"Pfungwa ndeyekuvaka mukurumbira, kwete kutasva bhiza," Gerald Wiegert akadaro nenzwi rakapfava uye rine hasha. Mutungamiriri weVector Aeromotive haana hunyanzvi hwesarudzo iyi, kunyangwe anga achishanda kubvira muna 1971 kugadzira nekugadzira twin-turbo Vector, mota ine injini mbiri ine simba remabhiza 625, ichishandisa zvinhu zvepamusoro uye tekinoroji yeaeronautics Aerospace systems. Kubva pamifananidzo kusvika kumamodeli efoam kusvika kumamodeli akazara, Vector yakatanga kuratidzwa paLos Angeles Auto Expo muna 1976. Muenzaniso wekushanda wakapedzwa makore maviri gare gare, wakabatanidzwa kubva muzvinhu zvakaunganidzwa kubva mumarara uye wakagezwa kubva muzvikamu - kuti upe imba. Akati hupfumi husina kusimba uye kushoropodzwa kunokuvadza kubva kumakambani ezvemotokari zvakakanganisa kuedza kwekuwana mari, uye hope dzake dzekugadzira mota yemumugwagwa dzakaita sedzakarongerwa kuva hope chete.
Wigt anofanirwa kuwana menduru yekutsungirira, imwe mhando yemubairo wekutsungirira. Siyana nemaitiro aya, uchiregeredza zvipoko zveTucker, DeLorean neBricklin adventures dzakakundikana. Vector Aeromotive Corp. muWilmington, Calif., pakupedzisira yagadzirira kugadzira mota imwe chete pasvondo. Vapikisi vanongoda kushanyira nzvimbo yekupedzisira yekuunganidza, uko mota mbiri dzatakatora dziri kugadzirira kutumirwa kune varidzi vadzo vatsva muSwitzerland (Vector W8 twin-turbo yekutanga yakagadzirwa yakatengeswa kumuchinda weSaudi, ane mota makumi maviri neshanu, dzinosanganisirawo Porsche 959 neBentley Turbo R). Mamwe maVectors masere ari kugadzirwa muzvikamu zvakasiyana-siyana zvekupedzwa, kubva pa rolling chassis kusvika pamotokari dzava kuda kupera.
Avo vasati vagutsikana vanofanira kuziva kuti kambani yakura 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); kuyedzwa kweutsi kuri kuenderera mberi. Yakaunganidza mari inodarika $13 miriyoni kuburikidza nezvipo zviviri zveveruzhinji zvinotengeswa kunze kwekaunda.
Asi muzuva raipisa masikati panhandare yemitambo yePomona, Calif., chiito chikuru chekutenda chaWigt chakaonekwa. Rori rakati sandara rakatakura maVector W8 TwinTurbos maviri rakayambuka mugwagwa wakafara weasphalt kuenda kunzvimbo yekudhonza. Mota mbiri dzekugadzira dzakaburitswa, uye mupepeti webvunzo dzemugwagwa Kim Reynolds akaisa imwe yadzo kombiyuta yedu yechishanu yevhiri nebvunzo dzemugwagwa mukugadzirira bvunzo yekutanga yeAuto Magazine.
Kubva muna 1981, Mutevedzeri weMutungamiriri weUinjiniya weVector, David Kostka, akapa mazano ekuti ungawana sei nguva dzakanakisa dzekumhanyisa. Mushure mekuedza kwakajairika, Kim anosundidzira Vector kumutsara wedanho uye anogadzirisa komputa yekuedza.
Chiso chaKostka chakaonekwa nekutya. Zvaifanira kunge zvakadaro. Makore gumi ekushanda maawa gumi nemaviri pazuva, mazuva manomwe pasvondo, inenge chikamu chimwe muzvitatu chehupenyu hwake hwekumuka—tisingatauri nezvechikamu chikuru chemweya wake—akatsaurirwa kumotokari.
