An early nineties Formula One inspired supercar with central driver seating, powered by an exotic V12 engine. Sound familiar?
Although Yamaha has thusfar(1) in terms of mobility devices stuck to motorcycles, outboard motors, ATV’s and snowmobiles, the company has done quite a bit of notable work for other automakers in the form of engine design and development: the Toyota 2000GT, Ford Taurus SHO V6, Zetec-SE engined Ford Puma, Volvo XC90 V8 and, most recently, the Lexus LFA have all benefited from Yamaha’s powerplant expertise.
There has been one fascinating exception, however, born in the go-go-go eighties but sadly extinguished by internal strife and a souring economy.
In the mid-eighties, Yamaha entered the Formula 2 arena with its new V6 OX66 engine, emerging victorious on its first outing. In 1988, Aguri Suzuki won the Japanese F3000 crown in a Footwork car powered by Yamaha’s OX77 engine, which was developed in cooperation with Cosworth Engineering. These positive results were reasons for optimism that the Iwata-based company was ready to compete in the pinnacle of single-seater racing.
Confirming that the step from the lower formulae up to Formula One is a notoriously difficult one, however, Yamaha’s V8 OX88 powerplant mounted in the German Zakspeed 891 proved both underpowered and unreliable — the 891 only twice managed to qualify for the start of a race and retired in both of them. Undeterred, the Japanese were back the following year with the sixty valve V12 OX99 mounted in the Brabham BT59Y. Unfortunately, the once leading racing team was a shambles by this time and close to bankruptcy, with race results to match; after a few more less than sparkling Formula One seasons with Jordan and Tyrrell respectively, Yamaha called it a day, and has not returned since.
As early as 1989 however, with spirits high and not yet dampened by the cruel realities of competing in Formula One, Yamaha harboured plans to create a roadgoing supercar. Having no previous expertise in the design of a vehicle of this type, Yamaha enlisted the Japanese company Mooncraft. Shizuoka-based Mooncraft Co. Ltd. had extensive experience with designing and constructing racing cars; the Mazda 717C which won its class in the 1983 Le Mans 24 hours (the first Japanese car to do so) being amongst their most notable products.
Takuya Yura, the founder of Mooncraft, designed the Yamaha supercar to be. Originally he conceived it as a single seater, but Yamaha requested a tandem seating arrangement in keeping with the company’s motorcycle image, effectively making the car a 1+1.
Its chosen name — OX99-11 — may now sound like another new variant of the Coronavirus but ‘OX99′ referred to the engine code while ’11’ denoted the engine redline of 11,000rpm. That number of revolutions per minute was closer to F1 norms than any sports car available at the time, and the similarities did not end there. The chassis was made entirely out of carbon fibre and aramid, suspension was by double triangles with airfoil arms made of chrome molybdenum steel, supporting machined sleeves, and featured inboard spring-shock assemblies operated by connecting rods, the aim being to reduce both aerodynamic drag and unsprung mass.
The brakes were AP racing specification six (front) and four (rear) caliper items, there was a transversely mounted six-speed manual gearbox with multi-plate AP racing clutch and the OX99-11 rode on Goodyear F1 Eagle tyres.
The engine was, of course, the main event: anchored directly to the chassis was the 3.5-litre OX99 V12 with five valves per cylinder, here delivering 400bhp in detuned form in the interest of driveability and, no doubt, longevity as well. But even in this tamed form, a 0 to 100km/h (62mph) time of 3.2 seconds was on the cards.
All this was clothed in a beautifully made and startingly styled handcrafted aluminium body; a single canopy door opened to allow access the sparsely functional cockpit. (The rear passenger in particular needed to be both very flexible and small in stature.) Takuya Yura had obviously been inspired by his earlier Mazda 717C racer, the OX99-11 being an even more radical expression of the same design concept. With its specification and performance in mind, nobody expected the OX99-11 to come cheap but its US $800,000 price tag nevertheless caused a stir.
To actually build the cars, Yamaha enlisted British company IAD (International Automotive Design) in 1991 who in turn brought in ex-F1 designer Robin Herd and Milton Keynes based specialists Ypsilon Technology. The latter was a logical choice since they already had experience with servicing and rebuilding Yamaha’s F1 engines. Three OX99-11s were indeed manufactured, and the car was presented to the press by ex Formula One driver John Watson. The only journalist actually allowed to drive the OX99-11 at the event was seasoned veteran Paul Frère, who came away highly impressed.
Disagreements over budgetary issues caused a rift between IAD and Yamaha, however, ultimately resulting in the Japanese transferring the whole project to Ypsilon Technology. Alas, at around the same time a financial crisis started to wreak havoc across Asia, and Yamaha’s management began to have serious doubts that they would be able to find enough customers willing to fork out the required US $800,000.
Initially the on-sale date of the OX99-11 was delayed to 1994 but, as we now know, while it came close, it never made it into the showroom. This is a pity because a comparison test between the McLaren F1 and the OX99-11 would have been quite interesting; the McLaren would probably have been even faster, but the Yamaha might have provided a ‘purer’ driving experience more akin to that of a Formula One car. Unfortunately, we will never know unless a couple of billionaires out there are willing to provide a pair for a face-off….
