325:. Since Vectors were hand built, each required significant time to finish, calibrate and test, but Agassi demanded that the company deliver his W8 before it was ready. Vector complied, and company representatives told him that he could display it, but warned him not to drive it until the final work was completed. Agassi ignored this advice, and when the vehicle broke down, Wiegert and Vector Aeromotive refunded his US$ 455,000 purchase price; this resulted in negative publicity despite the circumstances. Afterwards, Agassi's W8 was finished and the car was resold. A total of 17 Vector W8 cars were built for public sale. The Vector W8 appeared in the 1993 film
384:. When the WX-3 debuted in 1993, MegaTech, an Indonesian company, acquired a controlling interest in Vector. After Wiegert returned from the Geneva show, the Vector board asked Wiegert to relinquish control of the company and assume only the role of the company's designer. He refused, and ordered the Vector headquarters physically locked down. He was later fired from Vector Aeromotive. The WX-3 Coupe was originally painted silver, but it was repainted teal-blue by Wiegert to match the teal-blue and purple logo of his Aquajet jet-ski company. The teal-blue coupe and purple roadster are featured as promotional vehicles on the Aquajet website.
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Founder, principal owner, chief executive, lead designer and engineer Jerry
Wiegert died in January 2021 aged 76, leaving the fate of the company and corporate entity in question. The Wilmington facility along with the warehouse that stored materials and inventory has since been cleared out. As of
234:.Begin early 90's Ralph van Buuren (silent partner of Vector Aeromotive) who was in contact with Philips Car Stereo Germany to close a deal with the Vector and Philips to arrange a Vector W8 for a promotion/marketing F1 deal which Philips ended sponsoring of the Ferrari F1 team.
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In August 2018 it was reported that the company was still actively developing an entirely new vehicle, the WX-8, a vehicle positioned in the colloquially named "hypercar" category, which it first announced and presented a prototype model of back in 2007.
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concept appeared in 1978. Like the first car, it was immobile at the time of its show debut, but in 1979, a running prototype was constructed. The vehicle traveled over 100,000 miles (160,000 km), the most of any concept vehicle.
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At the LA Auto Show, Wiegert presented a prototype of the WX8. The car is powered by a supercharged 10-litre all-aluminum V8 with a projected output of 1,850 horsepower (1,380 kW), which would make it more powerful than the
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According to one story, Lamborghini took a W8 for payment for the engines, but since the W8 in question was still
Wiegert's property at the time, he took the case to court. He won it back, although Lamborghini, now owned by
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Since the company's closure, rumors began to circulate about
Wiegert developing a new car to bring Vector back to life with a new model called the WX8. At the Concorso Italiano on August 18, 2006, Wiegert showed up in the
230:, however the car did not enter production. Lee Brown left the design team in 1977. Wiegert renamed Vehicle Design Force to "Vector Aeromotive" after the previous vehicle's research was refocused on a new car, the
458:) and Vector (to management). By early 1999, only 14 M12s were produced. Lamborghini did not fulfill its contracted delivery of motors due primarily to Vector's inability to pay for them. It was alleged that
454:, where Vector displayed two examples. Production was shuttered late in 1996 when the $ 189,000 cars did not meet projected sales targets. Production resumed after MegaTech sold off Lamborghini (to
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212:, to create a new car called The Vector. The Vector was planned to feature various powerplant options, including a DOHC Porsche engine, and preproduction literature said that it would cost
318:. Two W8 prototypes were made, of which only one ran. The Vector W8 utilized an automatic Oldsmobile TM425 Transaxle mated to a Twin-Turbo CAN-AM modified Chevrolet small block V8 engine.
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443:. Consequently, some work on the M12 was handled by Lamborghini. As such, many of the essentially American "spirit" characteristics of previous editions did not carry over to the M12.
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on June 17, 2007. His business card for Vector Motors
Corporation (Wilmington, CA) has him titled as "Chairman and CEO." He also announced plans to debut his new prototype at the 2008
616:"Vector Aeromotive Corporation - Corporate Backgrounder", The Vector Aeromotive Corporation, prepared by Kalmann Communications, 1990, contributed by the Vector Aeromotive Corporation
181:. Altogether around 50 Vector sports car models were developed and produced during the 1980s and 1990s including some racing versions mostly built using American made components.
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followed in 1993. Only one prototype of each model was built. Plans called for the WX-3 to carry three different engine options: a 600 hp (450 kW) "basic"
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Nearly every car produced by the company is designated the letter "W" (for
Wiegert) and a number. A letter "X" after the W (e.g. WX-8) signifies a prototype unit.
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After the remains of Vector
Aeromotive were sold to American Aeromotive, Wiegert took back the assets of Vector and changed the company name from
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and created the SRV8. This new model went back to its
American roots, featuring a modified version of the GM LT1 engine found in the
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Fall 2021 the company's official internet website is also no longer in operation with its domain registration left expired.
