"Pfungwa ndeyekuvaka mukurumbira, kwete kutasva bhiza," Gerald Wigert akadaro nenzwi rakapfava uye rakakasharara. Mutungamiri weVector Aeromotive Corporation haana hunyanzvi hwepamusoro, kunyangwe kubvira muna 1971 anga achigadzira nekuvaka Vector twin-turbo, supercar ine simba remabhiza 625, ine zvigaro zviviri, ine injini yepakati achishandisa zvinhu zvepamusoro uye tekinoroji yeaerospace systems. Kubva pamifananidzo kusvika kumamodeli efoam kusvika kumamodeli akazara, Vector yakatanga kuratidzwa paLos Angeles Auto Show ya1976. Makore maviri gare gare, prototype inoshanda yakapedzwa, yakaunganidzwa kubva kuzvinhu zvakaunganidzwa kubva mumarara uye yakagezwa zvikamu, kuti ipe imba. Akati hupfumi husina kusimba uye kushoropodzwa kwakaipisisa munhau dzemotokari kwakakanganisa kuedza kwekuwana mari, nepo hope dzake dzekuvaka nhandare yendege yepasi yemigwagwa dzichiita sedzakafanirwa kuzadzikiswa.
Wigt anofanirwa kuwana menduru yekutsungirira, imwe mhando yemubairo wekutsungirira. Dzivisa maitiro aya nekuregeredza mweya inorira yezviitiko zvakakundikana zvaTucker, DeLorean naBricklin. Vector Aeromotive Corporation muWilmington, California pakupedzisira yagadzirira kugadzira mota imwe chete pasvondo. Vapikisi vanongofanira kushanyira nzvimbo yekupedzisira yekuungana, uko mota mbiri dzatakatora mifananidzo dzaigadzirwa kuti dzitumirwe kune varidzi vadzo vatsva muSwitzerland (Vector W8 yekutanga yakagadzirwa netwin-turbo yakatengeswa kumuchinda weSaudi, ane mota makumi maviri neshanu dzinosanganisirawo Porsche 959 neBentley Turbo R). Dzimwe mota dzinosvika sere dzeVector dziri kuvakwa padanho rakasiyana-siyana rekupedzwa, kubva pa rolling chassis kusvika pamotokari dzava kuda kupera.
Avo vasati vagutsikana vanofanira kuziva kuti kambani iyi yakakura kubva pachivako chimwe chete nevashandi vana muna 1988 kusvika pazvivakwa zvina zvine nzvimbo inodarika 35,000 square feet uye vashandi vanosvika 80 panguva yekunyora uku. Uye Vector yakapasa bvunzo dzakanaka dzeDOT crash (30 mph yekumberi nekumashure, bvunzo dzegonhi nedenga nechassis imwe chete); bvunzo dzeutsi dziri kuenderera mberi. Yakaunganidza mari inodarika $13 miriyoni kuburikidza nezvipo zviviri zveOTC zveveruzhinji.
Asi pasi pezuva raipisa masikati panhandare yemitambo yePomona, California, chiito chekupedzisira chekutenda chaWigt chakaonekwa. Rori rakati sandara rine mainjini maviri eVector W8 TwinTurbo rinoyambuka mugwagwa wakafara uchienda kunzvimbo yekudhonza. Mota mbiri dzekuedza dzakaburitswa uye mupepeti wemiedzo yemugwagwa Kim Reynolds akaisa imwe nekombiyuta yedu yechishanu yevhiri neyomugwagwa mukugadzirira bvunzo yekutanga yeAuto Magazine.
Kubva muna 1981, David Kostka, Mutevedzeri weMutungamiriri weUinjiniya weVector, akapa mazano ekuti ungawana sei nguva dzakanakisa dzekumhanya. Mushure mekuedza kwakajairika, Kim anosundira Vector kumutsetse wepakati uye anovhurazve komputa yekuyedza.
Chiso chaKostya chakaratidza kushushikana. Zvinofanira kunge zvakadaro. Makore gumi ekushanda maawa gumi nemaviri pazuva, mazuva manomwe pasvondo, inenge chikamu chimwe muzvitatu chehupenyu hwake hwekumuka, tisingatauri chikamu chikuru chemweya wake, chakatsaurirwa kumuchina.
