"ʻO ka manaʻo e kūkulu i ka inoa, ʻaʻole e holo i ka lio," wahi a Gerald Wiegert i ka leo palupalu a me ka huhū. Ua hōʻike mua ʻia ʻo Vector i ka Los Angeles Auto Expo i ka makahiki 1976. Ua hoʻopau ʻia kahi prototype hana i ʻelua mau makahiki ma hope, i hui pū ʻia mai nā ʻāpana i hōʻiliʻili ʻia mai nā junkyards a holoi ʻia mai nā ʻāpana - e hoʻolako i ka hale. he moeuhane wale no.
Pono ʻo Wigt i kekahi ʻano mekala no ka hoʻomanawanui, kekahi ʻano o ka uku no ka hoʻomau ʻana. ma Switzerland (ka hana mua Vector W8 māhoe-turbo i kuai lilo aku i ke aliʻi Saudi, nona 25 kaʻa ohi, a me ka Porsche 959 a me ka Bentley Turbo R). Ma kahi o ewalu hou Vectors ma lalo o ke kūkulu 'ia i loko o nāʻanuʻu likeʻole o ka hoʻokō' ana, mai ka rolling chassis i kokoke-hoʻopau kaʻa.
E ʻike ka poʻe ʻaʻole manaʻoʻiʻo ua ulu ka hui mai kahi hale hoʻokahi a me ʻehā mau limahana ma 1988 i ʻehā mau hale ma luna o 35,000 square feet a kokoke i 80 mau limahana i ka manawa kākau. Ke holomua nei ka ho'āʻo hoʻokuʻu.
Aka, i ka wela o ke awakea ma ka Pomona, Calif., fairgrounds, Wigt's hope loa o ka manaoio ua ikeia.
Mai ka makahiki 1981, ua hāʻawi ʻo Vector's VP of Engineering, ʻo David Kostka, i kekahi mau ʻōlelo aʻoaʻo e pili ana i ka hoʻokō ʻana i nā manawa wikiwiki.
Ua ʻike ʻia kahi hiʻohiʻona hopohopo ma ka helehelena o Kostka. Pono.
ʻAʻole pono ʻo ia e hopohopo. Kau ʻo Kim i kona wāwae ma ke kaʻa, koho ʻo ia i ka pahu mua a hoʻohana i ka throttle e hoʻouka i ke kaʻa. torque a me nā ʻīniha mua o ke kaʻa, e hoʻoheheʻe ana i ke kaula paʻa i mua ma ke kahua ala.
Ua hoʻokuʻu ʻia nā kaʻa a ua hoʻokuʻu ʻia ka Vector me kahi wili liʻiliʻi o ka huila, kahi uwahi o ka Michelin momona a me kahi ʻaoʻao iki. ʻO ke one a me ka ʻōpala orbital swirled i loko o ka ʻawaʻawa ʻoiai kona ʻano ʻano wedge e hāmama ana i ka lewa. ʻOiai ʻaneʻane he hapahā mile, ʻike mau ʻia ke kani ʻana o ka ʻenekini i ka wā i hala aku ai ke kaʻa i loko o ka pahele.
ʻO ka hola ʻumikūmālua. ʻO ia kiʻi e kau pono i ka Vector ma mua o ka poʻe lawe hae e like me ka 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 nā lālā charter ʻo ia ka Ferrari F40 a ʻo ia hoʻi ʻo ia ka Ferrari F40 a me ka mea i hoʻopaʻa ʻole ʻia. kona mau koina; ka Vector W8 TwinTurbo retails no $283,750, ʻoi aku ka pipiʻi ma mua o ka Lamborghini ($211,000) akā ʻoi aku ka liʻiliʻi ma mua o ka Ferrari (he US-spec F40 ke kumukūʻai ma kahi o $400,000).
No laila, he aha ka mea e ʻike ai ka Vector W8? No ka pane ʻana i kaʻu nīnau āpau a hāʻawi i kahi huakaʻi alakaʻi o ka hale Vector, ʻo Mark Bailey ka VP o Production, limahana Northrop mua a me kahi mea hoʻokūkū laina Can-Am mua.
Ke kuhikuhi nei ʻo ia i ke kaʻa ʻenekini o ka Vector e hana ʻia ana, ʻōlelo ʻo ia, "ʻAʻole ia he motika liʻiliʻi i wili ʻia a make.
ʻEono-liter all-aluminium 90-degree pushrod V-8, poloka i hana ʻia e Rodeck, 2-valve cylinder head i hana ʻia e Air Flow Research. Ua ʻākoakoa nā poloka lōʻihi a ua hoʻāʻo ʻia ka dynamometer e Shaver Specialties ma Torrance, CA. ʻO kēlā me kēia mea e pono ai; ʻO ka papa inoa o nā ʻāpana ʻenekini e like me ka papa inoa Kalikimaka a ka mea hoʻokele kani: TRW forged pistons, Carrillo stainless steel connectors rods, stainless steel valves, roller rocker arms, forged cranks, maloʻo me ʻekolu mau kānana kaʻawale ʻAila sump refueling system. ʻO ka puʻupuʻu puʻupuʻu kila kila me nā mea ʻulaʻula a me polū anodized e lawe ai i ka wai ma nā wahi a pau.
