Yamaha OX99-11
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Yamaha OX99-11 | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Yamaha Motor Company |
| Production | 1992 - 3 prototypes |
| Class | Supercar |
| Body style(s) | 1-door coupe, 1+1 seat |
| Engine(s) | 3.5L 70° V12 400 hp (298.3 kW) @ 10,000 rpm |
| Transmission(s) | 6-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 2,650 mm (104.3 in) |
| Length | 4,400 mm (173.2 in) |
| Width | 2,000 mm (78.7 in) |
| Height | 1,220 mm (48.0 in) |
| Curb weight | 1150 kg (2,535 lb) |
| Fuel capacity | 120 liters |
| Designer | Takuya Yura |
The Yamaha OX99-11 was a supercar designed by Yamaha subsidiary Ypsilon Technology and IAD, an English engineering consultancy, which was supposed to come out in 1994.
Yamaha began competing in Formula One in 1989, and using the experience they had gained during that time they wanted to build a price-no-object, pure supercar based on actual Formula One technology. Even though the Formula One team was doing poorly in competition, by 1991 the team had just come out with a new engine, the OX99, and approached a German company to come up with an initial version of the car. Yamaha was not pleased with the result as it was too similar to sport cars of that time, so they contacted IAD to continue working on the project. By the beginning of 1992, just under 12 months after starting to work on the project, IAD came with an initial version of the car. The car featured a radical and somewhat outrageous design, like its cockpit-looking roof. Other notable specs were the same carbon fiber chassis and OX99 engine as the F1 car, essentially providing the closest experience of a pure racing car to the consumer market.
However, disagreements between IAD and Yamaha over the budget made Yamaha take the project to its own Ypsilon Technology, who got 6 months to finish the project before getting axed. To make matters worse, Japan was at that time in the midst of a financial crisis, which led Yamaha to believe they wouldn't be able to find any customer for their car, which was expected to come out with a $800,000 price tag (over $1 million in 2006 dollars).
Eventually the project was delayed until 1994, before finally being cancelled. A total of three prototypes, one black and one red, were built by IAD.
