In the early 2000s, Road Rash was one of the most common games out there along with Midtown Madness. But if you wanted adrenaline-pumping fast car fun in the digital world, Need For Speed was the game to play. Need For Speed 2 was in full swing and it had turned out to be quite a famous game.

You might be thinking about how that is relevant here. Well, the thing is, if you ask anyone about the Ford Indigo chances are very brim of them even knowing of a car by that name. But if you ask of the "fast red car" from Need For Speed 2 then Bingo; no one's gonna miss it. The Ford Indigo was a famous NFS car.

This car caught a lot of attention in the game because you could only have it either by winning a knockout race or by typing in the magic words - "redracer" at the start menu. But apart from the gaming fame, this was one of the coolest concept cars that the Blue Oval company ever made. It had a freaking V12 packed into it, and an aggressive structure that focused on weight savings. Only 3 specimens were ever made by Ford and all were red!

The Ford Indigo was one of those cool concept cars that had more fame in the virtual world than the real world.

Indigo Is Pronounced "Indy-Go"; Born From Racing Heritage

Ford Indigo front view
Via: Supercars.net

Ford created the Indigo Concept car as a cumulative effort to showcase its Indycar-winning feat of more than 260 victories, with 17 of them at Indianapolis alone. The car being pronounced "Indy-Go" is a very strong reference to the same. The whole point of this concept car was to bridge the vast technological gap between racecars and road cars and bring the best of both worlds together.

The prime focus points were materials, construction techniques, powertrain layouts, and aerodynamics. Ford was so ambitious during the late 1990s that there was a buzz floating around of the Blue Oval producing a limited number of this open-wheel race-car for the road!

6.0-Liter V12 Engine In A Ford: Those Were The Dreamy Days

Ford Indigo Concept engine was ground-breaking
Via: Dieselstation.com

This is the prime aspect because of which we love and hate Ford. We hate them for not bringing this gem of an engine into the world as a Ford. And we love them dearly for giving us this screaming V12 motor! Ford created this 48-valve 6-liter 60-degree V12 motor using two 3.0-liter Duratec V6 engines found in the 1996 Ford Taurus as well as Mercury Sable.

Agnus Mackenzie from Whichcar.com.au driving the Ford Indigo
Via: Whichcar.com.au

It shared almost all internals and even the same bore and stroke dimensions. Performance figures were impressive for the time with 435 HP @ 6,100 RPM and 405 lb-ft @ 5,250 RPM. While it might sound like the V12 was made by welding two of these V6s together, it is a naive statement to make. The V12 block and cylinder heads were extensively engineered by Cosworth in Great Britain with an affinity for downright performance.

The gearbox situation was also unique as the Indigo used a modified Reynard Indy car transaxle with 6 forward gears and reverse with a racing-style manually operated carbon clutch. It packed an electronic hydraulic shifter for the forward gears. Related: A Detailed Look Back At The Aerodynamically Efficient Ford Probe V Concept

An Open-Wheel Racing Car With Wings At Both Ends

Ford Indigo Concept side view with open scissor doors
Via: Whichcar.com.au

The strong race-car inspirations are visible in its design language and an addictive interest in lighter materials and aerodynamics. While 435 HP was considered average for a supercar of the era, the Ford Indigo got more attention as it was a wedgy open-wheel race-car style car destined for the road and weighed just 2,300 pounds. This was possible with the usage of a carbon fiber-aluminum honeycomb chassis and clever use of carbon fiber and glass fiber embedded with Nomax for the body panels.

Ford Indigo rear third quarter view
Via: Whichcar.com.au

The narrow pointy front end with a wider rear end and those thick wheels strongly connected it to the Indy cars of the era. It underwent tunnel testing and aerodynamics was held in high esteem. The Indigo was capable of exerting 1.2g which cornering, thanks to two wings, underbody diffuser, and the air-piercing shape.

There Was Just One Concept With A Fully Working Interior

Ford Indigo Concept interior view
Via: Supercars.net

Despite being a racecar, the interior of Ford Indigo was quite comfy and spacious for two. The bucket seats came with power adjustments and the minimal dash also packed a neatly hidden mini-disc player. The instrument cluster was an F1-style LCD panel developed by Ford Electronics. The driving dynamics were heavenly with the driver feeling immersed on tracks, thanks to the open-top layout coupled with the short wheelbase.

Related: These Are Ford's Most Amazing Concepts Ever

And Just One Ford Indigo Was Drivable

Ford Indigo Concept was a mad sounding machine
Via: Whichcar.com.au

There were a total of 3 Ford Indigos made and only one among them was drivable. This is currently owned by Jack Roush of ROUSHperformance and there is a sweet video of him hitting the track with the glorious-sounding V12.

While the other 2 specimens have popped up for sale now and then, the drivable one remains the sweetest forbidden fruit that Ford has ever created. The aerodynamic advantage and Indy-car layout are visible in how this bold-looking red car takes corners in the video.

Aston Martin Enjoyed The Fruit Of The Ford Indigo Project

Ford Indigo Concept rear third quarter view
Via: Supercars.net

This is why we hate and love Ford at the same time. It might not have gone forward with making a Ford-badged V12 machine but Aston Martin gained from the Indigo concept car. Ford had fully acquired Aston Martin back in 1993 and they had the sensual British Sports-touring brand till 2007.

2001 Aston Martin Vanquish front third quarter cruising view
Via: Media.astonmartin.com

Seldom known, the V12 engine that underpinned almost all Aston Martins in the early 2000s was the very same engine from Ford Indigo. Cars like the Aston Martin Vanquish and DB7 Vantage from the early 2000s had a Ford-sourced engine. This brute-sounding low-hummer was even christened V12 Aston Martins as modern muscle cars, and we won't disagree!

Sources: Ultimatecarpage.com, Allcarindex.com, Supercars.net, Whichcar.com.au