“Lingaliro ndiloti tidzipangire mbiri, osati kukwera hatchi,” anatero Gerald Wigert ndi mawu odekha komanso aukali.Purezidenti wa Vector Aeromotive Corporation alibe luso lomaliza, ngakhale kuyambira 1971 wakhala akupanga ndi kumanga Vector twin-turbo, 625-horsepower, 2-mpando, supercar yapakati-injini yogwiritsira ntchito zipangizo zamakono ndi zamakono zamakono.kumanga.Kuchokera pazithunzi mpaka kumitundu ya thovu kupita kumitundu yonse, Vector idawonetsedwa koyamba pa Los Angeles Auto Show ya 1976.Zaka ziwiri pambuyo pake, chithunzi chogwira ntchito chinamalizidwa, chosonkhanitsidwa kuchokera kuzinthu zomwe zinasonkhanitsidwa kuchokera kumatope ndi kutsukidwa kwa magawo, kuti apereke nyumbayo.Ananenanso kuti kufooka kwachuma komanso kutsutsidwa kowononga pama media amagalimoto kumalepheretsa zoyesayesa zopezera ndalama, pomwe maloto ake omanga omenyera nkhondo m'misewu akuwoneka kuti akwaniritsidwa.
Wigt amayenera kulandira mendulo yamtundu wina chifukwa cha khama, mphotho yamtundu wina chifukwa cha kupirira.Yang'anani pazochitikazo ponyalanyaza mizimu yofuula ya Tucker, DeLorean ndi Bricklin yomwe inalephera.Vector Aeromotive Corporation ku Wilmington, California yakonzeka kupanga galimoto imodzi pa sabata.Otsutsa amangofunika kuyendera malo omaliza a msonkhano, pomwe magalimoto awiri omwe tidajambula anali kukonzekera kutumizidwa kwa eni ake atsopano ku Switzerland (woyamba kupanga mapasa-turbo Vector W8 adagulitsidwa kwa kalonga waku Saudi, yemwe kusonkhanitsa kwake magalimoto 25 kumaphatikizansopo Porsche 959 ndi Bentley Turbo R).Pafupifupi ma Vector ena asanu ndi atatu akumangidwa m'magawo osiyanasiyana omaliza, kuyambira pamagalimoto ogubuduza mpaka magalimoto omwe atsala pang'ono kumaliza.
Iwo omwe sanakhulupirirebe ayenera kudziwa kuti kampaniyo yakula kuchokera ku nyumba imodzi ndi antchito anayi mu 1988 kufika ku nyumba zinayi zokwana 35,000 square feet ndi antchito pafupifupi 80 panthawi yolemba.Ndipo Vector adapambana mayeso abwino kwambiri a ngozi ya DOT (30 mph kutsogolo ndi kumbuyo, khomo ndi denga mayesero angozi ndi galimoto imodzi yokha);mayeso otulutsa mpweya akupitilira.Adakweza ndalama zoposa $ 13 miliyoni pantchito zogwirira ntchito kudzera muzopereka ziwiri zapagulu za OTC.
Koma dzuwa lotentha la masana pabwalo lamasewera la Pomona, California, chikhulupiriro chomaliza cha Wigt chinaonekera.Galimoto yamtundu wa flatbed yokhala ndi mainjini awiri a Vector W8 TwinTurbo imawoloka msewu wawukulu kupita kumalo okoka.Magalimoto awiri oyeserawo adatsitsidwa ndipo mkonzi woyeserera wamsewu Kim Reynolds adayika imodzi ndi gudumu lathu lachisanu ndi kompyuta yoyesa misewu pokonzekera mayeso oyamba a Auto Magazine.
Kuyambira 1981, David Kostka, Wachiwiri kwa Vector's Engineering, wapereka malangizo amomwe angapezere nthawi yabwino yothamanga.Pambuyo pakuyesa kodziwika bwino, Kim amakankhira Vector pamzere wapakatikati ndikuyambitsanso kompyuta yoyesa.
Pankhope ya Kostya panali nkhawa.Yenera kukhala.Zaka khumi akugwira ntchito maola 12 masiku, masiku asanu ndi awiri pa sabata, pafupifupi gawo limodzi mwa magawo atatu a moyo wake wodzuka, osatchula gawo lalikulu la moyo wake, amaperekedwa kwa makina.
