The Ford GT90 Is the McLaren F1 Competitor That Never Was
Concept cars are among the most interesting topics in the automotive world. While most never make it into production, they show what automakers are capable of as well the limitless potential in the industry. One such vehicle is the Ford GT90. This could been among the best sports cars and even competed with the McLaren F1.
Here’s a look into the McLaren F1 competitor that never was.
The Ford GT90 could have been one of the best sports cars
The Ford GT90 is a high-performance car that the automaker showed off at the 1995 Detroit Auto Show. Ford based the GT90 on the GT40 from the 1960s, which is, of course, a legendary race car. The GT90 is one of the first uses of Ford’s “new edge” design, which can be seen on some of the automaker’s later production cars. At the time, Ford referred to the GT as “the mightiest supercar.”
This is one of the most potent concept cars as it uses a mid-mounted 6.0-liter quad-turbo V12 engine. According to MotorTrend, it has a maximum output of 720 horsepower and a torque of 660 lb-ft. Regarding speed, it accelerates from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 3.1 seconds. The Ford GT has a top speed of around 235 miles per hour. It uses a five-speed manual transmission.
For comparison, the McLaren F1 for 1995 uses a 6.0-liter V12 engine that delivers similar power to the Ford GT90.
Why the GT90 never went into production
Many may wonder why a vehicle that could have become one of the best sports cars never went into production. As it typically goes, the biggest reason has to do with funding. The Ford GT90 was an expensive vehicle to produce, and Ford probably didn’t have the budget for it. It took a reported $3,000,000 to produce the car.
Additionally, most people who fork over the cash for supercars want to do it for more exotic automakers. This is one reason the much later Ford GT isn’t as highly regarded as options from McLaren and Lamborghini. It’s also important to note that Ford may not have wanted to do anything more with the GT90 than use it to test new technology and engineering.
According to the DuPont Registry, RM Auctions listed the Ford GT90 in 2009. However, it was withdrawn from the auction days before it was supposed to happen. Now, the GT90 is on display at the Hajek Motorsport Museum in Ames, Oklahoma.