Haana chekunetseka nazvo. Kim anotsika pedal yebhureki, anosarudza giya rekutanga, uye anotsika pedal yepeturu kuti aise transmission. Kurira kweinjini ye6.0-liter all-aluminium V-8 kwakasimba, uye ruzha rweGarrett turbocharger runoenderana nekuchema kweGilmer-style accessory belt drive. Brake rekumashure rinorwisa V-8 torque uye front-wheel drive yemotokari, ichitsvedza tambo yekumberi yakakiyiwa pamusoro pemugwagwa. Izvi zvakafanana nebulldog ine hasha ichidhonza mota yayo.
Mabhureki akasunungurwa uye Vector yakabviswa nevhiri diki, utsi hunobva kuMichelin yakakora uye yakakotama zvishoma padivi. Mukupenya kweziso - masekondi 4.2 - inomhanyisa kusvika 60 mph, nguva pfupi isati yasvika 1-2 shift. Vector inosvetuka ichipfuura seCan-Am hombe, ichiramba ichimhanya munzira nehasha dziri kuwedzera. Dutu rejecha nemarara emuchadenga zvinotenderera muvacuum sezvo chimiro chayo chakaita sewedge chichitsemura gomba mumhepo. Pasinei neinenge kota yekiromita, ruzha rweinjini rwakaramba rwuchinzwika sezvo mota yaipfuura nekumhanya kwe124.0 mph mumasekonzi 12.0 chete.
Nguva dzegumi nembiri. Nenhamba iyi, Vector iri pamberi zvikuru pane makambani makuru akadai seAcura NSX (masekondi 14.0), Ferrari Testarossa (masekondi 14.2) uye Corvette ZR-1 (masekondi 13.4). Kumhanya kwayo nekumhanya kwakapinda muchikwata chakasiyana, neFerrari F40 neLamborghini Diablo isina kuyedzwa senhengo. Kuva nhengo kune zvakanakira, asi kunewo mitengo yazvo: Vector W8 TwinTurbo inotengeswa nemadhora mazana maviri nemakumi masere nematatu nemazana manomwe nemakumi mashanu, iyo inodhura kupfuura Lamborghini ($211,000) asi isingasviki Ferrari (yeUS version yeF40 inodhura mari inosvika $400,000).
Saka chii chinoita kuti Vector W8 ishande? Kuti ndipindure mibvunzo yangu yese uye kuti ndione nzvimbo yeVector, Mark Bailey, Mutevedzeri weMutungamiri weManufacturing, aimbova mushandi weNorthrop uye aimbova nhengo yeCan-Am line.
Achinongedzera kuinjini yeVector iri kugadzirwa, akati, "Iyi haisi injini diki yakatenderedzwa kusvika yafa. Injini hombe isingashande nesimba."
Rodhi yesimbi ine aruminiyamu 90 degrees V-8 ine marita matanhatu, bhuroko rakagadzirwa naRodeck, Air Flow Research ine mavharuvhu maviri. Mabhuroko marefu akaunganidzwa uye akaedzwa neShaver Specialties muTorrance, California. Nezvakakosha, runyorwa rwezvikamu zveinjini runotaridzika serondedzero yeKisimusi yemakwikwi emakwikwi: mapiston eTRW akaumbwa, marodhi ekubatanidza esimbi isina kusimba eCarrillo, mavharuvhu esimbi isina kusimba, maoko eroller rocker, marodhi ekubatanidza akaumbwa, mafuta akaoma ane mafirita matatu akasiyana. simbi yepombi ine anodized red neblue fittings yekutakura mvura kwese kwese.
Chinhu chikuru chakaitwa neinjini iyi ipurasitiki inotonhorera yakagadzirwa nearuminiyamu uye inopenya kusvika yapenya. Inogona kubviswa mumotokari mumaminitsi mashoma nekusunungura maclamp mana anokurumidza kuburitsa aerodynamic. Yakabatana neGarrett turbocharger inotonhorera nemvura mbiri uye ine chikamu chepakati pemotokari, impeller necase yendege.
