The 1996 Ford Indigo Would possibly Have Been the Wildest Idea That By no means Was

In 1996, Ford confirmed an idea automotive on the Detroit Auto Present that seemed prefer it was ripped from the pages of a comic book e book. The Ford Indigo was a head-turning, open-wheeled monster powered by a 6.0-liter V12, designed to harness the uncooked energy of IndyCar racing into one thing that might, in concept, hit the streets.

After lacking out on Michael Schumacher’s 1994 F1 World Championship with Benetton-Ford, Ford wasn’t going to let Villeneuve’s 1995 Indy 500 win go unnoticed. Beneath the path of Jac Nasser, Ford’s VP of product growth, a crew led by Mark Adams and John Hartnell, together with engineers from the Superior Automobile Know-how group and Reynard Motorsport, constructed a automotive that screamed efficiency. The outcome was a automotive that married IndyCar tech with a road-going fantasy, inbuilt simply six months. The carbon fiber monocoque chassis, developed with Reynard, was a light-weight masterpiece, a single-piece construction like a race automotive however with two seats and a security cell strengthened by huge air consumption ducts.

Powering the useful Indigo, nicknamed “Go,” was a 6.0-liter V12 engine, a Frankenstein’s monster cobbled collectively from two Ford Taurus Duratec V6s. Constructed by Cosworth with a brand new aluminum block and cylinder heads, it produced 435 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 in beneath 4 seconds and a theoretical prime pace of 180 mph. The engine was bolted to the chassis, a pressured member of the suspension, similar to an open-wheel automotive. A six-speed sequential handbook transaxle, operated by steering wheel buttons and a racing-style carbon clutch, despatched the ability to the rear wheels.

Practicality was an afterthought as efficiency was the precedence. Scissor doorways opened to a minimalist inside with four-point harnesses and a begin button, similar to a race automotive. The entrance finish had an aerofoil that doubled as a housing for fiber optic lights, with extra lights within the wing mirrors as a result of directionality of the principle beams. Regardless of the stripped-down cabin, there was a minidisc participant – however the V12 would most likely drown out the music. The 114-inch wheelbase was the identical as an IndyCar and the double-wishbone suspension with pushrods and inboard shocks was pure racing. Wind tunnel testing confirmed it might nook at 1.2g.

Behind the scenes, the Indigo was a take a look at mattress for a V12 engine destined for greatness. The identical engine was developed by Ford’s Superior Powertrain Engineering crew and later went into Aston Martin’s DB7 Vantage, a nod to Ford’s possession of the British marque on the time. The venture was an enormous assertion to outdo Chrysler’s Dodge Viper, with Ford execs on the lookout for a “supercar” to rival it. Named partly for its IndyCar roots and partly for Jac Nasser’s love of a darker “Indigo Blue” for Ford’s badge, the automotive was a expertise showcase. Its carbon fiber physique, huge Brembo brakes and huge tires – 335/30ZR-17 entrance and 355/35ZR-18 rear – gave it a stance as aggressive as its efficiency.

Regardless of its showstopping debut on the 1996 Detroit Auto Present, the place it went face to face with the Mercedes-Benz AAVision idea, the Indigo by no means made it to manufacturing. The choice was tied up in inner politics with Jac Nasser utilizing the venture to additional his case for being CEO of Ford. The useful prototype was pushed to its limits on the chaotic Australian Grand Prix the place it hit 193mph with F1 and saloon racing drivers giving joyrides to VIPs. The dearth of a roll cage raised eyebrows among the many engineers who have been shocked to listen to in regards to the automotive’s excessive exercise by the press somewhat than administration.

Two of the three Indigos have been bought off within the early 2000s, with one non working curler not too long ago appeared on Fb Market. Its gullwing doorways and completed inside make it a collectible however the lack of an engine is a tragedy. A star of the 1997 online game Want for Velocity II it stays a reminiscence for automotive fans, a logo of Ford’s boldest dream – a highway authorized IndyCar that might have redefined the model’s heritage.