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Cars > Ford > Ford GT90 Concept Car 1995

 By Ketan Patel View Comments

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Ford GT90 Concept Car 1995

At the Detroit Auto show Ford introduced its concept, which they tagged as ‘time machine’. We believe the reason behind could be the attempt to portray future of powerful cars. Ford GT90 Concept car was a spiritual successor of earlier introduced Ford GT40, the essence too proved the marks, the sneaks of style, doors cutting into roofline etc.

While some parts held aluminum monocoque some like the body panels got their shape through carbon-fiber and this was how the final mould portrayed the ‘New Edge’ design philosophy of Ford. Being a concept and that too to invent a new era, a small team from ford gave around six months and gathered minutes from where they could and must be mentioned it came out commendably. Talking about gathering the concepts, we found the five speed manual gearbox and the Wishbone suspension roots in Jaguar XJ220 while a member from Ford inspired the engine.

We don’t personally consider any harm, after all one needs raw material to come with a final product, let that be creating concept like Ford GT90 1995 or a final product with tangible raw materials.

The Honeycomb aluminum chassis, carbon fiber body and ceramic exhaust gave it commendable looks and the capability to use its engine power to the best. The Ford GT90 was powered by a 48 valve six liter V12 engine splattering 720 horsepower across its body, taking the Ford GT90 to a whooping top speed of 235 mph.

Though the company had intentions to launch Ford GT90 Concept Car 1995 as limited series edition with 100 cars but they never came up. However the ‘edge design’ concept kept on giving its glimpse through vehicle like Ka and Cougar.

"I actually drove this and it was horrid. It had a top speed of 40 (mph) and it handled like it was in a cartoon"... Jeremey Clarkson!!

GT90 Concept, a Time Machine Spanning Ford Past and Future Reader

On Dec. 6, 1994, Ford unveiled a time machine that would span almost 40 years in the blink of an eye. The GT90 concept would recall the Le Mans-winning Ford GTs of the Sixties, rekindle Ford’s passion for performance and lead earlier this year to a more refined, street-ready GT concept to be built next year as a low-volume super-car. The Ford GT will have a supercharged 500-hp V-8, while the GT90, a one-off engineering test bed had a 720-hp V-12 engine. As part of Ford Motor Company’s centennial celebrations, the Dearborn, Mich. automaker next June will roll out the first three production Ford GTs—symbolic of Ford’s 1-2-3 Le Mans finish in 1966.

Brief

On Dec. 6, 1994, Ford unveiled a time machine that would span almost 40 years in the blink of an eye. The GT90 concept would recall the Le Mans-winning Ford GTs of the Sixties, rekindle Ford’s passion for performance and lead earlier this year to a more refined, street-ready GT concept now scheduled to be built as a low-volume supercar.

Never meant for production, the GT90 concept was built as a test bed for technology, engineering and design concepts, and driver-oriented features that eventually may be used in Ford production vehicles. Among them were a 6.0-liter, V-12 quad-turbo engine rated at 720 horsepower; a tinted, laminated glass bubble over the cockpit; an “Edge” design that tightly enclose its mechanicals with no wasted space; high-tech lighting and blind-spot detection systems; and tiles like those on the space shuttle to shield the V-12’s exhaust outlets.

Like the GT90, the 2002 concept, called the GT40, was an instant sensation, prompting Ford to quickly announce plans for limited production as the Ford GT—a low-volume, two-seater super-car with a supercharged, 500-hp modular V-8 engine, six-speed manual transmission, composite body and aluminum space-frame. As part of its centennial celebrations, Ford Motor Company next June will roll out the first three production Ford GTs—symbolic of Ford’s 1-2-3 finish in 1966, the first of three consecutive wins at Le Mans.

Beginning in 2004, about 1,000 Ford GTs a year will be assembled at the prototype build center at Ford’s Wixom Assembly Plant in Wixom, Mich. The Wixom plant builds such award-winning vehicles as the Ford Thunderbird, the Lincoln LS and the Lincoln Town Car.

The supercharged MOD 5.4-liter DOHC V-8 will be built at the Romeo Engine Plant, in Romeo, Mich. The plant builds some of Ford’s finest high-performance, single- and double-overhead cam V-8s. Earlier this year, Romeo won the prestigious Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing.

The new Ford GT joins Ford’s "Living Legends" lineup of production and concept cars, including the Ford Thunderbird and Mustang, and the Forty-Nine concept.

"The Ford GT is the ultimate Living Legend," explains J Mays, Ford vice president of Design. "It’s a true supercar with appeal equal to that of the greatest sports cars in the world, but with the addition of a heritage no one can match. Essential elements of the original – including the stunning low profile and mid-mounted American V-8 – continue in this latest interpretation of the classic."

Ford GT90 Concept Car 1995

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