“The idea is to build a reputation, not to ride a horse,” Gerald Wiegert said in a voice that was both soft and fierce.The president of Vector Aeromotive doesn’t have the luxury of the latter option, although he has been working since 1971 to design and produce the twin-turbo Vector, a 625-horsepower 2-seat mid-engine supercar using advanced materials and aeronautics Aerospace systems technology construction.From sketches to foam models to full-scale models, Vector was first shown at the Los Angeles Auto Expo in 1976.A working prototype was completed two years later, pieced together from components collected from junkyards and washed from parts – to supply the house.He said a weak economy and damaging criticism from the automotive media undermined efforts to secure funding, and his dream of producing a ground fighter for the streets seemed destined to be nothing but a dream.
Wigt deserves some sort of medal for perseverance, some sort of reward for sheer tenacity.Buck the trend, ignoring the wailing ghosts of the failed Tucker, DeLorean and Bricklin adventures.Vector Aeromotive Corp. in Wilmington, Calif., is finally ready to produce one car a week.Opponents only need to visit the final assembly area, where the two cars we filmed are preparing to be shipped to their new owners in Switzerland (the first production Vector W8 twin-turbo was sold to the Saudi prince, whose 25 car collection, which also includes a Porsche 959 and a Bentley Turbo R).About eight more Vectors are under construction in various stages of completion, from rolling chassis to near-finished cars.
Those who are still not convinced should know that the company has grown from one building and four employees in 1988 to four buildings totaling over 35,000 square feet and nearly 80 employees at the time of writing.And the Vector has passed excellent DOT crash tests (30 mph front and rear, door and roof crash tests with just one chassis); emissions testing is in progress.Raised over $13 million in working capital through two public over-the-counter stock offerings.
But in the scorching midday sun at the Pomona, Calif., fairgrounds, Wigt’s ultimate act of faith was evident.A flatbed truck carrying two Vector W8 TwinTurbos crosses the wide asphalt road to the drag strip.Two development cars were offloaded, and road test editor Kim Reynolds fitted one of them with our fifth wheel and road test computer in preparation for Auto Magazine’s first performance test.
Since 1981, Vector’s VP of Engineering, David Kostka, has given some advice on how to achieve the best acceleration times.After some familiar testing, Kim pushes Vector to the staging line and resets the test computer.
A worried look appeared on Kostka’s face.It should have.Ten years of working 12 hours a day, seven days a week, nearly a third of his waking life—not to mention a sizable chunk of his soul—is devoted to the car.
He needn’t worry.Kim puts his foot on the brakes, selects 1st gear and uses the throttle to load the drivetrain.The roar of the 6.0-liter all-aluminum V-8 engine is more intense, and the whistle of the Garrett turbocharger is in harmony with the whine of the Gilmer-type accessory belt drive.The rear brake is fighting a losing battle with the V-8′s torque and the car’s forward inches, sliding the locked front tether on the pavement.It’s an analog of an angry bulldog pulling its car.
The brakes were released and the Vector catapulted away with a slight wheel spin, a plume of smoke from the fat Michelin and a slight sidestep.In the blink of an eye — a paltry 4.2 seconds — it hits 60 mph, moments before the 1-2 shift.The Vector whizzes past like a big-bore Can-Am, continuing to sprint down the track with increasing ferocity.The vortex of sand and orbital debris swirls into the vacuum as its wedge-shaped form cracks an opening in the air.Despite nearly a quarter of a mile, the sound of the engine was still noticeable as the car whizzed past in the trap.speed?124.0 mph in just 12.0 seconds.
Twelve o’clock.That figure puts the Vector well ahead of flag-bearers such as the Acura NSX (14.0 seconds), Ferrari Testarossa (14.2 seconds) and Corvette ZR-1 (13.4 seconds).Its acceleration and speed entered a more exclusive club, with charter members being the Ferrari F40 and the untested Lamborghini Diablo.Membership has its perks, but it also has its costs; the Vector W8 TwinTurbo retails for $283,750, more expensive than a Lamborghini ($211,000) but less than a Ferrari (a U.S.-spec F40 costs about $400,000).
So what makes the Vector W8 tick?To answer my every question and provide a guided tour of the Vector facility, Mark Bailey is VP of Production, former Northrop employee and a former Can-Am line competitor.