Kubatidza kunoitwa nemakoiri akasiyana pa cylinder yega yega, uye mafuta anounzwa kuburikidza nema serial ports akawanda uchishandisa ma injectors akagadzirwa kubva kuchikwata cheBosch development. Kuendeswa kwespark nemafuta zvinotungamirirwa neVector's proprietary programmable engine management system.
Maplate ekuisira akanaka semota pachayo, achiiisa padivi pechitsiko. Chitsiko chealuminium chakaumbwa nebhuruu chinozorwa uye chakashongedzwa, chimwe chinosungirirwa kudivi repasi pechitsiko uye chimwe chinoshanda seplate yeadapta yeinjini/transmission. Transmission iyi iGM Turbo Hydra-matic, iyo yaishandiswa muOlds Toronado neCadillac Eldorado V-8s dzinofambisa mavhiri ekumberi kuma70s. Asi chinenge chikamu chega chega chetransmission ye3-speed chakagadzirwa nemavector's subcontractors nezvinhu zvinokwanisa kubata 630 lb-ft. Torque inogadzirwa neinjini pa4900 rpm uye 7.0 psi boost.
Mark Bailey akandifambisa nemufaro achitenderera pasi pekugadzira, achiratidza furemu hombe yesimbi yechrome-molybdenum, pasi pearuminiyamu, uye epoxy zvakanamirwa pafuremu kuti zvigadzire pepa rearuminiyamu munzvimbo yakaoma yakaburitswa. Akatsanangura kuti: “Kana [dhizaini] iri monocoque, unowana shanduko dzakawanda uye zvakaoma kuivaka nemazvo. Kana iri furemu yakazara, unobvisa nzvimbo imwe chete wobva wakanganisa zvimwe zvese, nekuti mudzi wega wega wepombi unotora zvese” Muviri wacho wakagadzirwa nehuwandu hwakasiyana hwekabhoni fiber, kevlar, fiberglass mats, uye unidirectional fiberglass, uye hapana voltage.
Chassis yakasimba inogona kubata zviri nani zvinhu zvinotakura zvinhu zvakakura zvinosungirirwa. Vector inoshandisa maoko maviri eA pamberi uye pombi hombe yeDe Dion kumashure, yakaiswa pamaoko mana anotevedzana anosvika pasi kufirewall. MaKoni anogadziriswa anodzikamisa mashock absorbers ane masprings akasimba anoshandiswa zvakanyanya. Mabhureki makuru 13 inches. Madhisiki ane mweya ane Alcon aluminum 4-piston calipers. Mavhiri ebheya akafanana neaya anoshandiswa pa3800 lbs. Mota yeNASCAR yakajairika, casing yevhiri realuminium yakagadzirwa inotaridzika kunge dhayamita yekofi. Hapana chikamu chechassis chisina kunaka kana chakakwana.
Rwendo rwefekitori rwakatora zuva rese. Paiva nezvakawanda zvekuona uye Bailey akashanda nesimba kundiratidza zvese zvaiitika. Ndinofanira kudzokera ndoenda.
Waiva Mugovera, uye muchina wekuyedza wegrey wataiedza wakatidana negonhi rawo rakavhurika. Kupinda mukamuri ibasa rakaoma kune vasina kujaira, rine sills dziri pakati nepakati uye nzvimbo shoma pakati pechigaro nepamberi pefuremu regonhi. David Kostka anoshandisa ndangariro dzake dzetsandanyama kukwira pamusoro pesill yehwindo neunyanzvi hwegymnastic muchigaro chemutakurwi, uye ini ndakakwira pachigaro chemutyairi semhembwe ichangoberekwa.
Mhepo yacho inonhuwirira sedehwe, sezvo nzvimbo dzese dzemukati dzakaputirwa nedehwe, kunze kwepaneru yemidziyo yakakura, iyo yakashongedzwa nejira rakatetepa resuede. Kapeti yeWilton wool yakati sandara zvachose, zvichiita kuti maRecaros anogadziriswa nemagetsi aiswe mukati memainji ari pakati peumwe neumwe. Nzvimbo yekugara pakati inobvumira tsoka dzemutyairi kuzorora zvakananga pamapedals, kunyange hazvo vhiri richibuda zvakanyanya.
