Yamaha was an engine and parts supplier for Formula One from the 1980s until the 1990s and used that same tech to build a supercar. The result was the 1992 Yamaha OX99-11. It utilized a detuned Formula One 3.5-liter V12 engine that produced around 400 horsepower, an absolutely ridiculous figure for the time. But the power output was only part of the story. According to Motortrend, the engine had a redline of a staggering 10,000 RPM, more like a high-strung motorcycle than a supercar. For comparison, the turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder in a Honda Civic Type-R redlines at only 7,000 rpm (via Honda)
Every bit of the car was unconventional. It had tandem seating like a fighter jet and had a massive spoiler on the front of the vehicle as opposed to the back, like most other racing-inspired cars. It was also incredibly light. According to Yamaha, it only weighed 1,000kg (2,204 pounds). The McLaren F1, another competing just-barely-road-legal racing car, weighed just over 2,500 pounds. The car was also completely handmade in the UK. Yamaha pulled out every conceivable stop to make this car.
But the OX99-11 was not meant to be. According to a press release from Yamaha, the global market was not in excellent shape when the company wanted to launch the car for the 1994 model year, forcing them to shelve the project.
The F1 Inspired Yamaha Supercar That Almost Made Production
