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Vector W8 Twinturbo - the super sports car with a fighter jet look from the USA

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Created on June 26, 2014

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Pawel Litwinski - Courtesy RM Auctions

21

Pawel Litwinski - Courtesy RM Auctions

21

Vector W8 (1992) - as if from another planet (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - the doors are reminiscent of contemporary Lamborghini models (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - definitely impressive (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - looks really nasty (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - 1.93 meters width was still an announcement 20 years ago (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - almost as if drawn with a ruler (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - a mixture of car and fighter jet (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - the controls are said to have actually come from aircraft spare parts stores (offered at RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - the seats came from Recaro (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - Chassis badge (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - no cardan tunnel (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - Selector lever for the automatic gearbox (car offered at RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - electrically adjustable seats (offered at RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - the V8 engine is installed transversely (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - the American V8 with two turbochargers (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - fat tires (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - all neatly labeled (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - door lock (offered at RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - rear wheels (offered at RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - lockable gas cap (offered at RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - all nicely numbered (offered at the RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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Vector W8 (1992) - die Türen erinnern an zeitgenössische Lamborghini-Modelle (angeboten an der RM Auction Monterey 2014)

Vector W8 (1992) - auf jeden Fall eindrucksvoll (angeboten an der RM Auction Monterey 2014)

Vector W8 (1992) - sieht richtig böse aus (angeboten an der RM Auction Monterey 2014)

Vector W8 (1992) - 1.93 Meter Breite waren vor 20 Jahren noch eine Ansage (angeboten an der RM Auction Monterey 2014)

Vector W8 (1992) - fast wie mit dem Lineal gezogen (angeboten an der RM Auction Monterey 2014)

Vector W8 (1992) - eine Mischung aus Auto und Kampfjet (angeboten an der RM Auction Monterey 2014)

Summary

Less than two dozen examples of the Vector W8 were built, and in view of this small number, the Vector received a great deal of publicity, both good and bad. However, the survival rate is high and the car is also of interest to collectors today. This report describes the long history of the Vector super sports car and shows a specimen in many pictures.

This article contains the following chapters

The man behind "Q"
The W2 prototype
From prototype to "production model"
First production figures with the W8
Driving the W8
Durable and increasingly valuable
Further information

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

A mixture of fighter jet and super sports car, a movie prop from a science fiction film. The Vector W8 can be described in many ways, but it is definitely something special. It was the American answer to the super sports cars from Italy and England, comparable to a Jaguar XJ 220, a Ferrari F40 or a Lamborghini Diablo. Only it was not successful, despite 600 hp and a top speed of over 300 km/h. It is well known that the head of the research and development department of the British secret services is called "Q", at least that is the name in the James Bond films. But he could also have been called Gerarld Wiegert, because this American was a talented designer who had completed his training at General Motors. After leaving in a dispute, he co-developed several gadgets that were also seen in James Bond films, such as a jet backpack and the "wet bike" seen in the film "The Spy Who Loved Me". In fact, Wiegert even worked as a consultant on the movie "Never Say Never".

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Images of this article

Vector W8 (1992) - die Türen erinnern an zeitgenössische Lamborghini-Modelle (angeboten an der RM Auction Monterey 2014)

Vector W8 (1992) - auf jeden Fall eindrucksvoll (angeboten an der RM Auction Monterey 2014)

Vector W8 (1992) - sieht richtig böse aus (angeboten an der RM Auction Monterey 2014)

Vector W8 (1992) - 1.93 Meter Breite waren vor 20 Jahren noch eine Ansage (angeboten an der RM Auction Monterey 2014)

Vector W8 (1992) - fast wie mit dem Lineal gezogen (angeboten an der RM Auction Monterey 2014)

Vector W8 (1992) - eine Mischung aus Auto und Kampfjet (angeboten an der RM Auction Monterey 2014)

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