"ʻO ka manaʻo e kūkulu i kahi kaulana, ʻaʻole e holo lio," wahi a Gerald Wigert me ka leo palupalu a ʻoʻoleʻa.ʻAʻole i loaʻa i ka pelekikena o ka Vector Aeromotive Corporation ka maikaʻi o ka mea hope, ʻoiai mai ka makahiki 1971 ua hoʻolālā ʻo ia a kūkulu i ka Vector twin-turbo, he 625-horsepower, 2-noho, waena-engined supercar me ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā mea holomua a me nā ʻenehana aerospace.kūkulu hale.Mai nā kiʻi kiʻi i nā kumu hoʻohālike a hiki i nā hiʻohiʻona piha piha, ua hōʻike mua ʻia ka Vector ma ka 1976 Los Angeles Auto Show.ʻElua mau makahiki ma hope mai, ua hoʻopau ʻia kahi prototype hana, i hōʻuluʻulu ʻia mai nā ʻāpana i hōʻiliʻili ʻia mai nā pae ʻāina a holoi i nā ʻāpana, e hoʻolako i ka hale.Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia ʻo ka nāwaliwali o ka hoʻokele waiwai a me ka hoʻohewa ʻino ʻana i ka media automotive i hoʻohaʻahaʻa i ka hoʻoikaika ʻana e hoʻopaʻa kālā, ʻoiai ʻo kāna moemoeā o ke kūkulu ʻana i kahi mea hakakā honua no nā alanui me he mea lā e hoʻokō ʻia.
Pono ʻo Wigt i kekahi ʻano mekala no ka hoʻomanawanui, kekahi ʻano uku no ka hoʻomanawanui.E hoʻokele i ke ʻano ma ka nānā ʻole ʻana i nā ʻuhane uwē o nā huakaʻi hele ʻole o Tucker, DeLorean a me Bricklin.Ua mākaukau ʻo Vector Aeromotive Corporation ma Wilmington, Kaleponi e kūkulu i hoʻokahi kaʻa i kēlā me kēia pule.Pono ka poʻe kūʻē e kipa i ka ʻāpana hui hope loa, kahi i hoʻomākaukau ʻia ai nā kaʻa ʻelua a mākou i kiʻi ai no ka hoʻouna ʻana i ko lākou mau mea hou ma Switzerland (ua kūʻai ʻia ka twin-turbo Vector W8 mua i kahi aliʻi Saudi, nona ka hōʻiliʻili o nā kaʻa he 25 pū kekahi Porsche 959 a me Bentley Turbo R).Ma kahi o ʻewalu mau Vectors e kūkulu ʻia ana ma nā pae like ʻole o ka hoʻopau ʻana, mai nā chassis kaʻa a hiki i nā kaʻa kokoke pau.
E ʻike ka poʻe ʻaʻole manaʻoʻiʻo ua ulu ka hui mai kahi hale hoʻokahi a ʻehā mau limahana i ka makahiki 1988 i ʻehā mau hale ma luna o 35,000 square feet a kokoke i 80 mau limahana i ka manawa kākau.A ua hala ka Vector i nā hoʻāʻo ulia DOT maikaʻi loa (30 mph ma mua a ma hope, puka a me ka hoʻāʻo ʻana o ka hale me hoʻokahi chassis);Ke hoʻomau nei nā hoʻokolohua hoʻokuʻu.Hoʻonui ʻia ma luna o $13 miliona ma ke kapena hana ma o ʻelua mau makana OTC lehulehu.
Ma lalo naʻe o ka lā wela o ke awakea ma ke kahua pāʻani ʻo Pomona, Kaleponi, ua ʻike ʻia ka hana hope o ka manaʻoʻiʻo a Wigt.ʻO kahi kaʻa palahalaha me ʻelua mau ʻenekini Vector W8 TwinTurbo e ʻaʻa i kahi ala paʻa ākea a hiki i kahi kaula huki.Ua hoʻokuʻu ʻia nā kaʻa hoʻokolohua ʻelua a ua hoʻokomo ʻia ka mea hoʻoponopono hoʻāʻo alanui ʻo Kim Reynolds me kā mākou huila ʻelima a me ka lolouila hoʻāʻo alanui no ka hoʻomākaukau ʻana no ka hoʻāʻo hana mua a Auto Magazine.