Haafanire kunetseka.Kim anoisa tsoka yake pamabhureki, anosarudza giya rekutanga uye anoshandisa throttle kuti aise drivetrain. Kurira kweinjini ye6.0-liter all-aluminium V-8 kwakanyanya, uye muridzo weGarrett turbocharger unoenderana nekuchema kweGilmer-type accessory belt drive. Brake rekumashure riri kurwa hondo inokundwa neV-8′s torque uye mainches ekumberi kwemotokari, ichitsvedza tether yekumberi yakakiyiwa pamugwagwa. Ifananidzo yebulldog ine hasha iri kudhonza mota yayo.
Mabhureki akasunungurwa uye Vector yakabhururuka zvishoma nezvishoma nekutenderera kwevhiri, utsi hunobva kuMichelin ine mafuta uye kutsauka zvishoma. Mukupenya kweziso - masekondi 4.2 - inorova 60 mph, nguva pfupi isati yasvika 1-2 shift. Vector inobhururuka ichipfuura seCan-Am hombe, ichiramba ichimhanya pasi penzira nehasha dziri kuwedzera. Mhepo ine jecha nemarara emuchadenga zvinotenderera muvacuum sezvo chimiro chayo chakaita sewedge chinotsemura buri mumhepo. Pasinei neinenge kota yekiromita, ruzha rweinjini rwairamba ruchionekwa sezvo mota yaipfuura nepamusungo. 124.0 mph mumasekonzi 12.0 chete.
Nguva dzegumi nembiri. Nhamba iyoyo inoisa Vector pamberi pedzinotakurwa nendege dzakadai seAcura NSX (masekondi 14.0), Ferrari Testarossa (masekondi 14.2) naCorvette ZR-1 (masekondi 13.4). Kumhanya kwayo kwakapinda muchikwata chakasiyana, nhengo dzekambani dziri Ferrari F40 uye Lamborghini Diablo isina kuyedzwa. Kuva nhengo kune zvakwakanakira, asi kunewo mitengo yazvo; Vector W8 TwinTurbo inotengeswa nemadhora $283,750, inodhura kupfuura Lamborghini ($211,000) asi isingasviki Ferrari (US-spec F40 inodhura mari inosvika $400,000).
Saka chii chinoita kuti Vector W8 iite seyakanaka? Kuti ndipindure mibvunzo yangu yese uye nditungamirire kushanya kweVector, Mark Bailey ndiye Mutevedzeri weMutungamiri weProduction, aimbove mushandi weNorthrop uye aimbove mukwikwidzi weCan-Am.
Achinongedzera kuinjini yeVector iri kugadzirwa, akati, “Haisi mota diki yakamonyoroka kusvika yafa. Imota hombe isingashande nesimba.”
Pushrod V-8 yearuminiyamu ine madhigirii 90 ine marita matanhatu, yakagadzirwa naRodeck, musoro wemavharuvhu maviri wakagadzirwa neAir Flow Research. Mabhuruku marefu akaunganidzwa uye dynamometer yakaedzwa neShaver Specialties muTorrance, CA. Chero zvazvingaite; runyorwa rwezvikamu zveinjini runotaridzika serondedzero yeKisimusi yemutyairi weringi: mapiston eTRW akaumbwa, tsvimbo dzekubatanidza dzesimbi dzisina kusimba dzeCarrillo, mavharuvhu esimbi dzisina kusimba, maoko eroller rocker, macrank akaumbwa, akaoma nemafirita matatu akasiyana Sisitimu yekuzadza mafuta yeOil sump. Bundle yepayipi resimbi isina kusimba yakarukwa ine fittings dzvuku nebhuruu dzakazorwa kuti dzitakure mvura kwese kwese.
Kubwinya kukuru kweinjini iyi kuri mukubatanidzwa kwayo kweintercooler, iyo yakagadzirwa nearuminiyamu uye inopenya kusvika yapenya. Inogona kubviswa mumotokari mumaminitsi mashoma nekusunungura ma clamp mana ekukurumidza kuburitsa aero. Yakabatana neGarrett turbocharger inotonhodzwa nemvura mbiri uye ine chikamu chepakati pemotokari uye impeller nehomwe yendege.