Injini huru inotanga kushanda nekutendeuka key key key kekutanga, ichimhanya pa900 rpm. Mabasa akakosha einjini nekutumira anoratidzwa pane zvinonzi neVector "chiratidziro chemagetsi chinogadziriswazve chendege," zvichireva kuti kune masikirini mana akasiyana eruzivo. Pasinei nechidzitiro, pane chiratidzo chekusarudza magiya kuruboshwe. Zvishandiso zvinotangira pa tachometers kusvika kuma pyrometers maviri ekupisa kwegesi ane "chiratidziro chetape chinofamba" chinomhanya chakamira pamusoro pechinongedzo chakagadzika, pamwe nechiratidziro chedhijitari muhwindo rechinongedzo. Kostka anotsanangura kuti chikamu chinofamba chetepi chinopa sei ruzivo rwekuchinja kwehuwandu husingagone kupihwa nema displays edhijitari ega. Ndakadzvanya accelerator kuti ndione zvaaireva ndikaona tepi ichisvetuka museve kusvika pa3000 rpm ndokuzodzokera pakushanda.
Ndakatora bhatani rekuchinja raiva rakanyatsodzika muhwindo kuruboshwe rwangu, ndikadzokera shure ndokunyatsobuda. Takasarudza mugwagwa, takaenda mumigwagwa yeWilmington kuenda kuSan Diego Freeway uye takapinda mumakomo ari pamusoro peMalibu.
Sezvinowanzoitika kumotokari zhinji dzekunze, kuona kumashure hakuoneki zvachose, uye Vector ine nzvimbo isingaonekwe iyo Ford Crown Victoria inogona kugara nyore nyore. Rebesa mutsipa wako. Nekuburikidza nemashutter akamanikana ehood, chandaigona kuona chete yaive windscreen neantenna yemota iri shure kwangu. Magirazi ekunze madiki asi akaiswa zvakanaka, asi zvakakodzera kuronga musangano nemepu yepfungwa yemotokari dziri pedyo. Pamberi, pamwe windscreen yakakura kwazvo pasi rose inotambanudzwa uye inobatanidza nedashboard, ichipa maonero epedyo easphalt iri mayadhi mashoma kubva kumota.
Kutyaira uku kwakashandiswa nesimba, uye kune huremu huri pakati nepakati uye kunyatsoita zvinhu nemazvo. Kune rumwe rutivi, hapana hunhu hwakanyanya hwekuzvikudza pano, izvo zvinoita kuti zviomere vanhu vasina kujairana kuti vawirirane. Kana tichienzanisa, mabhureki asinganyanyi kukwidziridza anotora simba rakawanda—mapaundi makumi mashanu pa 0.5-gram stop yedu pamita imwe neimwe—kuderedza mapaundi 3,320 kubva pakumhanya. Madaro kubva pa80 mph kusvika 250 tsoka uye 60 mph kusvika 145 tsoka ndiwo madaro akanakisa eFerrari Testarossa, kunyangwe Redhead ichishandisa hafu yekumanikidzwa papedal kuti ideredze kumhanya. Kunyangwe isina ABS (system inozopihwa pakupedzisira), tsoka dzakatwasuka uye dzakanyatsojeka, ne offset set yekukiya mavhiri epamberi pamberi pemashure.
Kostka akananga pakubuda mumugwagwa mukuru, ndinobvumirana naye, uye takakurumidza kuzviwana tiri mumotokari dzakadzikama dzichienda kuchamhembe. Makomba anotanga kuoneka pakati pemotokari, zvichiratidza nzira inokwezva yakavhurika. Sezvakataurwa naDavid, ndakaisa marezenisi nemakumbo panjodzi. Ndakadzvanya bhatani rekuchinjana mugomba rinenge inchi imwe chete ndikabva ndadzokera shure, kubva paDrive kuenda ku2. Injini yakanga yava kuda kuwedzeredzwa, uye ndakadzvanya pedal hombe yegesi yealuminium mubulkhead yekumberi.