Alibe chodetsa nkhawa.Kim akukwera pa brake pedal, ndikusankha giya yoyamba, ndikuponda pa pedal ya gasi kuti akweze mpweya.Mkokomo wa injini ya 6.0-lita yonse ya aluminiyamu V-8 ndi yokulirapo, ndipo whoosh ya Garrett turbocharger imagwirizana ndi kulira kwa lamba wamtundu wa Gilmer.Brake yakumbuyo imachita nkhondo yomaliza ndi torque ya V-8 komanso gudumu lakutsogolo lagalimoto, ndikutsetsereka chingwe chakutsogolo chokhoma pamtunda.Ichi ndi chifaniziro cha bulldog wokwiya akukoka galimoto yake.
Mabuleki anatulutsidwa ndipo Vectoryo adachoka ndi kutsetsereka pang'ono kwa gudumu, utsi wochuluka kuchokera ku mafuta a Michelin ndi kutsamira pang'ono kumbali.M'kuphethira kwa diso - masekondi ochepa a 4.2 - imathamanga mpaka 60 mph, mphindi isanafike 1-2 kusintha.Vector imadutsa ngati Can-Am yokhala ndi zazikulu, ikupitiliza kuthamanga ndi ukali wochulukirapo.Kamvuluvulu wamchenga ndi zinyalala za orbital zimazungulira mopanda kanthu pamene mawonekedwe ake ooneka ngati mphero akung'amba dzenje mumlengalenga.Ngakhale kuti pafupifupi theka la kilomita imodzi, phokoso la injini linkamvekabe pamene galimotoyo inkadutsa mumsampha.liwiro?124.0 mph mu masekondi 12.0 okha.
12 koloko.Ndi chithunzi ichi, Vector ali patsogolo pa mbendera monga Acura NSX (14.0 masekondi), Ferrari Testarossa (14.2 masekondi) ndi Corvette ZR-1 (13.4 masekondi).Kuthamanga kwake komanso kuthamanga kwake kudalowa kalabu yodziwika bwino, ndi Ferrari F40 ndi Lamborghini Diablo wosayesedwa ngati mamembala.Umembala uli ndi zabwino zake, koma ulinso ndi mtengo wake: Vector W8 TwinTurbo imagulitsa $283,750, yomwe ndi yokwera mtengo kuposa Lamborghini ($211,000) koma yocheperapo Ferrari (mtundu waku US wa F40 umawononga pafupifupi $400,000).
Ndiye nchiyani chimapangitsa Vector W8 kugwira ntchito?Kuti ndiyankhe funso langa lirilonse ndikundipatsa ulendo wa malo a Vector, Mark Bailey, VP wa Manufacturing, yemwe kale anali wogwira ntchito ku Northrop komanso membala wakale wa mzere wa Can-Am.
Poloza ku malo a injini ya Vector yomwe ikumangidwa, iye anati, “Iyi si injini yaing’ono imene inalutidwa mpaka kufa.Ndi injini yaikulu yomwe siigwira ntchito molimbika.”
Mamita asanu ndi limodzi a aluminiyamu 90 digiri V-8 pushrod, Rodeck adapanga chipika, Air Flow Research mutu wamasilinda awiri.Mipiringidzo yayitali idasonkhanitsidwa ndikuyesedwa ndi Shaver Specialties ku Torrance, California.Zomwe zili zoyenera, mndandanda wa magawo a injini umawoneka ngati mndandanda wa Khrisimasi wa othamanga: ma pistoni a TRW opangira, ndodo zolumikizira zitsulo zosapanga dzimbiri za Carrillo, mavavu osapanga dzimbiri, mikono yodzigudubuza, ndodo zolumikizira, mafuta owuma okhala ndi zosefera zitatu.zitsulo payipi mtolo ndi anodized wofiira ndi buluu zovekera kunyamula madzimadzi paliponse.
Kupambana kopambana kwa injini iyi ndi intercooler yotseguka yopangidwa ndi aluminiyamu ndikupukutidwa kuti iwale kwambiri.Itha kuchotsedwa m'galimoto mumphindi zochepa pomasula zingwe zinayi zotulutsa mwachangu za aerodynamic.Zimaphatikizidwa ndi Garrett turbocharger yoziziritsidwa ndi madzi ndipo imakhala ndi gawo lapakati pamagalimoto, chowongolera chokhazikika chandege ndi casing.
