph (341.7 km/h) during testing by Jaguar at the Nardo test track in Italy. This made it the fastest production car from 1992 to 1993. According to Jaguar, an XJ220 prototype managed a Nürburgring lap time of 7:46.36 in 1991 which was faster than any production car lap time before it.

Isdera AG or Ingenieurbüro für Styling, Design und Racing is a privately run German specialty automaker and design service provider based in Saarwellingen, with a design studio in Munich and a design subsidiary in Shanghai, China. The company was founded and formerly based in Leonberg, Germany. Each high-performance sports car is hand-built by a small team of craftsmen, and the only way to purchase a brand new Isdera was to call the CEO directly. Each vehicle is custom built for its original buyer, and a waiting period of twelve months is to be expected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aston Martin Vantage (2005)</span> Motor vehicle

The Aston Martin Vantage is a series of hand-built sports cars from the British automotive manufacturer Aston Martin. Aston Martin has previously used the "Vantage" name on high-performance variants of their existing GT models, notably on the Virage-based car of the 1990s. The modern car, in contrast, is the leanest and most agile car in Aston's lineup. As such, it is intended as a more focused model to reach out to potential buyers of cars such as the Porsche 911 as well as the exotic sports and GT cars with which Aston Martins traditionally compete.

The Spectre R42 is a 2-seater mid-engined rear-wheel drive sports car manufactured by British boutique automobile manufacturer Spectre Supersports Ltd.

The Ford GT70 was a limited production sports car designed by Ercole Spada, made by Ford UK in 1970 and intended for use in the World Rally Championship. Designed to compete with high speed rally cars such as the Porsche 911 and Renault Alpine, the GT70 featured a mid-mounted engine with rear-wheel-drive. Len Bailey, who had been the chief engineer on the Ford GT40 project, was enlisted to help design the bodywork and chassis. The GT70 had little success in rallying as it suffered numerous problems such as the frame not being stiff enough, the cockpit being cramped and the V6 in the original cars having too high a centre of gravity. Rule changes in the World Rally Championship as well as the fact that the already developed Escort platform was showing more promise caused Ford engineers to abandon the platform, and in 1973 the GT70 program ended.

Ford GT is a mid-engine two-seater sports car produced for the 2005 to 2006 model years, and the 2016 to 2020 model years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Aventador</span> Sports car produced by Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Aventador is a mid-engine sports car that was produced by the Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini from 2011 until 2022. The Aventador’s namesake is a Spanish fighting bull that fought in Zaragoza, Aragón, in 1993. The Aventador was the successor to the Murciélago and was produced in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy.

The engine used in the Ford GT90 concept sports car is a 90-degree, quad-turbocharged, V12 engine; which itself is based on the Ford Modular V8 engine. It was Ford's first V12 since their Lincoln division's Lincoln-Zephyr V12 engine in 1948.

References

  1. "James Hope appointed Director of Design for Chevy Motors Ltd". carbodydesign.com. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Whatever Happened To The Ford GT90?". Autofluence. 2018-08-09. Retrieved 2018-09-09.
  3. "Ford GT90 - Motor Trend Magazine". December 1995.
  4. 15 intriguing mid-engine concept cars Detroit didn’t pursue
  5. Wouter Melissen. "Ford GT90 Concept". UltimateCarPage.
  6. "Driving The Ford GT90 - Motor Trend". Motor Trend. 1995-12-01. Retrieved 2018-09-09.
  7. 1 2 D, Nick (20 April 2016). "1995 Ford GT90 Concept". Supercars.
  8. George, Patrick (4 October 2013). "The Ford GT90 May Have Been The Greatest Concept Car Ever". Jalopnik .
  9. "The Real Story Behind The Ford GT90 Concept Car". hotcars.com.