Kubatidza kunoitwa nema coils ega ega e cylinder yega yega, uye kutumirwa kwemafuta kunoitiswa kuburikidza ne multiple sequential port injection, uchishandisa ma custom injectors kubva kuBosch R&D team. Spark nemafuta zvinotungamirirwa ne proprietary Vector programmable engine management system.
Maplate ekugadzika akanaka seenjini pachayo anoisa divi rayo mudumbu. Chigadziko chealuminium chakaumbwa nebhuruu chinozorwa uye chakashongedzwa, chimwe chinobatirira kudivi rekuwedzera rebhokisi uye chimwe chinoshandawo seplate yeadapta yeinjini/transmission. Transmission iyi iGM Turbo Hydra-matic, inoshandiswa neV-8 powered front-drive Olds Toronado naCadillac Eldorado muma70s. Asi chinenge chikamu chega chega che transmission ye3-speed chakagadzirwa neVector subcontractors vachishandisa zvinhu zvinogona kutsungirira 630 lb-ft. Torque inogadzirwa neinjini pa4900 rpm uye 7.0 psi boost.
Mark Bailey aifara zvikuru paakandifambisa muchitoro chekugadzira, achindiratidza furemu hombe yesimbi yechrome-molybdenum, pasi pearuminiyamu, uye yakasungirirwa paepoxy uye yakasungirirwa pafuremu kuti igadzire furemu yakasimba. Sheet rearuminiyamu munzvimbo yekuwedzera ganda. Akatsanangura kuti: "Dai [chivakwa] chaive che monocoque chete, waizowana kutenderedzwa kwakawanda uye zvaizova zvakaoma kuchivaka nemazvo. Dai chaive furemu yenzvimbo yese, waizosvika panzvimbo imwe chete wokanganisa zvimwe zvese nekuti chubhu yega yega The subs inotora zvese." Muviri wacho wakagadzirwa nehuwandu hwakasiyana hwe carbon fiber, Kevlar, fiberglass mats, uye unidirectional fiberglass, uye hauna kushushikana muchimiro.
Chassis yakasimba inogona kubata zviri nani zvinhu zvakakura zve suspension. Vector inoshandisa maoko maviri eA ari pamberi uye chubhu hombe yeDe Dion kumashure, yakaiswa maoko mana anotevedzana anosvika kufirewall. Makoni anogadziriswa anodzikamisa ma shock absorbers ane ma concentric springs anoshandiswa zvakanyanya. Mabhureki makuru 13 inches. Madhisiki ane mhepo ine Alcon aluminum 4-piston calipers. Mavhiri ebheya akafanana neaya anoshandiswa pa3800 lbs. Mota yeNASCAR, ganda re vhiri re aluminum rakagadzirwa rinotaridzika kunge dhayamita yekofi. Hapana kana chidimbu chimwe chete chechassis chisina kunaka, kana kutokwana.
Rwendo rwekufekitori rwakatora zuva rese. Paiva nezvakawanda zvekuona uye Bailey akashanda nesimba kundiratidza zvese zvekuvhiyiwa. Ndinofanira kudzoka ndotyaira mota.
Mugovera wasvika, uye mota yakagadzirwa yatakaedza yakaita segrey yakaita seslate-grey yakakokwa negonhi rakatambanudzwa. Kupinda ibasa rakaoma kune vasina ruzivo, rine mipendero iri pakati nepakati uye nzvimbo diki pakati pechigaro nepamberi pefuremu regonhi. David Kostka anoshandisa mukana wekurangarira tsandanyama kuti atsvedzerere pamusoro pemupendero uye apinde muchigaro chemufambi nehunyanzvi hwegymnast; ndinotsvedza ndichipinda muchigaro chemutyairi semhembwe ichangoberekwa.
Mhepo inonhuwirira sedehwe, sezvo nzvimbo dzese dzemukati dzakaputirwa nedehwe, kunze kwedashboard yakakura, iyo yakagadzirwa nejira resuede rakatetepa. Pasi pekapeti reWilton wool rakati sandara, zvichibvumira maRecaros anogadziriswa nemagetsi kuti aiswe mukati memainji mashoma kubva kune mumwe nemumwe. Nzvimbo yekugara yepakati inobvumira makumbo emutyairi kurova mapedal akatwasuka, kunyangwe kupindira kwevhiri kwakawanda.
