Vector W8
Manufacturer	Vector Supercars
Production	1989–1993
Predecessor	Vector W2
Successor	Vector WX3
Class	Supercar
Body style(s)	2-door coupe
Layout	MR layout
Designer	Gerald Wiegert

The Vector W8 was the first American super car, and was produced from 1989 to 1993. It was manufactured by Vector Aeromotive (see Vector Supercars), and was designed by Gerald Wiegert, and David Kostka. The newest, and most advanced methods of manufacture were used in building the W8s, justifying the name "Aeromotive Engineering." Group C racing technology came into play with the aluminum honeycomb semi-monocoque, and roughly 5,000 aircraft specification rivets. Everything on the Vector was designed to last the life of the owner, given that the owner maintained the vehicle. The body was made largely of lightweight carbon kevlar, known for its strength, and lightness. Just 22 W8s were produced (17 customer cars and two pre-production cars, the prototype W2, and two prototype Avtech WX-3 with a mock up of the 7.0 liter DOHC TT engine evolution), the car retailing for up to $455,000 USD new (on today's used market they are available from less than $200,000, to well over $1,000,000) Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 373 pixelsFull resolution (1939 × 903 pixel, file size: 342 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Automakers, also known as carmakers, automobile manufacturers, motor manufacturers, or the automobile industry are companies that design and manufacture automobiles. ... Vector Aeromotive Corporation is an automobile manufacturer originally based in California, but later moved to Florida. ... Vector W2 The Vector W2 was a Concept Car created by Vector Supercars in 1981. ... Vector WX-3 The Vector WX-3 is a prototype automobile created by Vector Aeromotive Corporation of Wilmington, California. ... Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories. ... Supercar is a term used for a high end sports car, typically an exotic or rare one, whose performance is highly superior to that of its contemporaries. ... Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ... 1995 Buick Riviera coupe A coupé (from the French for cut) or coupe is a two or four-seater car with a fixed roof and two doors. ... In automobile design layout is the place where both the engine and driven wheels are. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Mid-engine design . ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Automotive design. ... Wiegert and his personal car, a Vector W8 Gerald Alden Jerry Wiegert is an automobile designer and manufacturer. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Vector Aeromotive Corporation is an automobile manufacturer originally based in California, but later moved to Florida. ... Wiegert and his personal car, a Vector W8 Gerald Alden Jerry Wiegert is an automobile designer and manufacturer. ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ... Honeycomb Honeycombs on a Sacred fig tree A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal wax cells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen. ... General Name, Symbol, Number carbon, C, 6 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 14, 2, p Appearance black (graphite) colorless (diamond) Standard atomic weight 12. ... Chemical structure of Kevlar. ... Category: ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

The car was based around a Rodeck resleevable V8 engine racing engine, coupled to a three-speed B+M modified transmission. The engine had twin turbochargers, which produced an advertised 625 hp (634 PS/466 kW) at 5700 rpm and 834 N·m (650 ft·lbf) of torque. The W8 had an estimated top speed of 200+ mph (338 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 was reached while still using the "high downforce" wing. Later aerodynamic testing further honed efficiency bringing Cd. down to just .32 prior to DOT crash testing in Ann Arbor, MI. Some may notice the subtle changes to the body from the first car, through the later cars. These include the elimination of some gills, a lower front facia, and air splitter, revised rear wing, mirror intakes, and front grill. All in all, this lead to substantial downforce without needing the W-2's massive rear wing. Evidence of the aerodynamic capabilities exist today, as seen on a video on Jabbasworld, Youtube, and Nthimage. After the top speed testing was completed, no more Vector W8's were fitted with a removable glass roof, as buffeting occurred at those extreme speeds. The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration, although modern automotive versions use a 90 degree block angle. ... Air foil bearing-supported turbocharger cutaway made by Mohawk Innovative Technology Inc. ...

The W8 was essentially an upgrade of the same company's earlier prototype, the Vector W2. Among the famous customers for the car was tennis star Andre Agassi, who had his car delivered for his birthday party. Late that night, he had an infamous incident when his car locked up, and spun during excessive speeds without all the necessary radiators installed. He was half way from his home toward Las Vegas. Vector claims that this is because he demanded for his car before it could be finished, and he ignored their recommendations not to drive it until they could do the final work.^{[citation needed]} Vector intended to follow the W8 with the Vector WX-3 and Vector WX-3R, but series production never got off the ground. Production of the W8 ended in 1993, when the company was illegally taken over by Megatech, but Wiegert won back the design copyrights, equipment, and remaining unsold cars, including the car in a Volkswagen museum in Germany. Vector W2 The Vector W2 was a Concept Car created by Vector Supercars in 1981. ... Andre Kirk Agassi (born April 29, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada) is a former World No. ... The Vector WX-3 during the early 1990s. ... The Vector WX-3 during the early 1990s. ... Megatech is an Indonesian company that pursued the development of various supercars. ... Volkswagen AG (ISIN: DE0007664005), or VW, is an automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Germany. ...

A red W8 made a rare appearance in the 1993 movie Rising Sun starring Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes. The car was owned by the character Eddie. Rising Sun is a novel (ISBN 0394589424) written in 1992 by Michael Crichton about a murder in the Los Angeles headquarters of Nakamoto, a fictional Japanese corporation. ... Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930 ) is an Academy Award-winning Scottish actor and producer who is perhaps best known as the first actor to portray James Bond in cinema. ... Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962, in Orlando, Florida) is an American actor, martial artist and film producer. ...

Gallery

W8 Exterior Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 177 KB)this is da s a m o b i l File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Vector W8 Engine Download high resolution version (555x641, 68 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Vector W8 ...

Vector W8 Interior Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...