Mai ka makahiki 1981, ua hāʻawi ʻo David Kostka, Vector's VP of Engineering, i kekahi mau ʻōlelo aʻo e pili ana i ka loaʻa ʻana o nā manawa holo maikaʻi loa.Ma hope o ka hoʻāʻo maʻamau, hoʻokuʻu ʻo Kim i ka Vector i ka laina waena a hoʻomaka hou i ka kamepiula hoʻāʻo.
Ua ʻike ʻia kahi maka hopohopo ma ka maka o Kostya.Pono.He ʻumi makahiki o ka hana ʻana i nā lā 12-hola, ʻehiku lā o ka pule, kokoke i ka hapakolu o kona ola ala, ʻaʻole e haʻi i kahi hapa nui o kona ʻuhane, ua hoʻolaʻa ʻia i ka mīkini.
ʻAʻohe ona mea e hopohopo ai.Piʻi ʻo Kim i ka pedal brake, koho ʻo ia i ka pahu 1st, a hehi i ka pedal gas e hoʻouka i ka hoʻoili.ʻOi aku ka ikaika o ka leo o ka ʻenekini 6.0-lita a pau-alumi V-8, a ʻo ke kani ʻana o ka turbocharger Garrett e hui pū me ka ʻuwē o ke kāʻei kāʻei hoʻohana ʻo Gilmer.Hoʻokomo ka kaʻa hope i ke kaua make me ka V-8 torque a me ke kaʻa kaʻa kaʻa kaʻa kaʻa, e hoʻoheheʻe ana i kahi kaula paʻa i mua ma o ke alanui.He ʻano hoʻohālikelike kēia o kahi bulldog huhū e huki ana i kāna kaʻa.
Ua hoʻokuʻu ʻia nā pahu a ua hoʻokuʻu ʻia ka Vector me kahi paheʻe huila liʻiliʻi, kahi uwahi o ka uahi mai ka momona Michelin a me kahi lihi iki ma ka ʻaoʻao.I ka ʻōpo ʻana o ka maka - he 4.2 kekona kekona - wikiwiki ia i 60 mph, mau manawa ma mua o ka hoʻololi 1-2.Ke hele nei ka Vector e like me ka Can-Am nui, e hoʻomau ana i ka heihei ma ke ala me ka huhū nui.He puahiohio o ke one a me ka ʻōpala orbital e kaʻawili i loko o ka ʻawaʻawa i ka wā e ʻoki ai kona ʻano ʻano wili i ka lua i ka lewa.ʻOiai ʻaneʻane he hapahā mile, lohe ʻia ka leo o ka ʻenekini i ka holo ʻana o ke kaʻa ma kahi pahele.ka wikiwiki?124.0 mph i 12.0 kekona wale nō.
Ka hola ʻumikūmālua.Ma kēia helu, ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi o Vector ma mua o nā hae e like me Acura NSX (14.0 kekona), Ferrari Testarossa (14.2 kekona) a me Corvette ZR-1 (13.4 kekona).ʻO kona wikiwiki a me ka wikiwiki i komo i kahi hui kūʻokoʻa, me ka Ferrari F40 a me ka Lamborghini Diablo i hoʻāʻo ʻole ʻia i mau lālā.Loaʻa i ka lālā kona mau pōmaikaʻi, akā loaʻa pū kekahi i kāna mau kumukūʻai: Ke kūʻai aku nei ka Vector W8 TwinTurbo no $283,750, ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi ma mua o ka Lamborghini ($211,000) akā ʻoi aku ka liʻiliʻi ma mua o ka Ferrari (ʻo ka US version o ka F40 koina ma kahi o $400,000).
No laila he aha ka mea e hana ai ka Vector W8?No ka pane ʻana i kaʻu nīnau āpau a hāʻawi mai iaʻu i kahi mākaʻikaʻi o ka hale Vector, ʻo Mark Bailey, VP o Manufacturing, limahana Northrop kahiko a me ka lālā mua o ka laina Can-Am.