Injini huru inotanga kushanda pakutanga kwekiyi, ichidzikama kusvika pa900 rpm isina chinhu. Mabasa akakosha einjini nekutumira anoratidzwa pane zvinonzi neVector "chiratidziro chemagetsi chinogadziriswazve chendege" - zvinoreva kuti pane zvidzitiro zvina zvakasiyana zveruzivo zviripo. Pasinei nechidzitiro, pane chiratidzo chekusarudza magiya kuruboshwe rwacho. Zvishandiso - kubva kumatachometer kusvika kumapyrometer maviri ekupisa kwemhepo - zvine chiratidziro che "kufamba kwetepi" chinomhanya chakamira nepapoindi yakatarwa, pamwe nechiratidziro chedhijitari muhwindo repoindi. Kostka anotsanangura kuti chikamu chetepi chinofamba chinopa sei ruzivo rwekuchinja kwehuwandu izvo zviratidziro zvedhijitari chete hazvigoneke. Ndakarova accelerator kuti ndione zvaaireva, ndikaona tepi ichisvetuka-svetuka netsono kusvika pa3000 rpm, ndobva ndadzokera kuidlid.
Ndakatora mubato wekuchinja waive wakaputirwa, ndikanyura mukati mehwindo kuruboshwe rwangu, ndakadzokera shure ndikadzokera mumugwagwa ndichizeza. Tasarudza rwendo, takapinda mumigwagwa yeWilmington takananga kuSan Diego Freeway kuenda kumakomo ari pamusoro peMalibu.
Sezvinoitawo kune dzimwe nzvimbo dzeExotics, kuona kumashure hakusipo, uye Vector ine nzvimbo isingaonekwe zvakanaka iyo Ford Crown Victoria inogona kuigamuchira. Rebesa mutsipa wako. Nekuburikidza nemashutter akamanikana ehood, ndaingoona girazi remotokari neantenna yemotokari iri kumashure kwangu. Magirazi ekunze madiki asi akaiswa zvakanaka, asi zvinobatsira kugara uine mepu yepfungwa yemotokari dziri pedyo. Kumberi, pamwe girazi remotokari rakakura kupfuura mamwe ose pasi rose rinotambanudzwa uye rinosangana nedashboard, richipa maonero epedyo easphalt mamita mashoma pamberi pemotokari.
Kutyaira inzira yekufambisa ine simba uye ine magadzirirwo akajeka. Asiwo, hapana kuzvifunga kwakawanda, izvo zvinoita kuti zviomere vasina kujaira kuti vawirirane. Kana tichienzanisa, mabhureki asina rubatsiro anoda simba rakawanda—mapaundi makumi mashanu pakumira kwedu kwe 0.5g mita—kuti adonhedze mapaundi mazana matatu nemakumi maviri kubva pakumhanya. Madaro kubva pa 80 mph kusvika 250 tsoka uye kubva pa 60 mph kusvika 145 tsoka ndiwo madaro akanakisa eFerrari Testarossa—kunyange zvazvo Redhead ichishandisa hafu yekumanikidzwa kwepedal kubvisa kumhanya. Kunyangwe isina ABS (system inozowanikwa pakupedzisira), kumira kwakatwasuka uye kwechokwadi, nerusaruro rwakaiswa kuti matai epamberi avharwe pamberi pematai ekumashure.
Kostka akananga kumugwagwa mukuru uri pamugwagwa, ndinobvumirana naye, uye munguva pfupi takanga tava mumotokari dziri kuchamhembe zvishoma. Mipata yakatanga kuoneka pakati pemotokari, zvichiratidza nzira inoyevedza yakavhurika. Sezvakataurwa naDavid, ndakaisa marezenisi nemakumbo panjodzi. Ndakasundira bhatani regiya pasi zvakadzika nepadiki diki mugomba, ndikabva ndadzosera kumashure, kubva paDrive kuenda ku2. Injini yava kuda kusimudza simba, ndakapwanya pedal hombe yegesi yealuminium kuenda kumberi kwebulkhead.
