“Lingaliro ndilakuti munthu akhale ndi mbiri yabwino, osati kukwera kavalo,” anatero Gerald Wigert ndi mawu ofewa komanso okhwima. Purezidenti wa Vector Aeromotive Corporation alibe luso lapamwamba ngati lachiwirili, ngakhale kuyambira mu 1971 wakhala akupanga ndikumanga Vector twin-turbo, galimoto yayikulu yamphamvu ya akavalo 625, yokhala ndi mipando iwiri, yokhala ndi injini yapakati pogwiritsa ntchito zipangizo zapamwamba komanso ukadaulo wamakina amlengalenga. Kuyambira zojambula mpaka zitsanzo za thovu mpaka zitsanzo zazikulu, Vector idawonetsedwa koyamba pa chiwonetsero cha magalimoto cha 1976 ku Los Angeles. Patatha zaka ziwiri, chitsanzo chogwira ntchito chinamalizidwa, chosonkhanitsidwa kuchokera kuzinthu zomwe zinasonkhanitsidwa kuchokera ku malo otayira zinyalala ndikutsukidwa ziwalo, kuti chipereke nyumbayo. Anati chuma chofooka komanso kutsutsidwa kowononga m'manyuzipepala a magalimoto kunachepetsa khama lopeza ndalama, pomwe maloto ake omanga ndege yomenyera pansi pamsewu akuwoneka kuti akwaniritsidwa.
Wigt akuyenera kulandira mendulo yamtundu wina chifukwa cha kupirira, mtundu wina wa mphotho chifukwa cha kupirira kwathunthu. Pewani chizolowezichi ponyalanyaza mizimu yofuula ya maulendo olephera a Tucker, DeLorean ndi Bricklin. Vector Aeromotive Corporation ku Wilmington, California potsiriza yakonzeka kupanga galimoto imodzi pa sabata. Otsutsa akuyenera kupita kumalo omaliza osonkhanitsira, komwe magalimoto awiri omwe tidawajambula anali kukonzedwa kuti atumizidwe kwa eni ake atsopano ku Switzerland (Vector W8 yoyamba yopangidwa ndi twin-turbo idagulitsidwa kwa kalonga waku Saudi, yemwe magalimoto ake 25 akuphatikizaponso Porsche 959 ndi Bentley Turbo R). Ma Vector ena pafupifupi asanu ndi atatu akumangidwa pamlingo wosiyanasiyana, kuyambira pa chassis yozungulira mpaka magalimoto omwe atsala pang'ono kutha.
Anthu omwe sanakhutire ayenera kudziwa kuti kampaniyo yakula kuchoka pa nyumba imodzi ndi antchito anayi mu 1988 kufika pa nyumba zinayi zokhala ndi malo okwana masikweya mita 35,000 komanso antchito pafupifupi 80 panthawi yolemba nkhaniyi. Ndipo Vector idapambana mayeso abwino kwambiri a ngozi za DOT (mayeso a ngozi za 30 mph kutsogolo ndi kumbuyo, zitseko ndi denga ndi chassis imodzi yokha); mayeso a utsi akupitilira. Adapeza ndalama zokwana $13 miliyoni kuchokera ku zopereka ziwiri za boma za OTC.
Koma pansi pa dzuwa lotentha kwambiri masana pa malo owonetsera masewera a Pomona, ku California, chikhulupiriro cha Wigt chinaonekeratu. Galimoto yonyamula anthu awiri yokhala ndi injini ziwiri za Vector W8 TwinTurbo inadutsa msewu waukulu wopangidwa ndi miyala kupita ku msewu wokoka. Magalimoto awiri oyesera anatsitsidwa ndipo mkonzi wa mayeso a pamsewu Kim Reynolds anaika imodzi ndi kompyuta yathu yoyesera mawilo asanu ndi limodzi ndi msewu pokonzekera mayeso oyamba a Auto Magazine.
Kuyambira mu 1981, David Kostka, Wachiwiri kwa Purezidenti wa Uinjiniya wa Vector, wapereka upangiri wamomwe mungapezere nthawi yabwino yogwiritsira ntchito. Pambuyo poyesa bwino, Kim akukankhira Vector pamzere wapakati ndikuyambitsanso kompyuta yoyesera.
Nkhope ya Kostya inaoneka yodandaula. Iyenera kukhala choncho. Zaka khumi akugwira ntchito maola 12 tsiku lililonse, masiku asanu ndi awiri pa sabata, pafupifupi gawo limodzi mwa magawo atatu a moyo wake wosadzuka, osatchula gawo lalikulu la moyo wake, zimadzipereka ku makinawo.