(1) Yamaha and Gordon Murray have more recently co-operated to produce a series of Yamaha-badged concept vehicles (2013 Motiv.e, 2015 Sports Ride and 2017 Cross Hub) but no production has so far ensued.
Good morning, Bruno. I remember the OX99-11 well. I especially appreciate the first photo of today’s article, which shows of its shape rather well.
It’s unusual design made quite an impact on me back then, and it still does. The canopy always made the car look a bit higher than it is. It only stands at 1220 millimeters, or 80 millimeters higher than the McLaren F1. It is a good deal wider, though 2000 millimeters against 1820.
Hello all. I remember when news of this car started to appear in magazines; usually a tiny studio photo in the “Cars from Abroad” news sections and a couple of lines of text mentioning the 11000rpm redline and stressing its F1 connection. Then after a short while, nothing; another concept car gone by.
I guess the supercar closest to the OX99-11 would have been the Ferrari F50, which has similar specs: V12 loosely based on an F1 unit, carbon fibre tub, competition-type suspension, spartan nature, etc.
Good morning Bruno. Unlike Freerk, I wasn’t aware of the OX99-11 at all, so thanks for enlightening me. The tandem seating was a strange choice. It made accessibility difficult and, probably more importantly, it made the car look decidedly odd. (That said, it looks stunning in your opening image.) As Freerk observes, it looks taller than it is in reality. I wonder if it was aerodynamically efficient?
All three existing cars in one video
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wNIWOUxonWg
Thanks for sharing, Dave. An interesting car to see on the move.
I long ago realised the reality that the exotica I yearned for in my youth would have no place in my real life. They’re lousy for going down the shops, and I never really understood trackdays.
However, trying to put myself in the mind of a potential purchaser, I can see the attraction of the Yamaha. I’m not sure I would enjoy being driven very fast by anyone who I didn’t know was highly-skilled, just as I would not really want the responsibility of having a passenger in any car or, especially, motorcycle that I drove very quickly.
The Yamaha gives an excellent excuse for not offering passengers a lift.
An excellent subject, although very much of its time as a super- or possibly even hyper- car which never made it. More a product of the global supercar-making network than Yamaha. The specialist infrastructure which designs and produces these things still exists, although the players and locations have changed, and electric power has pushed out internal combustion.
It’s also a reminder of the power IAD once held in the industry, now long gone and with no similarly independent equivalent offering such a breadth of services.
Here’s another IAD project. A more modest sort of car, but equally intriguing.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tribute-iad-those-who-took-heights-david-cutcliffe/
Bristowfuller:
A nice little car, that IAD project:
https://imgur.com/PitPEpK
Honourable mention given to Clio, Twingo, and Ken Melville.
Thanks Bruno. I remember the UX99-11 as instantly fascinating. For me, the extremely organic, almost creature-like, yet muscular design has shades of the last RX7, without the two cars actually looking that much alike. As Robertas mentioned, as much part of the supercar boom of that time as it was a Yamaha project.
F1 cars from that era were very good-looking as well.
The comparison to the RX7 FD an interesting observation, Tom, and one I hadn’t made. Speaking of Mazda, the front wing of the UX99-11 reminds me of the RX-01 concept.
Also interesting, Freerk, there are certainy some similarities:
https://oldconceptcars.com/wp-content/uploads/mazda_rx-01_concept_4.jpg
I’m not sure I was aware of the RX-01, frankly.
Agreed on the similarity between the last RX7; it’s the same design “language” if there is such a thing. And thanks for that image of the RX-01 concept Freerk- that’s one of those that I had completely forgot about.
Yamaha is a unique brand in the world:
Imagine, she can design (excellent) audio/video products, motorcycles and scooters among the best, incredible synthesizers (ask the opinion of the late Vangelis on the CS80), pianos of great beauty.
It is present in software, processors…
For me it is Japanese excellence (with Honda just behind)…
Take a look at the Wikipedia page, it’s just crazy!
Another full-on school day for me, I’m pleased to say – both in terms of the main article and the comments.
Re the Yamaha’s aerodynamics; they were clearly trying to minimize frontal area with the in-line seating position. That said, I’d guess that downforce would be pretty important, too, for a car capable of great speeds. I haven’t been able to find any figures, but I’d guess a Cd below 0.2.
Nice to see (hear) the video – the Yamaha makes genuine F1 type noises.
I think that I’d class this as Yamaha’s second car, given the amount of input they had in to the Toyota 2000GT.
Your list of Yamaha’s F1 customers omitted Arrows—am I the only one who remembers Damon Hill’s Yamaha-powered podium in Hungary in 1997 (the only time I ever found myself wanting Damon Hill to win a race)?
I also must thank you for using the correct noun “rendering” in your caption, as opposed to the nauseating misuse of “render” as a noun, which has become almost ubiquitous in American English in the last few years.
Goodness amazing story thankyou!!! I am a big fan of Yamaha engineering and have been for many years and I currently have 5 of their bikes, I find the quality these days has overtaken Honda. Any Japanese bikes MADE in Japan are simply amazing, I have a 2010 Yamaha WR250R which looks and rides almost like a new bike and even back in 2010 made 30bhp, for comparison a Honda CRF250 I owned made 22!!!!