Pointing to the engine bay of the Vector under construction, he said, “It’s not a little motor that’s been twisted to death. It’s a big motor that doesn’t work as hard.”
Six-liter all-aluminum 90-degree pushrod V-8, block made by Rodeck, 2-valve cylinder head made by Air Flow Research.The long blocks were assembled and dynamometer tested by Shaver Specialties in Torrance, CA.Whatever it takes; the engine parts list reads like a ring racer’s Christmas list: TRW forged pistons, Carrillo stainless steel connecting rods, stainless steel valves, roller rocker arms, forged cranks, dry with three separate filters Oil sump refueling system. Braided stainless steel hose bundle with anodized red and blue fittings to carry fluid everywhere.
The crowning glory of this engine lies in its exposed intercooler assembly, which is constructed from aluminum and polished to a dazzling sheen.It can be removed from the car in minutes by loosening four quick-release aero clamps.It is connected to a dual water-cooled Garrett turbocharger and consists of a car center section and an aircraft-specific impeller and housing.
Ignition is handled by individual coils for each cylinder, and fuel delivery is via multiple sequential port injection, using custom injectors from the Bosch R&D team.Spark and fuel are coordinated by the proprietary Vector programmable engine management system.
Mounting plates as beautiful as the engine itself position it laterally in the cradle.Blue anodized and embossed milled aluminum billet, one bolts to the accessory side of the block and the other doubles as an engine/transmission adapter plate.The transmission is a GM Turbo Hydra-matic, used by the V-8 powered front-drive Olds Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado in the ’70s.But nearly every component in the 3-speed transmission is purpose-built by Vector subcontractors using materials that can withstand 630 lb-ft.Torque produced by the engine at 4900 rpm and 7.0 psi boost.
Mark Bailey was enthusiastic as he walked me through the fabrication shop, pointing out the massive chrome-molybdenum steel tubular frame, aluminum honeycomb floors, and epoxy-bonded and riveted to the frame to form a rigid frame. Aluminium sheet in shell extrusion area.He explained: “If [the structure] was all monocoque, you would get a lot of twisting and it would be hard to build it accurately. If it was all space frame, you would hit one area and affect everything else because every tube The subs take up everything.” The body is constructed of varying amounts of carbon fiber, Kevlar, fiberglass mats, and unidirectional fiberglass, and is structurally stress-free.
A stiffer chassis can better handle the loads of huge suspension components.The Vector uses beefy double A-arms in the front and a massive De Dion tube in the rear, positioned by four trailing arms that extend all the way to the firewall.Koni adjustable shock absorbers with concentric springs are widely used.The brakes are huge 13 inches.Ventilated discs with Alcon aluminum 4-piston calipers.The wheel bearings are similar in design to those used on the 3800 lbs.NASCAR stock car, the machined aluminum shell of the wheel looks about the diameter of a coffee can.Not a single piece of the chassis is substandard, or even just adequate.
The factory tour lasted all day.There was so much to see and Bailey worked tirelessly to show me every aspect of the surgery.I have to get back and drive.
Saturday arrived, and the slate-grey development car we tested beckoned with an outstretched swing door.Entry is a daunting task for the uninitiated, with moderate thresholds and fairly small space between the seat and the front of the door frame.David Kostka takes advantage of muscle memory to slide across the ledge and into the passenger seat with gymnast grace; I teeter into the driver’s seat like a newborn deer.
The air smells of leather, as nearly every interior surface is covered with leather, except for the expansive dashboard, which is finished in a thin suede material.The Wilton wool carpeted floor is completely flat, allowing the electrically adjustable Recaros to be placed within a few inches of each other.The central seating position allows the driver’s legs to strike the pedals straight, although wheel arch intrusion is considerable.
The big engine comes alive at the first turn of the key, stabilizing to 900 rpm idle.Important engine and transmission functions are displayed on what Vector calls an “aircraft-style reconfigurable electroluminescent display” – which means four different information screens are available.Regardless of the screen, there is a gear selection indicator on the left side of it.The instruments – from tachometers to dual exhaust temperature pyrometers – have a “moving tape” display that runs vertically through a fixed pointer, as well as a digital display in the pointer window.Kostka explains how the moving tape section provides rate-of-change information that digital displays alone cannot.I slammed on the accelerator to see what he meant, and watched the tape jump around the needle to around 3000 rpm, then go back to idle.