Palibe chodetsa nkhawa nacho. Kim akuponda pedal ya brake, akusankha giya loyamba, ndikuponda pedal ya gasi kuti alowetse giya. Kulira kwa injini ya 6.0-lita all-aluminium V-8 ndi kwakukulu, ndipo phokoso la Garrett turbocharger likugwirizana ndi kulira kwa belt drive ya Gilmer. Brake yakumbuyo ikulimbana ndi V-8 torque ndi drive ya kutsogolo kwa galimotoyo, ndikuyendetsa chingwe chakutsogolo chotsekedwa kudutsa msewu. Izi ndi zofanana ndi bulldog wokwiya akukoka galimoto yake.
Mabuleki anatulutsidwa ndipo Vector inachoka ndi gudumu lotsetsereka pang'ono, utsi wochokera ku Michelin wonenepa komanso kutsamira pang'ono kumbali. M'kuphethira kwa diso - masekondi 4.2 pang'ono - imathamanga mpaka 60 mph, mphindi zochepa zisanachitike kusintha kwa 1-2. Vector imadutsa ngati Can-Am yayikulu, ikupitiliza kuthamanga pansi pa msewu ndi mkwiyo wowonjezereka. Mphepo yamkuntho ndi zinyalala zozungulira zimazungulira mu vacuum pamene mawonekedwe ake ofanana ndi a wedge akung'amba dzenje mlengalenga. Ngakhale kuti pafupifupi kotala la kilomita, phokoso la injini linali kumvekabe pamene galimotoyo inali kuthamanga mofulumira kwambiri. liwiro la 124.0 mph mu masekondi 12.0 okha.
Koloko 12 koloko. Malinga ndi chiwerengerochi, Vector ili patsogolo kwambiri pa magalimoto akuluakulu monga Acura NSX (masekondi 14.0), Ferrari Testarossa (masekondi 14.2) ndi Corvette ZR-1 (masekondi 13.4). Kuthamanga kwake ndi liwiro lake zidalowa mu kilabu yapadera kwambiri, ndi Ferrari F40 ndi Lamborghini Diablo yosayesedwa ngati mamembala. Umembala uli ndi zabwino zake, komanso uli ndi mtengo wake: Vector W8 TwinTurbo imagulitsidwa pa $283,750, yomwe ndi yokwera mtengo kuposa Lamborghini ($211,000) koma yochepera Ferrari (mtundu wa F40 waku US umawononga pafupifupi $400,000).
Ndiye n’chiyani chimapangitsa Vector W8 kugwira ntchito? Kuti ayankhe funso langa lililonse ndikundiwonetsa malo a Vector, Mark Bailey, VP wa Manufacturing, yemwe kale anali wantchito wa Northrop komanso membala wakale wa mzere wa Can-Am, ndi amene anathandiza poyankha funso langa lililonse komanso kundionetsa malo a Vector.
Akuloza malo oikira injini a Vector yomwe ikupangidwa, anati, “Iyi si injini yaying'ono yomwe yazunguliridwa mpaka kufa. Ndi injini yayikulu yomwe sigwira ntchito molimbika.”
Chopondera cha aluminiyamu cha malita asanu ndi limodzi cha 90 digiri V-8, chopangidwa ndi Rodeck, mutu wa silinda wa Air Flow Research wokhala ndi ma valve awiri. Ma block ataliatali adasonkhanitsidwa ndipo adayesedwa ndi Shaver Specialties ku Torrance, California. Ponena za mtengo wake, mndandanda wa zida za injini umawoneka ngati mndandanda wa Khrisimasi wa ma circuit racers: ma piston opangidwa ndi TRW, ndodo zolumikizira zachitsulo chosapanga dzimbiri za Carrillo, ma valve achitsulo chosapanga dzimbiri, manja a roller rocker, ndodo zolumikizira zopangidwira, mafuta ouma okhala ndi zosefera zitatu zosiyana. phukusi la payipi yachitsulo yokhala ndi zolumikizira zofiira ndi zabuluu zodzoladzola zotayidwa kuti zinyamule madzi kulikonse.
Chopambana cha injini iyi ndi choziziritsira chotseguka chopangidwa ndi aluminiyamu ndikupukutidwa kuti chiwoneke bwino kwambiri. Chingathe kuchotsedwa mgalimotoyo mumphindi zochepa pomasula ma clamp anayi otulutsa mpweya mwachangu. Chimalumikizidwa ndi Garrett turbocharger yoziziritsidwa ndi madzi awiri ndipo chimakhala ndi gawo lapakati pagalimoto, impeller ndi chivundikiro cha ndege.