Ke kuhikuhi nei ʻo ia i ke kaʻa ʻenekini o ka Vector e hana ʻia ana, ʻōlelo ʻo ia, "ʻAʻole kēia he ʻenekini liʻiliʻi i wili ʻia a make.He ʻenekini nui ʻaʻole ia e hana like.
ʻEono lita a pau-alumikū 90 degere V-8 pushrod, Rodeck i poloka, Air Flow Research poʻo pahu pahu ʻelua pahu.Ua hōʻuluʻulu ʻia nā poloka lōʻihi a hoʻāʻo ʻia e Shaver Specialties ma Torrance, Kaleponi.No ka mea e pono ai, ʻo ka papa inoa o nā ʻāpana ʻenekini e like me ka papa inoa Kalikimaka o nā heihei kaapuni: TRW forged pistons, Carrillo stainless steel connecting rods, stainless steel valves, roller rocker arms, forged connecting rods, dry oil with three separate filters.pūʻolo paipu kila me nā mea ʻulaʻula a me polū anodized e lawe ai i ka wai ma nā wahi a pau.
ʻO ka hoʻokō lei aliʻi o kēia ʻenekini he intercooler hāmama i hana ʻia me ka alumini a hoʻonani ʻia i kahi ʻālohilohi.Hiki ke hoʻoneʻe ʻia mai ke kaʻa i loko o nā minuke ma ka wehe ʻana i ʻehā mau paʻi aerodynamic hoʻokuʻu wikiwiki.Hoʻohui ʻia me kahi māhoe wai hoʻoluʻu ʻo Garrett turbocharger a loaʻa i kahi ʻāpana kikowaena kaʻa, kahi impeller kikoʻī mokulele a me ka pahu.
Hoʻohana ʻia ka puhi ʻana e nā coils kaʻawale no kēlā me kēia cylinder, a hāʻawi ʻia ka wahie ma o nā awa serial he nui me ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā injectors maʻamau mai ka hui hoʻomohala Bosch.Hoʻonohonoho ʻia ka hāʻawi ʻana a me ka wahie e ka ʻōnaehana hoʻokele engine programmable proprietary o Vector.
He nani nā papa kau e like me ke kaʻa ponoʻī, hoʻonoho iā ia ma ka ʻaoʻao o ka moena.Blue anodized a embossed milled alumini billet, hoʻokahi bolts ma ka ʻaoʻao lalo o ka poloka a ʻo kekahi e lawelawe ma ke ʻano he ʻenekini/transmission adapter plate.ʻO ka hoʻoili ʻana he GM Turbo Hydra-matic, i hoʻohana ʻia i ka huila mua o Olds Toronado a me Cadillac Eldorado V-8s i nā makahiki 70.Akā, kokoke i kēlā me kēia māhele o ka hoʻoili 3-wikiwiki i kūkulu ʻia e nā subcontractors o Vector me nā mea hiki ke lawelawe i 630 lb-ft.Torque i hana ʻia e ka ʻenekini ma 4900 rpm a me 7.0 psi hoʻonui.
Ua hele ʻoliʻoli ʻo Mark Bailey iaʻu a puni ka papahele hana, e kuhikuhi ana i ke kiʻi kila chrome-molybdenum tubular nui, nā papahele honeycomb aluminika, a me ka epoxy i hoʻopili ʻia i ke kiʻi e hana ai i ka pepa alumini i loko o ka ʻāpana paʻa paʻa.Ua wehewehe ʻo ia: “Inā he monocoque [ka hoʻolālā], loaʻa iā ʻoe ka nui o nā wili a paʻakikī ke kūkulu pololei.Inā he kiko piha piha, kikeke ʻoe i hoʻokahi wahi a laila pili i nā mea ʻē aʻe a pau, no ka mea, ʻo kēlā me kēia aʻa paipu nā mea a pau” Ua hana ʻia ke kino i nā ʻano like ʻole o ke kalapona kalapona, kevlar, ka moena fiberglass, a me ka fiberglass unidirectional, a ʻaʻohe uila.