Reaching for the padded shifter handle, sunk deep into the window sill to my left, I reversed and tentatively returned to the street.Having chosen the drive, we headed through the streets of Wilmington toward the San Diego Freeway to the hills above Malibu.
As with most Exotics, rear visibility is nearly non-existent, and the Vector has a blind spot that the Ford Crown Victoria can easily accommodate.Lengthen your neck.Through the narrow shutters of the hood, I could only see the windshield and antenna of the car behind me.The exterior mirrors are small but well placed, but it pays to keep an appointment with a mental map of the surrounding traffic.Up front, possibly the largest windshield in the world extends and meets the dash down, providing an intimate view of the asphalt a few yards ahead of the car.
Steering is a power-assisted rack-and-pinion arrangement that is moderately lightweight with excellent precision.On the downside, there isn’t a lot of self-centeredness, which makes it difficult for the unaccustomed to get along.By comparison, the non-assisted brakes require a lot of force—50 pounds for our 0.5g meter stop—to pull down 3320 pounds.vector from velocity.The distances from 80 mph to 250 feet and from 60 mph to 145 feet are the best distances for the Ferrari Testarossa—though the Redhead uses about half the pedal pressure to eliminate speed.Even without ABS (a system that will eventually be available), stops are straight and true, with the bias set to lock the front tires ahead of the rear tires.
Kostka headed towards the highway on-ramp, I agree, and soon we were in mild northbound traffic.Gaps begin to appear between the cars, revealing an alluring open fast lane.At David’s advice, risking licenses and limbs.I pushed the knob of the gear lever down about an inch deep into the groove, then pulled back, from Drive to 2.With the engine on the verge of boosting, I mashed the big aluminum gas pedal to the front bulkhead.
Then comes the raw, immediate acceleration that forces blood in the brain tissue to the back of the skull; the kind that keeps you focused on the road ahead, because you’ll get there when you sneeze.An electronically controlled wastegate intervenes at about 7 psi, releasing boost with a distinctive hollow swish.Hit the brakes again; hopefully I didn’t scare the guy in the Datsun B210 in front of me.Sadly, we can’t repeat the process in top gear on an unrestricted highway without fear of police intervention.
Judging by the W8′s impressive acceleration and wedge shape, it’s easy to believe it’ll hit 200 mph.Kostka reports, however, that the 3rd redline is achievable — hitting 218 mph (including tire growth).Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait another day to verify this, as the car’s top-speed aerodynamics are still being worked out.
Later, as we drove down the Pacific Coast Highway, Vector’s rather civilized nature became apparent.It feels smaller and more nimble than its large width and rather imposing styling.Suspension soaks up small bumps with ease, larger ones with composure (and more importantly, no bottoming), and has a firm, slightly rocky ride quality that reminds me of our long-term Nissan 300ZX Turbo, set up on Tour damper valve.Check the display that all temperatures and pressures are normal.
The temperature inside the Vector Black is a bit hot, though.”Does this car have air conditioning?” I asked in a louder voice than usual.David nodded and pressed a button on the air conditioning control panel.Truly effective air conditioning is rare in an exotic car, but a blast of cold air shoots almost instantly from a few black anodized eyeball vents.
Soon we turned north towards the foothills and some challenging canyon roads.In the previous day’s testing, the Vector produced 0.97 grams on the Pomona skateboard, the highest number we’ve ever recorded on anything other than a race car.On these roads, the massive footprint of the Michelin XGT Plus tires (255/45ZR-16s front, 315/40ZR-16s rear) inspires great confidence.Cornering is quick and sharp, and the flatness of the cornering stance is excellent.Huge windshield struts tend to block our view of the apex of the small-radius corners we encountered, where the 82.0-inch-wide Vector feels a bit like a bull in a china shop.The car craves big, big turns, where the throttle can be held down and its enormous power and grip can be used with precision and confidence.It’s not hard to imagine we’re driving an endurance racing Porsche as we sprint through these big-radius corners.
Peter Schutz, chairman and CEO of Porsche from 1981 to 1988 and a member of Vector’s advisory board since 1989, would not dismiss the comparison.”It’s really more like doing a 962 or 956 than doing any kind of production car,” he said.”And I think this car is beyond the technology I had with racing in the early eighties.” Hats off to Gerald Wiegert and his team of dedicated engineers, and to all the others who had the perseverance and determination to bring their dreams to life.