Throughout automotive history, there have been many manufacturers who have tried to mount an F1 engine in a road car. Among them are the impressive ONE showcar from Mercedes-AMG or the commemorative F50 from Ferrari, both recent examples of this idea. However, for many years now, brands have been striving to develop outstanding cars with an original design.
This is the case of the Como F1 Super Truck with which Isuzu left the sector speechless at the beginning of the 90s. And there is nothing more extravagant than a pick-up with an already bizarre design that integrates, in addition , a Formula 1-powered engine under its hood. If we add to this that the Japanese brand is used to associating diesel engines and functional and practical cars for day to day, the surprise is guaranteed.
The car was born after Isuzu secretly manufactured an F1-spec 3.5-litre DOHC V12 engine, capable of delivering 650bhp of power at 12,500rpm, but which was never used for racing. The initial idea was to test it together with the Lotus team, which at that time was looking for an engine with the same characteristics as Isuzu's for its 102C. But although they did several joint tests (specifically at Silverstone, in 1991), the collaboration did not come to fruition.
So Isuzu decided to develop a car to show the world what its engineers were capable of. And from there, the result: the Como F1 Super Truck, which was originally intended to be a road car and not a competition one.
The vehicle was designed by the British Simon Cox (in turn responsible for the groundbreaking Cadillac Cien), who gave the pick-up something completely new: gull-wing doors more typical of sports cars than rancheras. Likewise, he mounted the powerful V12 engine in the middle of the vehicle and transformed it into a serious supercar contender.
Another of its characteristics was that it could carry up to four passengers and had space for luggage. Thus, it was not only an original supercar (at least in performance), but it was also a functional and practical vehicle.
After the presentation of the concept, the brand spent a couple of years working on its development to bring it to series production. But the Japanese managers realized that the car was not economically viable, in a Japanese national context, moreover, complicated at that time, and the proposal was rejected.
However, although the Isuzu Como F1 Super Truck could never be seen driving on the roads, what the brand demonstrated is that it has incredible potential to develop original and powerful cars, capable of rolling even on the demanding Formula 1 circuits. Who knows if they will ever resume the project and give it shape again.
If you want to see the presentation of this eccentric vehicle at the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show, you can take a look at the video that accompanies this article.