Kuyatsa kumayendetsedwa ndi ma koyilo osiyana pa silinda iliyonse, ndipo mafuta amaperekedwa kudzera m'madoko angapo amtundu uliwonse pogwiritsa ntchito majekeseni opangidwa ndi gulu lachitukuko la Bosch.Kutumiza kwa Spark ndi mafuta kumayendetsedwa ndi Vector's proprietary programmable engine management system.
Ma mbale okwera ndi okongola ngati injini yokhayo, ndikuyiyika pambali pa bedi.Blue anodized ndi embossed milled aluminiyamu billet, bolt imodzi ku mbali yaing'ono ya chipika ndipo ina imagwira ntchito ngati injini / transmission adapter mbale.Kutumiza ndi GM Turbo Hydra-matic, yomwe idagwiritsidwa ntchito kutsogolo kwa Olds Toronado ndi Cadillac Eldorado V-8s m'ma 70s.Koma pafupifupi gawo lililonse la 3-speed transmission ndi cholinga chopangidwa ndi ma subcontractors a Vector okhala ndi zida zomwe zimatha kugwira 630 lb-ft.Makokedwe opangidwa ndi injini pa 4900 rpm ndi 7.0 psi mphamvu.
Mark Bailey adandiyenda mosangalala pozungulira popangirapo, akundiwonetsa chimango chachitsulo cha chrome-molybdenum, zisa za aluminiyamu pansi, ndi epoxy yomatira pa chimangocho kuti apange pepala la aluminiyamu m'dera la chipolopolo cholimba.Iye anafotokoza kuti: “Ngati [zojambulazo] zonse zili za monocoque, zimakhala zopindika kwambiri ndipo n’zovuta kuzipanga molondola.Ngati ndi danga lathunthu, mumagwetsa chigawo chimodzi ndikukhudza china chilichonse, chifukwa muzu uliwonse wa chitoliro umatenga zonse” Thupi limapangidwa ndi mitundu yosiyanasiyana ya mpweya wa carbon, kevlar, fiberglass mats, ndi unidirectional fiberglass, ndipo palibe magetsi.
Chassis yolimba imatha kunyamula katundu kuchokera kuzinthu zazikulu zoyimitsidwa.Vector imagwiritsa ntchito mikono iwiri ya A-mikono kutsogolo ndi chitoliro chachikulu cha De Dion kumbuyo, chokwera mikono inayi yomwe imafika pakhoma lamoto.Zodzikongoletsera za Koni zosinthika zokhala ndi akasupe okhazikika zimagwiritsidwa ntchito kwambiri.Mabuleki ndi aakulu mainchesi 13.Ma disc omwe ali ndi mpweya wa Alcon aluminium 4-piston calipers.Ma gudumu amapangidwa mofanana ndi omwe amagwiritsidwa ntchito pa 3800 lbs.Galimoto yokhazikika ya NASCAR, chotengera cha aluminiyamu chopangidwa ndi makina chimayang'ana kukula kwa chitini cha khofi.Palibe gawo la chassis lomwe liri lotsika kapena lokwanira.
Ulendo wa fakitale unatenga tsiku lonse.Panali zambiri zoti muwone ndipo Bailey anagwira ntchito mwakhama kuti andisonyeze mbali zonse za opaleshoniyo.Ndiyenera kubwerera ndikupita.
Linali Loweruka, ndipo makina oyesera a slate gray omwe timayesa anatikodola ndi chitseko chake chotsegula.Kulowa m'nyumbayi ndizovuta kwa osadziwa, okhala ndi sills zolimbitsa thupi komanso malo ochepa pakati pa mpando ndi kutsogolo kwa khomo.David Kostka amagwiritsa ntchito kukumbukira kwake kwa minofu kukwera pawindo lazenera ndi chisomo cha masewera olimbitsa thupi pampando wokwera, ndipo ndinakwera pampando wa dalaivala ngati nswala wakhanda.
Mpweya wonunkhira wa chikopa, popeza pafupifupi malo onse amkati amaphimbidwa ndi zikopa, kupatula gulu lazida zazikulu, lomwe limakonzedwa ndi zinthu zoonda za suede.Wilton wool carpeting ndi yosalala kwathunthu, kulola Recaros yosinthika yamagetsi kuti ayike mkati mwa mainchesi wina ndi mnzake.Malo okhala pakatikati amalola mapazi a dalaivala kuti apume molunjika pamapazi, ngakhale kuti gudumu lachitsulo limatuluka kwambiri.