Kuyatsa kumayendetsedwa ndi ma coil osiyana pa silinda iliyonse, ndipo mafuta amaperekedwa kudzera m'madoko angapo otsatizana pogwiritsa ntchito ma injector apadera ochokera ku gulu lopanga la Bosch. Kutumiza kwa spark ndi mafuta kumayendetsedwa ndi makina oyang'anira injini a Vector omwe amatha kukonzedwa.
Ma plate oikirapo ndi okongola ngati injini yokha, ndipo amaiyika pambali pa cradle. Chikwama cha aluminiyamu chopangidwa ndi buluu chopangidwa ndi anodized komanso embossed, chimodzi chimayikidwa mbali ya block ndipo china chimagwira ntchito ngati mbale ya adapter ya injini/transmission. Transmission ndi GM Turbo Hydra-matic, yomwe idagwiritsidwa ntchito mu Olds Toronado ndi Cadillac Eldorado V-8s zoyendetsa mawilo akutsogolo m'zaka za m'ma 70. Koma pafupifupi gawo lililonse la transmission ya 3-speed limapangidwa ndi a Vector's subcontractors ndi zipangizo zomwe zimatha kugwira 630 lb-ft. Torque yopangidwa ndi injini pa 4900 rpm ndi 7.0 psi boost.
Mark Bailey anandiyendetsa mosangalala kuzungulira malo opangira zinthu, akundionetsa chimango chachikulu chachitsulo cha chrome-molybdenum, pansi pa aluminiyamu, ndi epoxy yomatidwa ku chimango kuti apange pepala la aluminiyamu m'dera lolimba la chipolopolo chotuluka. Anafotokoza kuti: “Ngati [kapangidwe kake] kali ndi monocoque, mumapeza zopindika zambiri ndipo zimakhala zovuta kuzimanga molondola. Ngati ndi chimango cha malo onse, mumagwetsa dera limodzi kenako n’kukhudza china chilichonse, chifukwa muzu uliwonse wa chitoliro umatenga zonse” Thupi limapangidwa ndi ulusi wa kaboni wosiyanasiyana, kevlar, mphasa za fiberglass, ndi fiberglass yolunjika, ndipo palibe magetsi.
Chassis yolimba imatha kunyamula bwino katundu wochokera ku zigawo zazikulu zoyimitsidwa. Vector imagwiritsa ntchito mikono iwiri ya A kutsogolo ndi chitoliro chachikulu cha De Dion kumbuyo, choyikidwa pa mikono inayi yotsatizana yomwe imafika pansi pa firewall. Ma Koni adjustable shock absorbers okhala ndi ma concentric springs amagwiritsidwa ntchito kwambiri. Mabuleki ndi akuluakulu mainchesi 13. Ma disc opumira mpweya okhala ndi Alcon aluminiyamu 4-piston calipers. Ma wheel bearing ndi ofanana ndi omwe amagwiritsidwa ntchito pa 3800 lbs. Galimoto ya NASCAR yokhazikika, chivundikiro cha wheel cha aluminiyamu chopangidwa ndi makina chimawoneka ngati m'mimba mwake wa khofi. Palibe gawo la chassis lomwe ndi losakwanira kapena lokwanira.
Ulendo wa fakitale unatenga tsiku lonse. Panali zambiri zoti ndione ndipo Bailey anagwira ntchito molimbika kuti andionetse mbali zonse za ntchitoyi. Ndiyenera kubwerera ndikupita.
Linali Loweruka, ndipo makina oyesera a imvi omwe tinkayesa anatiitana ndi chitseko chake chotseguka. Kulowa m'kabati ndi vuto kwa anthu osadziwa zambiri, ndi malo ocheperako komanso malo ochepa pakati pa mpando ndi kutsogolo kwa chitseko. David Kostka amagwiritsa ntchito kukumbukira kwake kwa minofu kukwera pamwamba pa sill ya zenera ndi chisomo cha masewera olimbitsa thupi kulowa pampando wa okwera, ndipo ine ndinakwera pampando wa dalaivala ngati nswala yobadwa kumene.
Mpweya umanunkhiza ngati chikopa, chifukwa pafupifupi malo onse amkati ali ndi chikopa, kupatulapo chida chachikulu, chomwe chimakongoletsedwa ndi nsalu yopyapyala ya suede. Kapeti ya ubweya wa Wilton ndi yathyathyathya, zomwe zimathandiza kuti ma Recaros osinthika ndi magetsi aziyikidwa mkati mwa mainchesi angapo. Malo okhala pakati amalola mapazi a dalaivala kupuma molunjika pa ma pedal, ngakhale kuti chigoba cha mawilo chimatuluka kwambiri.