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578:. Vector claims that the WX8 has a top speed of 275 mph (443 km/h) and a 0-60 time of just under three seconds.
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was ordered not to perform a top speed test on it, even though Vector claimed the car was capable of 230 mph.
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Born in 1990, the W8 was the first U.S. supercar that could compete with the likes of
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option, While the Coupe had the twin turbo engine (tuned to about 800 hp) the roadster had the same
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In 1989, Wiegert's company, now known as the Vector
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Avtech prototype with friend Keith
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moved Vector from its Wiegert-owned headquarters building in Wilmington, California, to
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The W2 was extensively covered by many magazines, and it was thoroughly tested by
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The logotype of the Vector W8, as seen at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2007.
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first attempt to compete with European performance car manufacturers such as
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magazine in April 1972, and a concept prototype was displayed at the 1976
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685:"How Vector Aeromotive's Ambitious History Was Relegated to the Dumpster"
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began in 1989 and ceased in 1993. The company was later revived as
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and teamed up with Lee Brown, a well-known auto body expert in
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in 1992 and further evolved the W8 design. The Avtech WX-3R
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cost $ 21,000). The Vector was featured on the cover of
850:- Article by Paul Garson from the August 2004 issue of
671:"Creator of the American-Made Vector Supercar Has Died"
775:"Vector W8 - The Aeromotive Car that didn't take off"
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One black W8 was pre-ordered by famous tennis player
646:"America's Vector wants to build a new WX8 hypercar"
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Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1971
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750:"Vector W2 - The Longest Running Concept Car"
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891:"Vector WX-8 shows its face at LA Auto Show"
470:from the company for his own personal gain.
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555:Wiegert had the Avtech on display at the
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703:Wyss, Wally (April 1972). "Auto Show".
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630:. The History Channel. November 2013.
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105:Evan Matthew Cygler (Vector Historian)
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466:and a MegaTech principal, illegally
331:, driven by a Japanese businessman.
462:, son of then-Indonesian President
865:"Vector WX3 - The Last Temptation"
816:Tv.com biography of Gerald Wiegert
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353:Wiegert displayed the new Vector
149:manufacturer originally based in
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16:American automobile manufacturer
486:Vector reduced the cost of the
157:, which was founded in 1978 by
153:. Its history can be traced to
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430:Vector Aeromotive Corporation
96:Gerald Wiegert (Chairman/CEO)
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102:Chris Grande (Super tech)
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161:. Vehicle production by
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626:"American Supercars".
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82:Wilmington, California
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923:- archived from the
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206:Vehicle Design Force
155:Vehicle Design Force
135:www.vectormotors.com
852:Automobile Magazine
560:Concours d'Elegance
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848:Out of the Shadows
838:- Michael Sheehan.
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557:Rodeo Drive
532:Vector WX-8
526:Vector WX-8
482:Vector SRV8
410:ASR racecar
349:Vector WX-3
343:Avtech WX-3
280:. However,
267:Motor Trend
223:Motor Trend
179:Lamborghini
117:Automobiles
1109:Car brands
1098:Categories
982:The Vector
902:August 17,
875:2012-10-28
785:2012-10-17
760:2012-10-28
655:August 17,
602:August 17,
582:References
476:Volkswagen
441:V12 engine
434:Vector M12
408:Vector M12
399:Vector M12
393:Vector M12
374:twin turbo
328:Rising Sun
147:automobile
89:Key people
46:Automotive
1050:(founder)
500:transaxle
468:embezzled
378:Chevrolet
294:Vector W8
288:Vector W8
252:Vector W2
244:Vector W2
232:Vector W2
210:Hollywood
200:In 1971,
171:America's
1083:Category
1065:Megatech
832:Archived
574:and the
492:Corvette
428:The new
415:MegaTech
388:Megatech
366:roadster
282:Top Gear
277:Top Gear
113:Products
42:Industry
1058:Related
496:Porsche
464:Suharto
452:Detroit
360:at the
272:British
175:Ferrari
131:Website
126:unknown
123:Revenue
70:Defunct
60:Founder
52:Founded
37:Private
1041:People
1033:(2007)
1025:(1999)
1017:(1995)
1009:(1993)
1001:(1989)
993:(1978)
985:(1972)
494:and a
196:Origin
358:coupe
1030:WX-8
1022:SRV8
1006:WX-3
974:Cars
904:2018
657:2018
604:2018
498:G50
456:Audi
355:WX-3
256:The
214:US$
177:and
73:2021
55:1971
1014:M12
550:V-8
514:to
488:M12
450:in
370:V-8
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998:W8
990:W2
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308:W8
258:W2
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