Yamaha OX99-11
Encyclopedia
The Yamaha OX99-11 was a sports car
designed by Yamaha
subsidiary Ypsilon Technology and IAD, an English engineering consultancy, which was supposed to enter production in 1994.
Yamaha
began competing in Formula One
in 1989, and using the experience it had gained during that time it wanted to build a price-no-object car based on actual Formula One technology. Even though the Formula One team was doing poorly in competition, by 1991 the team had just produced a new engine, the OX99, and approached a German company to design 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 it 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's design was undertaken by Takuya Yura, and was originally conceived as a single seater. However Yamaha requested a two-seater vehicle, and a tandem seating arrangement was suggested, which was in keeping with Yamaha's motorcycle expertise. This resulted in 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, which was given six months to finish the project, otherwise it would be terminated. To make matters worse, Japan
was at that time in the midst of a financial crisis, which led Yamaha to believe it wouldn't be able to find any customers for the car, which was expected to have an $800,000 price tag (over $1 million in 2006 dollar
s).
Eventually the project was delayed until 1994, before finally being cancelled. A total of three prototype
s were built by IAD.
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
designed by Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Company
, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
subsidiary Ypsilon Technology and IAD, an English engineering consultancy, which was supposed to enter production in 1994.
Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Company
, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
began competing in Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
in 1989, and using the experience it had gained during that time it wanted to build a price-no-object car based on actual Formula One technology. Even though the Formula One team was doing poorly in competition, by 1991 the team had just produced a new engine, the OX99, and approached a German company to design 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 it 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's design was undertaken by Takuya Yura, and was originally conceived as a single seater. However Yamaha requested a two-seater vehicle, and a tandem seating arrangement was suggested, which was in keeping with Yamaha's motorcycle expertise. This resulted in a radical and somewhat outrageous design, like its cockpit
Cockpit (disambiguation)
Cockpit may refer to:* Cockpit, the flight deck of a fixed-wing aircraft* Cockpit the arena where cockfights take place* The Cockpit, the nickname for Williams-Brice Stadium* Cockpit , the original comedy web-series...
-looking roof. Other notable specs were the same 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...
chassis and OX99 engine as the F1 car, essentially providing the closest experience of a pure racing car to the consumer market
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
.
However, disagreements between IAD and Yamaha over the budget made Yamaha take the project to its own Ypsilon Technology, which was given six months to finish the project, otherwise it would be terminated. To make matters worse, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
was at that time in the midst of a financial crisis, which led Yamaha to believe it wouldn't be able to find any customers for the car, which was expected to have an $800,000 price tag (over $1 million in 2006 dollar
Dollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
s).
Eventually the project was delayed until 1994, before finally being cancelled. A total of three prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
s were built by IAD.