Izvi zvinoteverwa nekumhanya kwechinguvana, uko kunoita kuti ropa riri muuropi riyerere kumashure kwemusoro; uko kunoita kuti utarise munzira iri mberi nekuti uchasvika ikoko kana wagomera. Gateji inodzorwa nemagetsi inopfura pa7 psi, ichiburitsa simba nekurova kwesimba. Rova mabhureki zvakare, ndinovimba handina kuvhundutsa murume ari muDatsun B210 ari pamberi pangu. Zvinosuwisa kuti, hatigone kudzokorora maitiro aya negedhi repamusoro mumugwagwa usina miganhu tisingatyi kupindira kwemapurisa.
Tichitarisa kumhanya kweW8 kunoshamisa uye chimiro che wedge, zviri nyore kutenda kuti ichasvika 200 mph. Zvisinei, Kostka anoti mutsetse wechitatu wekutsvuka unogoneka - 218 mph (kusanganisira kukura kwematayi). Zvinosuwisa kuti tichafanira kumirira rimwe zuva kuti tizive, sezvo aerodynamics yemotokari ichimhanya zvakanyanya ichiri kuenderera mberi.
Gare gare, patakanga tichityaira nePacific Coast Highway, hunhu hweVector hwakava pachena. Inoita sediki uye inochinjika kupfuura upamhi hwayo hukuru uye ine maitiro anoyevedza. Simbi inomedza mabundu madiki zviri nyore, makuru achitonhorera (uye zvinonyanya kukosha hapana kudonha) uye ine kufamba kwakasimba, kunotyisa zvishoma kunondiyeuchidza nezveNissan 300ZX Turbo yedu yatakagadzira kwenguva refu yeTour Shock. Tarisa pachiratidziro kuti tembiricha dzese nekumanikidzwa kwakajairika.
Zvisinei, tembiricha iri mukati meVector Black yakakwira zvishoma. – Mota iyi ine air conditioner here? Ndakabvunza zvinonzwika kupfuura zvakajairika. David akagutsurira musoro ndokudzvanya bhatani re air conditioner control panel. Air conditioner inoshanda zvakanaka haiwanzoitiki mumotokari dzekunze, asi mhepo inotonhora inoputika pakarepo kubva mumaburi mashoma emaziso ane anodized anodized.
Takakurumidza kutendeukira kuchamhembe tichienda kumakomo uye kune dzimwe nzira dzakaoma dzemupata. Mubvunzo wezuva rapfuura, Vector yakawana magiramu 0.97 paPomona skateboard, yakakwira kupfuura dzose dzatakambonyora pane chimwe chinhu kunze kwemota yemujaho. Mumigwagwa iyi, nzira huru yematayi eMichelin XGT Plus (255/45ZR-16 pamberi, 315/40ZR-16 kumashure) inoita kuti tive nechivimbo. Kukomba kunokurumidza uye kwakapinza, uye kugadzikana kwekona kwakanaka kwazvo. Mapango makuru ewindshield anowanzo vhara maonero ari pamusoro pemakona akamanikana atakasangana nawo, uko Vector ine upamhi hwe 82.0-inch inonzwa kunge nzou muchitoro cheChina. Mota inoda kutenderera kukuru, kwaunogona kubata pedal yegesi uye simba rayo guru uye kubata zvinogona kushandiswa nemazvo uye nechivimbo. Hazvina kuoma kufungidzira kuti tiri kutasva Porsche enduro sezvatinomhanya nemakona aya marefu.
Peter Schutz, Sachigaro uye CEO wePorsche kubva muna 1981 kusvika 1988 uye nhengo yebhodhi remazano reVector kubvira muna 1989, aisazofuratira kuenzanisa uku. "Zvakafanana nekuvaka 962 kana 956 pane kuvaka chero mota yekugadzira," akadaro. "Uye ndinofunga kuti mota iyi inopfuura zvandaifanira kuita nemitambo yekutanga kwema1980." Kudos kuna Gerald Wiegert nechikwata chake chemainjiniya akazvipira, uye kune wese munhu aive neushingi uye kutsunga kuita kuti zviroto zvavo zvizadzike.