Hiki i kahi chassis ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi ke mālama i nā ukana mai nā ʻāpana hoʻokuʻu nui.Hoʻohana ka Vector i nā lima A ʻelua pipi i mua a me kahi paipu De Dion nui ma hope, i kau ʻia ma nā lima ʻehā e hiki i lalo i ka pā ahi.Hoʻohana nui ʻia nā mea hoʻoheheʻe haʻalulu koni me nā puna concentric.He 13 'īniha ka nui o nā paleki.ʻO nā diski hoʻoheheʻe ʻia me Alcon aluminika 4-piston calipers.Hoʻolālā like nā huila huila me nā mea i hoʻohana ʻia ma ka 3800 lbs.ʻO kahi kaʻa NASCAR maʻamau, ʻo ka pahu huila alumini i hana ʻia e pili ana i ke anawaena o kahi pahu kope.ʻAʻohe ʻāpana o ka chassis i substandard a i kūpono paha.
Ua holo ka huakaʻi hale hana i ka lā a pau.Nui nā mea e ʻike ai a ua hana luhi ʻo Bailey e hōʻike iaʻu i nā ʻano āpau o ka hana.Pono wau e hoʻi a hele.
ʻO ia ka Pōʻaono, a ʻo ka mīkini hoʻokolohua ʻeleʻele ʻeleʻele a mākou e hoʻāʻo nei ua hoʻāla mai iā mākou me kona puka hāmama.He mea paʻakikī ke komo ʻana i loko o ke keʻena no ka poʻe ʻike ʻole, me nā sills haʻahaʻa a me ka liʻiliʻi liʻiliʻi ma waena o ka noho a me ke alo o ka puka puka.Hoʻohana ʻo David Kostka i kāna hoʻomanaʻo ʻiʻo e piʻi ma luna o ka puka makani me ka ʻoluʻolu gymnastic i loko o ka noho kaʻa, a piʻi wau i ka noho o ka mea hoʻokele e like me ka dia hānau hou.
Honi ka ea i ka ʻili, ʻoiai ua uhi ʻia nā ʻaoʻao o loko a pau i ka ʻili, koe naʻe ka papa hana ākea, i ʻoki ʻia me kahi mea suede lahilahi.ʻO ka moena huluhulu Wilton he palahalaha loa, e ʻae ana i nā Recaros hiki ke hoʻololi i ka uila ke waiho ʻia i loko o nā iniha o kekahi.ʻO ke kūlana noho waena e hiki ai i nā wāwae o ka mea hoʻokele ke hoʻomaha pololei ma luna o nā pedals, ʻoiai ʻoi aku ka nui o ke pio o ka huila.
Ke ola nei ka ʻenekini nui me ka huli mua ʻana o ke kī, me ka hoʻopale ma 900 rpm.Hōʻike ʻia nā hana koʻikoʻi a me ka hoʻouna ʻana ma ka mea a Vector i kapa ai he "hōʻike electroluminescent hiki ke hoʻonohonoho hou ʻia ke ʻano mokulele," ʻo ia hoʻi, ʻehā mau pale ʻike like ʻole.Ma waho o ka pale, aia kahi hōʻailona koho ma ka hema.ʻO nā mea hana mai nā tachometers a hiki i nā pyrometers wela kinoea hoʻopau ʻelua he hōʻike "moving tape" e holo pololei ana ma o ka pointer paʻa, a me kahi hōʻike kikohoʻe ma ka puka aniani.Ua wehewehe ʻo Kostka i ka hāʻawi ʻana o ka ʻāpana neʻe o ka lipine i ka nui o ka hoʻololi ʻana i hiki ʻole i nā hōʻike kikohoʻe ke hāʻawi wale.Ua kaomi au i ka accelerator e ʻike i kāna ʻōlelo a ʻike i ka lele ʻana o ka lipine i ka pua ma kahi o 3000 rpm a laila hoʻi i ka palaualelo.
I ka loaʻa ʻana o ka puʻupuʻu padded shift knob, hoʻi i loko o ka puka makani ma koʻu hema, ua hoʻi au i hope a hoʻi i waho.I ke koho ʻana i ke alanui, hele mākou i lalo o nā alanui o Wilmington a hiki i ke alanui ʻo San Diego a i nā puʻu ma luna o Malibu.
