Ford Indigo
Encyclopedia
The Ford Indigo is a concept car
developed by Ford
for the 1996 auto show
circuit and designed by Claude Lobo
. Only two examples were built, and only 1 was actually functional. It took Ford only six months from the original computer designs to the finished show car. The functional concept is still owned by Ford. The non-functioning show car was auctioned.
The Indigo was created to showcase Ford's Indy car technologies, including new materials and construction techniques as well as powertrain and aerodynamic enhancements. The monocoque
chassis was developed in conjunction with Reynard Motorsport
as a single piece tub made of a carbon fiber
composite material
, to which the suspension is directly attached. The suspension was a direct copy, in design and materials to Reynard's various Indy cars, only having to be modified slightly to allow for a two passenger layout.
The working Indigo had a 6.0L V12 48 valve DOHC 435 hp at 6100 rpm engine which used the parts and specifications from Ford's Duratec V6 engine
found in the Ford Taurus
and Mercury Sable
. The engine has no relation to the V12 used in the Ford GT90
concept a year earlier (using parts from the Modular V8
), despite both being a 6.0L V12. This engine would later go on to power many cars by Aston Martin
. The engine was bolted directly to the chassis, and is a load-bearing member for some suspension components, as is found with most Indy cars. The transaxle is a 6 speed unit with a manual clutch, and steering wheel mounted push button gear shifting, developed by Reynard for its Indy cars. Ford claimed that the engine was so efficient that it should be capable of 28 miles per US gallon on the highway.http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=758
Scissor style doors, HID lighting
, deep leather bucket seats, a premium stereo, and a four point seatbelt system make the car more on-road friendly.
The car was featured in the PC
/PlayStation
game Need for Speed II
as the hidden 9th car, in Ford Racing 2, Ford Racing 3 and also in the Xbox 360
game Project Gotham Racing 3
as the "Ford Super Car Concept".
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
developed by Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
for the 1996 auto show
Auto show
An auto show, or motor show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is commonly attended by automobile manufacturers. Most auto shows occur once or twice a year...
circuit and designed by Claude Lobo
Claude Lobo
Claude Lobo served in various design positions at Ford Motor Company over 32 years, playing a prominent role in designing Ford automobiles including the Ford Capri , Mercury Cougar , Ford Ka...
. Only two examples were built, and only 1 was actually functional. It took Ford only six months from the original computer designs to the finished show car. The functional concept is still owned by Ford. The non-functioning show car was auctioned.
The Indigo was created to showcase Ford's Indy car technologies, including new materials and construction techniques as well as powertrain and aerodynamic enhancements. The monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
chassis was developed in conjunction with Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...
as a single piece tub made of a carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
composite material
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
, to which the suspension is directly attached. The suspension was a direct copy, in design and materials to Reynard's various Indy cars, only having to be modified slightly to allow for a two passenger layout.
The working Indigo had a 6.0L V12 48 valve DOHC 435 hp at 6100 rpm engine which used the parts and specifications from Ford's Duratec V6 engine
Ford Duratec engine
The Duratec is a range of four, five, and six-cylinder gasoline engines produced by the Ford Motor Company, used in Ford, Mazda, Volvo, Caterham, Morgan, Tiger, Ginetta cars and by specialist engine tuner Cosworth....
found in the Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
and Mercury Sable
Mercury Sable
The Sable was a very important sedan for both Mercury and the American auto industry.Ford had lagged in introducing mid-size front wheel drive cars to compete against General Motors' Chevrolet Citation and its best-selling Chevrolet Celebrity/Pontiac 6000/Oldsmobile Cutlass/Buick Century quartet as...
. The engine has no relation to the V12 used in the Ford GT90
Ford GT90
The Ford GT90 is a concept car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show as "the world's mightiest supercar"...
concept a year earlier (using parts from the Modular V8
Ford Modular engine
The Ford Modular engine is Ford Motor Company's overhead camshaft V8 and V10 engine family, which has been produced in 4.6L, 5.0L , 5.4L, and 6.8L variations. Contrary to popular belief, the Modular engine did not get its name from its design or sharing of certain parts among the engine family...
), despite both being a 6.0L V12. This engine would later go on to power many cars by Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
. The engine was bolted directly to the chassis, and is a load-bearing member for some suspension components, as is found with most Indy cars. The transaxle is a 6 speed unit with a manual clutch, and steering wheel mounted push button gear shifting, developed by Reynard for its Indy cars. Ford claimed that the engine was so efficient that it should be capable of 28 miles per US gallon on the highway.http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=758
Scissor style doors, HID lighting
High-intensity discharge lamp
High-intensity discharge lamps are a type of electrical lamp which produces light by means of an electric arc between tungsten electrodes housed inside a translucent or transparent fused quartz or fused alumina arc tube. This tube is filled with both gas and metal salts. The gas facilitates the...
, deep leather bucket seats, a premium stereo, and a four point seatbelt system make the car more on-road friendly.
The car was featured in the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
/PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
game Need for Speed II
Need for Speed II
Need for Speed II, released in Japan as Over Drivin' II, is a 1997 racing video game, developed by Electronic Arts Canada and published by Electronic Arts...
as the hidden 9th car, in Ford Racing 2, Ford Racing 3 and also in the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
game Project Gotham Racing 3
Project Gotham Racing 3
Project Gotham Racing 3 is an arcade-style racing game that was released with the launch of the Xbox 360 on November 22, 2005 for the US market and December 2, 2005 in Europe, and was released on January 12, 2006 in Japan. Developed by Bizarre Creations, it is the third installment in the Project...
as the "Ford Super Car Concept".