Aia ka nani o kēia ʻenekini i kona hui intercooler i hōʻike ʻia, i hana ʻia mai ka alumini a hoʻomaʻamaʻa ʻia a hiki i kahi ʻālohilohi.
Hoʻohana ʻia ka puhi ʻana e nā coils pākahi no kēlā me kēia cylinder, a ʻo ka hāʻawi ʻana i ka wahie ma o ka nui o ka sequential port injection, me ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā injectors maʻamau mai ka hui Bosch R&D. Hoʻonohonoho ʻia ka Spark a me ka wahie e ka proprietary Vector programmable engine management system.
ʻO ka hoʻouka ʻana i nā papa e like me ka nani e like me ka engine ponoi e hoʻonoho iā ia laterally i loko o ka cradle.Blue anodized a me ka embossed milled alumini billet, hoʻokahi bolts i ka ʻaoʻao accessory o ka poloka a me ka lua e like me ka engine/transmission adapter plate.The transmission is a GM Turbo Hydra-matic, hoʻohana ʻia e ka V-8 powered front-drive Olds Toronado a me ka Cadillac Eldoradospeede kokoke i ka 'āpana Eldorado. ua hana ʻia e nā mea kūʻai aku Vector me ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā mea hiki ke kū i ka 630 lb-ft. Torque i hana ʻia e ka ʻenekini ma 4900 rpm a me 7.0 psi hoʻonui.
Ua ʻoliʻoli ʻo Mark Bailey i kona hele ʻana iaʻu i loko o ka hale kūʻai hana, e kuhikuhi ana i ka nui o ka chrome-molybdenum steel tubular frame, nā papahele honeycomb aluminika, a me ka epoxy-hoʻopaʻa ʻia a hoʻopaʻa ʻia i ke kiʻi e hana i kahi kiʻi paʻa. Ua wehewehe ʻo ia: "Inā he monocoque ka hale, nui ka wili a paʻakikī ke kūkulu pololei. Hana ʻia ke kino me nā ʻano nui o ka fiber kalapona, Kevlar, nā moena fiberglass, a me ka fiberglass unidirectional, a ʻaʻohe pilikia.
Hiki i ka chassis stiffer ke hoʻopaʻa maikaʻi i nā ukana o nā mea hoʻokuʻu nui. Hoʻohana ka Vector i nā lima A-lua pipi ma ke alo a me kahi paipu De Dion nui ma hope, i hoʻonoho ʻia e nā lima hope ʻehā e hoʻolōʻihi i ke ala a hiki i ka pā ahi. ʻO nā bearings e like me nā mea i hoʻohana ʻia ma ke kaʻa kaʻa 3800 lbs.NASCAR, ʻo ka mīkini alumini huila e nānā i ke anawaena o kahi hiki kope.
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 ke ʻoki.
Poaono i hiki mai, a me ka slate-hina hoʻomohala kaʻa mākou i ho'āʻo beckoned me ka outstretched swing door.Entry mea he uʻi hana no ka uninitiated, me ka haʻahaʻa paepae a me ka liʻiliʻi liʻiliʻi ma waena o ka noho a me ke alo o ka puka frame.David Kostka lawe i ka pono o ka hoʻomanaʻo muscle e paheʻe ma luna o ka lede a i loko o ka noho kaʻahele me ka gymnast lokomaikaʻi; Hele au i ka noho kaʻa e like me ka dia hānau hou.
Honi ka ea i ka ili, no ka mea, ua uhiia na mea a pau o loko i ka ili, koe wale no ka expansive dashboard, i pau i loko o ka lahilahi suede material.The Wilton wool carpeted papahele ua palahalaha loa, e ae ana i ka electrically adjustable Recaros e kau i loko o kekahi mau iniha o kekahi.
E ola ana ka mīkini nui i ka huli mua ʻana o ke kī, e hoʻokūpaʻa ana i ka 900 rpm idle. Hōʻike ʻia nā mīkini koʻikoʻi a me nā hana hoʻouna i ka mea a Vector i kapa ai he "hōʻike electroluminescent reconfigurable aircraft-style" - ʻo ia hoʻi he ʻehā mau pale ʻike ʻokoʻa i loaʻa. e holo vertically ma o ka paʻa pointer, a me ka kikohoʻe hōʻike ma ka pointer window.Kostka wehewehe pehea ka neʻe lipine pauku hāʻawi rate-o-hoʻololi 'ike i kikohoʻe hōʻike wale hiki ole.
