While the GT90’s design got eyes on the car, its specs are what kept the enthusiasts interested. The GT90 spec sheet listed never-before-seen numbers from any car in the world in 1995. For one, it was said to produce 720 horsepower— a massive number now, but an unfathomable power figure back then.
Those ponies were delivered from an amalgamation of Ford engines spliced together. Bob Natkin of the Ford Advanced Powertrain Department was tasked with producing a performance engine with no less than 600 horsepower. Nothing in Ford’s production catalog could get the job done, so Natkin innovated. He started by cutting two cylinders off of two Modular 4.6-liter 32-valve V8s and welding them together to create a 90-degree V12. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he slapped four Garrett T02 turbos to the mashup.
As a result of the huge power and aerodynamic design, Ford claimed the GT90 was capable of 0-60 in 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 235 mph. With over 100 more horsepower than the McLaren F1, Ford was confident that the GT90 would obliterate the F1’s production car speed record of 231 mph, which was set in 1993. However, with the GT90 project being scrapped later on, Ford’s speculations were never confirmed. It wouldn’t have meant much in the long run, as a later iteration of the McLaren F1 set an even faster record of 240 mph which was documented by Road and Track.