E like me ka nui o nā kaʻa exotic, ʻaʻole ʻike ʻia ka hope, a he wahi makapō ka Vector i hiki ke hoʻokipa maʻalahi i ka Ford Crown Victoria.E hoʻolōʻihi i kou ʻāʻī.Ma na pani ololi o ka puolo, o ka pale makani wale no ka'u i ike ai a me ka antenna o ke kaa mahope o'u.ʻO nā aniani o waho he liʻiliʻi akā ua hoʻonohonoho maikaʻi ʻia, akā pono e hoʻonohonoho i kahi manawa me kahi palapala noʻonoʻo o ke kaʻa a puni.Ma mua paha, ʻo ka pale makani nui loa o ka honua e hoʻonui a hoʻopili i ka dashboard, e hāʻawi ana i kahi ʻike pili i ka asphalt he mau iwilei wale nō mai ke kaʻa.
ʻO ka hoʻokele he pahu kōkua mana a me ka pinion, e hōʻike ana i ke kaumaha haʻahaʻa a me ka pololei maikaʻi loa.Ma ka ʻaoʻao ʻē aʻe, ʻaʻole nui ka egocentrism ma ʻaneʻi, kahi mea paʻakikī i ka poʻe maʻa ʻole e launa pū.Ma ka hoʻohālikelike ʻana, hoʻoikaika nui nā kaʻa non-booster-50 paona no kā mākou hoʻomaha 0.5-gram i kēlā me kēia mika-e hāʻule i 3,320 paona.vector mai ka wikiwiki.ʻO nā mamao mai 80 mph a 250 kapuaʻi a me 60 mph a 145 kapuaʻi ka mamao maikaʻi loa no Ferrari Testarossa, ʻoiai hoʻohana ʻo Redhead ma kahi o ka hapalua o ke kaomi ʻana i ka pedal e lohi.ʻOiai ʻaʻohe ABS (kahi ʻōnaehana e hāʻawi ʻia ma hope), pololei a pololei nā wāwae, me ka hoʻonohonoho offset e laka i nā huila mua ma mua o ke kua.
Hele ʻo Kostka i ka puka ma ke ala nui, ʻae wau, a ʻike koke mākou iā mākou iho i kahi kaʻa mālie i ka ʻākau.Hoʻomaka ka puka ʻana ma waena o nā kaʻa, e hōʻike ana i kahi ala wikiwiki wikiwiki.Ma ka ʻōlelo aʻo a David, hoʻoweliweli i nā laikini a me nā lālā.Ua kaomi au i ka pihi hoʻololi i loko o ke awāwa e pili ana i hoʻokahi ʻīniha a laila huki hope, mai Drive a 2. Aia ka ʻenekini ma ka verge o ka overclocking, a ua kaomi au i ka pedal kinoea alumini nui i loko o ka bulkhead mua.
Hoʻopili ʻia kēia me ka wikiwiki pōkole e hoʻoheheʻe ʻia ke koko o ka lolo i ke kua o ke poʻo;ʻo ia ka mea e noʻonoʻo ai ʻoe i ke ala ma mua no ka mea e hiki ana ʻoe i laila ke ʻoki ʻoe.ʻO ka ʻīpuka ʻōpala i hoʻopaʻa ʻia me ka uila ma kahi o 7 psi, e hoʻokuʻu ana i ka hoʻoulu me kahi ʻano leo.Paʻi hou i nā kaʻa, manaʻolana wau ʻaʻole wau i hoʻomaka i ke kanaka ma ka Datsun B210 i mua oʻu.ʻO ka mea pōʻino, ʻaʻole hiki iā mākou ke hana hou i kēia kaʻina hana ma ke ala kiʻekiʻe ma ke ala palena ʻole me ka makaʻu ʻole i ke komo ʻana o nā mākaʻi.