Injini yayikulu imakhala yamoyo ndikutembenuka koyamba kwa kiyi, idling pa 900 rpm.Zofunikira za injini ndi zotumizira zikuwonetsedwa pazomwe Vector amachitcha "mawonekedwe amtundu wa ma electroluminescent a ndege," kutanthauza kuti pali zowonera zinayi zosiyanasiyana.Mosasamala chophimba, pali chizindikiro chosankha zida kumanzere.Zida zochokera ku tachometers mpaka pawiri kutentha kwa gasi pyrometers zimakhala ndi "tepi yosuntha" yowonetsera yomwe imayenda molunjika pa pointer yokhazikika, komanso mawonedwe a digito pawindo la pointer.Kostka akufotokoza momwe gawo losuntha la tepi limapereka chidziwitso cha kusintha komwe mawonedwe a digito okha sangathe kupereka.Ndidakanikiza accelerator kuti ndiwone zomwe amatanthauza ndipo ndidawona tepiyo ikudumpha muvi mpaka pafupifupi 3000 rpm ndikubwerera osagwira ntchito.
Nditafika pa cholumikizira chopindika, ndidalowa muwindo lazenera kumanzere kwanga, ndidachirikiza ndikubwerera kunja mosamalitsa.Posankha msewu, tinayenda m’misewu ya Wilmington kupita ku San Diego Freeway ndi kupita kumapiri pamwamba pa Malibu.
Monga momwe zilili ndi magalimoto ambiri achilendo, mawonekedwe akumbuyo samakhalapo, ndipo Vector ili ndi malo akhungu omwe Ford Crown Victoria amatha kukhala nawo.Utalikitse khosi lako.Kupyolera mu zotsekera zopapatiza za hood, zomwe ndimatha kuwona zinali galasi lakutsogolo ndi mlongoti wagalimoto kumbuyo kwanga.Magalasi akunja ndi ang'onoang'ono koma oyikidwa bwino, koma ndi bwino kukonza nthawi yokumana ndi mapu amalingaliro a magalimoto ozungulira.Patsogolo pake, mwina galasi lalikulu kwambiri padziko lonse lapansi limafikira ndikulumikizana ndi dashboard, ndikupereka mawonekedwe apamtima a asphalt mayadi agalimoto kuchokera pagalimoto.
Chiwongolerocho ndi choyikapo chothandizira mphamvu ndi pinion, chomwe chimakhala ndi kulemera kwapakatikati komanso kulondola kwambiri.Kumbali ina, kulibe kudzikonda kochuluka kuno, zomwe zimapangitsa kuti zikhale zovuta kuti anthu osazolowera azigwirizana.Poyerekeza, mabuleki osakhala a booster amatenga khama lalikulu - mapaundi 50 kuti tiyime 0.5 gramu pa mita imodzi - kutsitsa mapaundi 3,320.vekitala kuchokera liwiro.Mipata yochokera ku 80 mph mpaka 250 mapazi ndi 60 mph mpaka 145 mapazi ndi mtunda wabwino kwambiri wa Ferrari Testarossa, ngakhale Redhead amagwiritsa ntchito theka la kuthamanga kwa pedal kuti achepetse.Ngakhale popanda ABS (kachitidwe koyenera kuperekedwa pamapeto pake), mapazi amakhala owongoka komanso olondola, okhala ndi zotsekera kuti atseke mawilo akutsogolo kutsogolo kwa kumbuyo.
Kostka analunjika njira yotulukira mumsewu waukulu, ndikuvomereza, ndipo posakhalitsa tinapezeka kuti tili mumsewu wabata kumpoto.Mipata imayamba kuwonekera pakati pa magalimoto, ndikuwulula njira yotseguka yowoneka bwino.Pa upangiri wa Davide, kuyika ziphaso pachiwopsezo ndi miyendo.Ndinakanikizira konokono mu poyambira pafupifupi inchi ndiyeno ndinakokera mmbuyo, kuchokera ku Drive kupita ku 2. Injiniyo inali pafupi ndi overclocking, ndipo ine ndinakanikiza chopondapo chachikulu cha gasi cha aluminiyamu kutsogolo kwa bulkhead.
