The 1995 Ford GT90 concept car had 12 cylinders, arranged as a quad-turbocharged V12. Ford developed the engine as an unusual high-performance centerpiece for its futuristic mid-engined concept.
The GT90’s 5.9-liter engine was based on the architecture of Ford’s Modular V8 family. Engineers added four cylinders—two to each bank—and used a shorter stroke to create a 90-degree V12. The engine had four Garrett T2 turbochargers, 48 valves and an estimated output of about 720 horsepower.
The GT90 was built in secret in roughly six months and shared some components with the Jaguar XJ220, including elements of its chassis and transmission, because Jaguar was owned by Ford at the time. The prototype engine was tested in a Lincoln Town Car. Another memorable engineering detail was its extremely hot exhaust, which required ceramic heat shielding inspired by Space Shuttle technology.