Ma ka hoʻoholo ʻana i ka wikiwiki o ka W8 a me ke ʻano o ka wedge, maʻalahi ke manaʻoʻiʻo e paʻi ia i 200 mph.Eia naʻe, hōʻike ʻo Kostka e hiki ke hoʻokō ʻia ka laina ʻulaʻula 3 - 218 mph (me ka ulu ʻana o ka paila).ʻO ka mea pōʻino, pono mākou e kali i kahi lā hou e ʻike ai, ʻoiai ʻo ka aerodynamics o ke kaʻa i ka wikiwiki kiʻekiʻe ke hana nei.
Ma hope mai, i ko mākou holo ʻana ma ke alanui Pākīpika, ua ʻike ʻia ke ʻano makaʻala o ka Vector.ʻOi aku ka liʻiliʻi a ʻoi aku ka maʻalahi ma mua o kona laula nui a ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi.ʻO ka hoʻokuʻu ʻana e ʻai i nā puʻupuʻu liʻiliʻi me ka maʻalahi, ʻoi aku ka nui (a ʻo ka mea nui loa ʻaʻole sag) a he paʻa a paʻa i ka pōhaku e hoʻomanaʻo mai iaʻu i kā mākou huakaʻi Tour Shock valve i hoʻokani ʻia ʻo Nissan 300ZX Turbo.E nānā ma ka hōʻike he mea maʻamau nā mahana a me nā kaomi.
Eia naʻe, kiʻekiʻe iki ka mahana o loko o Vector Black.– He ea paha kēia kaʻa?Ua ʻoi aku ka nui o kaʻu nīnau ma mua o ka mea maʻamau.Kuno ʻo David a pēhi i kahi pihi ma ka ʻaoʻao hoʻokele ea.He kakaikahi maoli ka ea ea ma na kaa exotic, aka, he kahe o ke ea anu e lele koke mai ana mai kekahi mau puka makani anodized eleele.
Huli koke mākou i ka ʻākau a i nā wāwae a me kekahi mau alanui canyon paʻakikī.I ka hoʻāʻo ʻana o ka lā ma mua, ua loaʻa i ka Vector he 0.97 grams ma ka papa holo kaʻa Pomona, ʻo ia ka mea kiʻekiʻe loa a mākou i hoʻopaʻa ai ma nā mea ʻē aʻe ma mua o ke kaʻa heihei.Ma kēia mau alanui, ʻo ke ala nui o nā kaila Michelin XGT Plus (255/45ZR-16 mua, 315/40ZR-16 hope) hoʻoulu i ka hilinaʻi.He wikiwiki a ʻoi ka ʻokiʻoki, a ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi o ka paʻa ʻana o ke kihi.Hiki i nā kia makani makani nui ke ālai i ka ʻike ma ka piko o nā kihi radius paʻa a mākou i holo ai, kahi i manaʻo ai ka Vector 82.0-inihi-ākea me he ʻelepani i loko o kahi hale kūʻai Kina.Makemake ke kaʻa i nā huli nui a me ka nui e hiki ai iā ʻoe ke paʻa i ka pedal kinoea a hiki ke hoʻohana ʻia kona mana nui a paʻa me ka pololei a me ka hilinaʻi.ʻAʻole paʻakikī ke noʻonoʻo e holo ana mākou i ka Porsche enduro i ko mākou heihei ʻana ma kēia mau kihi lōʻihi.
ʻO Peter Schutz, Luna Hoʻomalu a Luna Hoʻokele o Porsche mai 1981 a 1988 a he lālā o ka papa aʻoaʻo o Vector mai 1989, ʻaʻole ia e haʻalele i ka hoʻohālikelike."Ua like loa ia me ke kūkulu ʻana i kahi 962 a i ʻole 956 ma mua o ke kūkulu ʻana i kekahi kaʻa hana," wahi āna."A ke manaʻo nei au ua ʻoi aku kēia kaʻa ma mua o kaʻu mea e hana ai me ka heihei i nā makahiki he kanawalu."Mahalo iā Gerald Wiegert a me kāna hui o nā ʻenekini hoʻolaʻa, a me nā mea ʻē aʻe i loaʻa ka wiwo ʻole a me ka manaʻo paʻa e hoʻokō i kā lākou mau moemoeā.