Izi zimatsatiridwa ndi kuthamangitsidwa kwankhanza, kwakanthawi komwe kumapangitsa kuti magazi a muubongo aziyenda kumbuyo kwa mutu;yomwe imakupangitsani kuyang'ana panjira yakutsogolo chifukwa mudzafika poyetsemula.Zinyalala zoyendetsedwa ndi magetsi zimayaka pafupifupi 7 psi, kutulutsa mphamvuyo ndi mawonekedwe ake.Menyanso mabuleki, ndikhulupilira kuti sindinamudzidzimutse mnyamata wa Datsun B210 kutsogolo kwanga.Tsoka ilo, sitingathe kubwereza izi ndi zida zapamwamba pamsewu wopanda malire popanda kuopa kulowererapo kwa apolisi.
Kutengera mathamangitsidwe a W8's komanso mawonekedwe ake, ndikosavuta kukhulupirira kuti igunda 200 mph.Komabe, Kostka akunena kuti 3rd redline ikutheka - 218 mph (kuphatikizapo kukula kwa matayala).Tsoka ilo, tidikira tsiku lina kuti tidziwe, popeza kuyendetsa ndege pa liwiro lapamwamba kudakali ntchito.
Pambuyo pake, tikuyenda mumsewu wa Pacific Coast Highway, chikhalidwe chotukuka cha Vector chinawonekera.Chimawoneka chaching'ono komanso chofulumira kuposa m'lifupi mwake komanso kalembedwe kake.Kuyimitsidwa kumameza tokhala ting'onoting'ono mosavuta, zazikuluzikulu mozizira (komanso chofunika kwambiri palibe kugwedezeka) ndipo zimakhala ndi mayendedwe olimba, amiyala pang'ono omwe amandikumbutsa za nthawi yayitali ya Tour Shock valve yokonza Nissan 300ZX Turbo.Yang'anani pachiwonetsero kuti kutentha konse ndi kupanikizika nkwabwinobwino.
Komabe, kutentha mkati mwa Vector Black ndikokwera pang'ono.- Kodi galimotoyi ili ndi zoziziritsira mpweya?Ndinafunsa mokuwa kuposa nthawi zonse.David anagwedeza mutu ndikudina batani lowongolera mpweya.Mpweya wabwino kwambiri ndi wosowa m'magalimoto achilendo, koma mtsinje wa mpweya wozizira umatuluka nthawi yomweyo kuchokera kumaso ochepa akuda a anodized.
Posakhalitsa tinakhotera kumpoto m’mphepete mwa mapiri ndi misewu ina yovuta ya m’zigwa.M'mayeso atsiku lapitalo, Vector adapeza magalamu 0.97 pa bolodi lotsetsereka la Pomona, okwera kwambiri omwe tidalembapo pa china chilichonse kupatula galimoto yothamanga.Pamisewu iyi, njira yayikulu ya matayala a Michelin XGT Plus (255/45ZR-16 kutsogolo, 315/40ZR-16 kumbuyo) imalimbikitsa chidaliro.Cornering ndiyofulumira komanso yakuthwa, ndipo kukhazikika pamakona ndikwabwino kwambiri.Zipilala zazikulu zamphepo zam'mlengalenga zimakonda kutsekereza mawonekedwe pamwamba pa ngodya zolimba zomwe tidathamangirako, pomwe Vector ya 82.0-inch-wide imamva ngati njovu mu shopu yaku China.Galimotoyo imalakalaka matembenuzidwe akulu, akulu komwe mutha kunyamula chopondapo cha gasi ndipo mphamvu zake zazikulu ndikugwira zitha kugwiritsidwa ntchito molondola komanso molimba mtima.Sizovuta kulingalira kuti tikukwera Porsche enduro pamene tikuthamanga m'makona atalitali awa.
Peter Schutz, Wapampando ndi CEO wa Porsche kuyambira 1981 mpaka 1988 komanso membala wa advisory board a Vector kuyambira 1989, sanganyalanyaze kuyerekezaku."Zili ngati kupanga 962 kapena 956 kuposa kupanga galimoto iliyonse yopanga," adatero."Ndipo ndikuganiza kuti galimoto iyi imapitilira zomwe ndimayenera kuchita ndikuthamanga koyambirira kwa zaka makumi asanu ndi atatu."Kudos kwa Gerald Wiegert ndi gulu lake la mainjiniya odzipereka, komanso kwa wina aliyense yemwe anali ndi kulimba mtima ndi kutsimikiza mtima kuti maloto awo akwaniritsidwe.