I ka loaʻa ʻana o ka padded shifter paʻa, hāʻule hohonu i loko o ka puka makani ma koʻu hema, huli au a hoʻi i ke alanui. Ma hope o koʻu koho ʻana i ke kaʻa, hele mākou ma nā alanui o Wilmington a hiki i ke alanui ʻo San Diego a hiki i nā puʻu ma luna o Malibu.
E like me ka hapanui o Exotics, hope ikea ua aneane ole, a me ka Vector he makapo wahi i ka Ford Crown Victoria hiki oluolu accommodate. Lengthen kou neck.Ma o narrow shutters o ka hood, I could see only the windshield and antenna of the car behind me. i ke ao holoʻokoʻa a hālāwai me ka holo ʻana i lalo, e hāʻawi ana i kahi ʻike pili o ka asphalt ma mua o ke kaʻa.
ʻO ka hoʻokele ka hoʻonohonoho ʻana i ka mana-a-pinion i hoʻonohonoho ʻia me ka māmā māmā me ka pololei maikaʻi. ʻO nā mamao mai 80 mph a 250 kapuaʻi a mai 60 mph a 145 kapuaʻi ka mamao maikaʻi loa no Ferrari Testarossa-ʻoiai hoʻohana ka Redhead ma kahi o ka hapalua o ke kaomi pedal e hoʻopau i ka wikiwiki.
Kostka alai 'ana i ke ala nui ma-ramp, I ae mai, a koke makou i loko o ka mālie northbound traffic.Gaps hoomaka e ike ma waena o na kaa, e hoike ana i alluring hamama wikiwiki lane.At David'ōlelo aʻo, risking laikini a me limbs.I pahu aku i ka knb o ka gear lever i lalo e pili ana i ka iniha hohonu i loko o ka groove, a laila huki hope, mai ka verge Drive a hiki i 2 ke kinoea. pedal i ke poʻo mua.
A laila, hiki mai ka wikiwiki, wikiwiki koke e hoʻoikaika i ke koko i loko o ka lolo i ke kua o ka iwi; ʻO ke ʻano e hoʻomau iā ʻoe i ka nānā ʻana ma ke ala ma mua, no ka mea, e hiki ana ʻoe i laila ke ʻoki ʻoe. An electronically controlled wastegate intervenes at about 7 psi, releasing boost with a distinctive hollow swish.Hit the brakes again; manaʻolana ʻaʻole wau i hoʻoweliweli i ke kanaka i loko o ka Datsun B210 i mua oʻu. ʻO ke kaumaha, ʻaʻole hiki iā mākou ke hana hou i ke kaʻina hana ma luna o ke ala ākea ʻole me ka makaʻu ʻole i ke komo ʻana o nā mākaʻi.
I ka hoʻoholo ʻana i ka wikiwiki a me ke ʻano wedge o W8, he maʻalahi ke manaʻoʻiʻo e paʻi ʻo ia i 200 mph. Kostka hōʻike, akā naʻe, hiki ke hoʻokō ʻia ka laina ʻulaʻula 3 - e pā ana i ka 218 mph (me ka ulu ʻana o ka huila).
Ma hope mai, i ko mākou kaʻa ʻana i ke alanui Pākīpika, ua ʻike ʻia ke ʻano o Vector. ʻOi aku ka liʻiliʻi a ʻoi aku ka nimble ma mua o kona ākea nui a ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi o ke ʻano. valve.E nānā i ka hōʻike he mea maʻamau nā mahana a me nā kaomi.
He wela iki ka wela o loko o ka Vector Black. "He ea paha kēia kaʻa?" Ua nīnau au me ka leo nui ma mua o ka mea maʻamau. Noʻonoʻo ʻo David a pēhi i kahi pihi ma ka papa hoʻokele ea. ʻOiaʻiʻo ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi o ka ea ea i kahi kaʻa exotic, akā ʻo ka pahū o ke ea anu e pana koke mai kekahi mau puka makani anodized ʻeleʻele.
ʻAʻole liuliu, huli mākou i ka ʻākau i nā wāwae a me kekahi mau alanui canyon hoʻokūkū. Hoʻoulu ka hilinaʻi nui. He wikiwiki a ʻoi ke kihi, a ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi o ka palahalaha o ke kū kihi. hilinaʻi. ʻAʻole paʻakikī ke noʻonoʻo e hoʻokele nei mākou i ka heihei hoʻomanawanui Porsche i ko mākou holo ʻana ma kēia mau kihi radius nui.
ʻO Peter Schutz, ka luna a me ka Luna Nui o Porsche mai 1981 a 1988 a he lālā o ka papa ʻōlelo aʻoaʻo o Vector mai 1989, ʻaʻole ia e kāpae i ka hoʻohālikelike. Mahalo iā Gerald Wiegert a me kāna hui o nā ʻenekini hoʻolaʻa, a me nā poʻe ʻē aʻe i loaʻa ka hoʻomanawanui a me ka manaʻo paʻa e hoʻokō i kā lākou mau moemoeā.