Zvadaro kunouya kumhanya kusingadzoreki, nekukurumidza kunomanikidza ropa muuropi kuenda kumashure kwedehenya; rudzi runokuchengetedza wakatarisa mumugwagwa uri mberi, nekuti uchasvika ipapo paunogomera. Gateji rinodzorwa nemagetsi rinopindira pa7 psi, richiburitsa simba nehole swish yakasiyana. Rova mabhureki zvakare; ndinovimba handina kutyisidzira murume ari muDatsun B210 ari pamberi pangu. Zvinosuwisa kuti hatigone kudzokorora maitiro acho negiya 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 — uchisvika 218 mph (kusanganisira kukura kwetayi). Zvinosuwisa kuti tichafanira kumirira rimwe zuva kuti tizvisimbise, sezvo aerodynamics yemotokari ichimhanya zvikuru ichiri kugadziriswa.
Gare gare, patakanga tichityaira mota muPacific Coast Highway, hunhu hweVector hwakava pachena. Inonzwa sediki uye inochinjika kupfuura upamhi hwayo hukuru uye ine magadzirirwo akanaka. Kusungirirwa kunonyudza mabundu madiki zviri nyore, makuru nekudzikama (uye chinonyanya kukosha, hapana pasi), uye ine hunhu hwakasimba, hune matombo zvishoma hunondiyeuchidza nezveNissan 300ZX Turbo yedu yenguva refu, yakagadzirwa paTour damper valve. Tarisa chiratidziro kuti tembiricha dzese nekumanikidzwa kwakajairika.
Tembiricha iri mukati meVector Black inopisa zvishoma, asi. "Mota iyi ine air conditioner here?" ndakabvunza nenzwi guru kupfuura nguva dzose. David akagutsurira musoro ndokudzvanya bhatani re air conditioner control panel. Air conditioner inoshanda chaizvo haiwanzoitiki mumotokari yekunze, asi mhepo inotonhora inoputika pakarepo kubva mumaburi mashoma emaziso ane anodized anodized.
Munguva pfupi takatendeukira kuchamhembe takananga kumakomo egomo uye kune mimwe migwagwa yakaoma yemupata. Mukuyedzwa kwezuva rapfuura, Vector yakagadzira 0.97 gramu paPomona skateboard, nhamba yepamusoro yatakambonyora pane chimwe chinhu kunze kwemota yemujaho. Mumigwagwa iyi, tsoka huru yematayi eMichelin XGT Plus (255/45ZR-16s pamberi, 315/40ZR-16s kumashure) inoita kuti tive nechivimbo chikuru. Kukomba kunokurumidza uye kwakapinza, uye kutwasuka kwekona kwakanaka kwazvo. Mahwindo makuru anowanzo vhara maonero edu ekumusoro kwemakona madiki atakasangana nawo, uko Vector ye82.0-inch-wide inonzwa kunge nzombe muchitoro cheChina. Mota inoda kutenderera kukuru, uko throttle inogona kubatwa pasi uye simba rayo guru uye kubata kunogona kushandiswa nemazvo uye nechivimbo. Hazvina kuoma kufungidzira kuti tiri kutyaira Porsche yekumhanya yakasimba sezvatinomhanya nepakati pemakona aya makuru.
Peter Schutz, sachigaro uye CEO wePorsche kubva muna 1981 kusvika 1988 uye nhengo yebhodhi remazano reVector kubvira muna 1989, aisazoramba kuenzanisa uku. "Zvakafanana nekuita 962 kana 956 pane kuita chero rudzi rwemotokari yekugadzira," akadaro. "Uye ndinofunga kuti mota iyi iri kupfuura tekinoroji yandaive nayo mukutanga kwema1980." Ndinokutendai Gerald Wiegert nechikwata chake chemainjiniya akazvipira, uye kune vamwe vese vaive nekutsungirira uye kutsunga kuzadzisa zviroto zvavo.