Vector W8
Encyclopedia
The Vector W8 was a sports car produced from 1989 to 1993. It was manufactured by Vector Aeromotive, and was designed by Gerald Wiegert
and David Kostka. The company claimed the newest and most advanced aerospace materials were used in building the W8s, which they said justified applying to the car the term "Aeromotive Engineering." Just 19 W8s were produced (17 customer cars and two pre-production car
s, the prototype W2, and two prototype Avtech WX-3 and AWX3R with a mock up of the 7.0 liter DOHC TT engine evolution). A total of 22 automobiles produced by Vector Aeromotive over the life of the company. The car originally sold at retail for up to $455,000 USD
new (on today's used market they are available from $200,000 to well over $1 million depending on the condition of the car.)
. The aluminum honeycomb
semi-monocoque
was derived from Group C
racing technology, and roughly 5,000 aircraft specification rivets were used in the car's assembly. Everything on the Vector was designed to last the life of the owner, assuming reasonable maintenance. The body was made largely of lightweight carbon fiber
and kevlar
, known for its strength, and lightness. The car was based around a Rodeck resleevable V8
racing engine, coupled to a three-speed B&M modified transmission. The engine had twin turbocharger
s, which produced an advertised 625 bhp at 5700 rpm and 630 lbft of torque.
(Cd.) down to just .32 prior to Department of Transportation
crash testing in Ann Arbor, MI. The W8 design included subtle changes to the body during the production run, so that the initial car off the line looked slightly different from the last. These include the elimination of some gills, a lower front fascia and air splitter, revised rear wing, mirror intakes, and front grill. After the top speed testing was completed, no more Vector W8s were fitted with a removable glass roof, due to buffeting that occurred at those extreme speeds.
and WX-3R, but series production never got off the ground. Production of the W8 ended in 1993, when the company was subject to a hostile takeover by Megatech, but Wiegert won back the design copyrights, equipment, and remaining unsold cars. In 1995, following the takeover, Vector began production of their next car, the M12
.
Gerald Wiegert
Gerald Alden "Jerry" Wiegert is an inventor, entrepreneur, automobile designer, and manufacturer. Born in Detroit, Michigan he created the Vector, a high-performance sports car intended to be America's answer to European cars such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche...
and David Kostka. The company claimed the newest and most advanced aerospace materials were used in building the W8s, which they said justified applying to the car the term "Aeromotive Engineering." Just 19 W8s were produced (17 customer cars and two pre-production car
Pre-production car
Pre-production cars are vehicles that allow the automaker to find problems before a new model goes on sale to the public. Pre-production cars come after prototypes, or development mules which themselves are preceded by concept cars...
s, the prototype W2, and two prototype Avtech WX-3 and AWX3R with a mock up of the 7.0 liter DOHC TT engine evolution). A total of 22 automobiles produced by Vector Aeromotive over the life of the company. The car originally sold at retail for up to $455,000 USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
new (on today's used market they are available from $200,000 to well over $1 million depending on the condition of the car.)
Design
The W8 was essentially an upgrade of the same company's earlier prototype, the Vector W2Vector W2
The Vector W2 is a concept car created by Vector Motors in 1980. It has a twin-turbocharged 350 cid Chevrolet V8 engine that produces over 600 hp and over 600 ft·lbf of torque...
. The aluminum honeycomb
Honeycomb
A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal waxcells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen.Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvest honey...
semi-monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
was derived from Group C
Group C
Group C was a category of motorsport, introduced by the FIA in 1982 for sports car racing, along with Group A for touring cars and Group B for GTs....
racing technology, and roughly 5,000 aircraft specification rivets were used in the car's assembly. Everything on the Vector was designed to last the life of the owner, assuming reasonable maintenance. The body was made largely of lightweight carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
and kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
, known for its strength, and lightness. The car was based around a Rodeck resleevable V8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
racing engine, coupled to a three-speed B&M modified transmission. The engine had twin turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
s, which produced an advertised 625 bhp at 5700 rpm and 630 lbft of torque.
Aerodynamics
The W8 had an estimated top speed of over 220 mph (354 km/h). However, in testing at the Bonneville Salt Flats, the W-2 reached 242 mph (389 km/h) with the less powerful Donovan block, as reported by Top Wheels magazine. This top speed was reached while still using the "high downforce" wing. Later aerodynamic testing further honed efficiency, bringing the car's drag coefficientDrag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
(Cd.) down to just .32 prior to Department of Transportation
Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation is the most common name for a government agency in North America devoted to transportation. The largest is the United States Department of Transportation, which oversees interstate travel. All U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and many local agencies also have...
crash testing in Ann Arbor, MI. The W8 design included subtle changes to the body during the production run, so that the initial car off the line looked slightly different from the last. These include the elimination of some gills, a lower front fascia and air splitter, revised rear wing, mirror intakes, and front grill. After the top speed testing was completed, no more Vector W8s were fitted with a removable glass roof, due to buffeting that occurred at those extreme speeds.
Successor
Vector intended to follow the W8 with the WX-3Vector WX-3
The Vector WX-3 is a prototype automobile created by Vector Motors of Wilmington, California in 1992. Founder Gerald Wiegert planned for it to have a range of engines up to a 1000 hp 7.0L DOHC V8 motor, but the full series of engines was never completed...
and WX-3R, but series production never got off the ground. Production of the W8 ended in 1993, when the company was subject to a hostile takeover by Megatech, but Wiegert won back the design copyrights, equipment, and remaining unsold cars. In 1995, following the takeover, Vector began production of their next car, the M12
Vector M12
The Vector M12 was a vehicle designed by the Vector Motors Corporation, and was the first vehicle produced after the hostile takeover of the company from Jerry Wiegert by the Indonesian company Megatech. The model was produced from 1995 to 1999, when production was halted, partly due to slow sales...
.