Injini yaikulu imayamba kugwira ntchito potembenuza kiyi koyamba, ikugwira ntchito pa 900 rpm. Ntchito zofunika kwambiri za injini ndi kutumiza zimawonetsedwa pa zomwe Vector amatcha "chiwonetsero cha electroluminescent chosinthika cha ndege," zomwe zikutanthauza kuti pali zowonetsera zinayi zosiyanasiyana. Mosasamala kanthu za chinsalu, pali chizindikiro chosankha magiya kumanzere. Zipangizo kuyambira ma tachometer mpaka ma pyrometer awiri a kutentha kwa mpweya wokhala ndi mpweya ali ndi chiwonetsero cha "tepi yosuntha" chomwe chimayenda molunjika kudutsa pointer yokhazikika, komanso chiwonetsero cha digito pawindo la pointer. Kostka akufotokoza momwe gawo losuntha la tepi limaperekera chidziwitso cha kusintha kwa liwiro komwe zowonetsera za digito zokha sizingapereke. Ndinakanikiza accelerator kuti ndione zomwe amatanthauza ndipo ndinawona tepi ikudumpha muvi kufika pa 3000 rpm kenako kubwerera ku idle.
Nditagwira chitseko chosinthira, chomwe chinali chobisika kwambiri pawindo langa lamanzere, ndinabwerera m'mbuyo ndikubwerera panja mosamala. Posankha msewu, tinapita m'misewu ya Wilmington kupita ku San Diego Freeway ndi kumapiri pamwamba pa Malibu.
Monga momwe zilili ndi magalimoto ambiri achilendo, mawonekedwe akumbuyo sawoneka bwino, ndipo Vector ili ndi malo osawoneka bwino omwe Ford Crown Victoria imatha kuwayika mosavuta. Talitsani khosi lanu. Kudzera m'ma shutters opapatiza a hood, zomwe ndimatha kuwona ndi galasi lakutsogolo ndi antenna ya galimoto yomwe ili kumbuyo kwanga. Magalasi akunja ndi ang'onoang'ono koma ali pamalo abwino, koma ndikofunikira kukonza nthawi yokumana ndi mapu a magalimoto ozungulira. Patsogolo, mwina galasi lalikulu kwambiri padziko lonse lapansi limatambasulidwa ndikulumikizidwa ku dashboard, zomwe zimapangitsa kuti muwone bwino phula lomwe lili pafupi ndi galimotoyo.
Chiwongolerocho chili ndi rack ndi pinion yothandizidwa ndi mphamvu, yomwe ili ndi kulemera pang'ono komanso kulondola kwabwino kwambiri. Kumbali inayi, palibe kudzikuza kwambiri pano, zomwe zimapangitsa kuti zikhale zovuta kwa anthu osazolowera kugwirizana. Poyerekeza, mabuleki osalimbikitsa amafunika khama lalikulu—mapaundi 50 pa kuyimitsa kwathu kwa 0.5-gram pa mita imodzi—kuti tichepetse mapaundi 3,320. vekitala kuchokera pa liwiro. Mtunda wochokera pa 80 mph mpaka 250 mapazi ndi 60 mph mpaka 145 mapazi ndiye mtunda wabwino kwambiri wa Ferrari Testarossa, ngakhale Redhead imagwiritsa ntchito theka la kupanikizika pa pedal kuti ichepetse liwiro. Ngakhale popanda ABS (dongosolo lomwe lingaperekedwe pamapeto pake), mapazi ndi owongoka komanso olondola, ndipo offset imagwira mawilo akutsogolo patsogolo pa kumbuyo.
Kostka analowera potulukira mumsewu waukulu, ndikuvomereza, ndipo posakhalitsa tinadzipeza tili mumsewu wodekha wopita kumpoto. Mipata inayamba kuonekera pakati pa magalimoto, zomwe zinavumbula msewu wotseguka wothamanga. Malinga ndi upangiri wa David, ndinaika malayisensi ndi ziwalo za galimoto pachiswe. Ndinakanikiza batani la shift mumsewu pafupifupi inchi imodzi kenako ndinabwerera mmbuyo, kuchokera ku Drive kupita ku 2. Injini inali pafupi kupitirira, ndipo ndinakanikiza pedal yayikulu ya aluminiyamu mu bulkhead yakutsogolo.
Izi zikutsatiridwa ndi kuthamanga kwadzidzidzi komwe kumapangitsa kuti magazi omwe ali mu ubongo aziyenda kumbuyo kwa mutu; komwe kumakupangitsani kuyang'ana kwambiri pamsewu womwe uli patsogolo chifukwa mudzafika pamene mukupumira. Galimoto yoyendetsedwa ndi magetsi imawombera pafupifupi 7 psi, ndikutulutsa mphamvu ndi phokoso lapadera. Gundani mabuleki kachiwiri, ndikukhulupirira kuti sindinadabwitse munthu amene ali mu Datsun B210 yomwe ili patsogolo panga. Tsoka ilo, sitingathe kubwereza izi mwachangu pamsewu wopanda malire popanda mantha apolisi.
Poona kuthamanga kwa W8 komanso mawonekedwe ake okongola, n'zosavuta kukhulupirira kuti idzafika pa 200 mph. Komabe, Kostka akunena kuti mzere wofiira wachitatu ndi wotheka - 218 mph (kuphatikiza kukula kwa matayala). Tsoka ilo, tifunika kudikira tsiku lina kuti tidziwe, chifukwa kuyendetsa bwino kwa galimotoyo pa liwiro lapamwamba kukadali ntchito yomwe ikupitilira.
Pambuyo pake, pamene tinkayendetsa galimoto mumsewu waukulu wa Pacific Coast, mtundu wa Vector wodziwika bwino unayamba kuonekera. Imawoneka yaying'ono komanso yofulumira kuposa kukula kwake kwakukulu komanso kalembedwe kokongola. Sitimayo imameza matumphu ang'onoang'ono mosavuta, akuluakulu mozizira (ndipo chofunika kwambiri sichigwa) ndipo ili ndi ulendo wolimba, wovuta pang'ono womwe umandikumbutsa za Nissan 300ZX Turbo yomwe tinali nayo kale pa Tour Shock valve. Onani pachiwonetsero kuti kutentha ndi kupsinjika konse ndi kwabwinobwino.
Komabe, kutentha mkati mwa Vector Black kuli kokwera pang'ono. – Kodi galimoto iyi ili ndi mpweya woziziritsa? Ndinafunsa mokweza kuposa masiku onse. David anagwedeza mutu ndikudina batani pa bolodi lowongolera mpweya woziziritsa. Mpweya woziziritsa wabwino kwambiri ndi wosowa m'magalimoto achilendo, koma mpweya wozizira umatuluka nthawi yomweyo kuchokera m'mabowo ochepa akuda opangidwa ndi maso.
Posakhalitsa tinatembenukira kumpoto kupita kumapiri ndi misewu yovuta ya canyon. Pa mayeso a tsiku lapitalo, Vector adapeza magalamu 0.97 pa skateboard ya Pomona, yomwe ndi yapamwamba kwambiri yomwe tidalembapo pa china chilichonse kupatula galimoto yampikisano. Pamisewu iyi, njira yayikulu ya matayala a Michelin XGT Plus (255/45ZR-16 kutsogolo, 315/40ZR-16 kumbuyo) imatilimbikitsa kudzidalira. Kuyendetsa m'makona ndi mwachangu komanso kowala, ndipo kukhazikika kwa m'makona ndi kwabwino kwambiri. Zipilala zazikulu za galasi lakutsogolo zimalepheretsa kuwona pamwamba pa ngodya zolimba zomwe tidakumana nazo, komwe Vector ya mainchesi 82.0 imamveka ngati njovu m'sitolo ya ku China. Galimotoyo imafuna kutembenuka kwakukulu komwe mungagwire pedal ya gasi ndipo mphamvu yake yayikulu ndi kugwira kwake zitha kugwiritsidwa ntchito molondola komanso molimba mtima. Sizovuta kuganiza kuti tikukwera Porsche enduro pamene tikuthamanga m'makona aatali awa.
Peter Schutz, Wapampando ndi CEO wa Porsche kuyambira 1981 mpaka 1988 komanso membala wa bungwe lolangiza la Vector kuyambira 1989, sakananyalanyaza kufananiza kumeneku. "Zili ngati kupanga 962 kapena 956 kuposa kupanga galimoto iliyonse yopanga," adatero. "Ndipo ndikuganiza kuti galimoto iyi imapitirira zomwe ndinkachita ndi mpikisano kumayambiriro kwa zaka za m'ma 1980." Zikomo kwa Gerald Wiegert ndi gulu lake la mainjiniya odzipereka, komanso kwa aliyense amene anali ndi kulimba mtima komanso kutsimikiza mtima kukwaniritsa maloto awo.