Vector W8 Twin Turbo and other toys.
Discussion
Gary C said:
Always remember the interview with Wiegert. He called all the euro exotica 'crap' and enthused about its main feature that without a central gearstick it allowed easy access to your girlfriend !!!
Hi Gary, Yep Jerry was always promoting that portion of the cars interior. Edited by Gary C on Tuesday 19th February 16:37
Jerry has quite the sense of humor. He was also unrelenting when it came to the fit and finish of the car. It had to be better than anything else in the world. He was obsessed over body lines and body gap. Every line had to be perfectly straight. Gaps perfectly even.
wolfracesonic said:
You've certainly piqued everyone's interest with this OP! Not sure if I've missed it but how much were they back then, Countach type of money or a whole lot more/less?
Back in 1992 the cars base price was $448,000. With a list of options that could get you well past $500,000. In comparison a Ferrari 512TR was $125,000 at the time. wolfracesonic said:
You've certainly piqued everyone's interest with this OP! Not sure if I've missed it but how much were they back then, Countach type of money or a whole lot more/less?
Back in 1992 the cars base price was $448,000. With a list of options that could get you well past $500,000. In comparison a Ferrari 512TR was $125,000 at the time. Sine Metu said:
Visually they always looked amazing but were portrayed in the UK press as some sort of glued together kit car. Sounds like there was a lot more to them that appreciated. And while they still look amazing it's because it has an iconic look from that era that we all remember. But the new ones visualised on the Vector website are a real disappointment. I think he needs to go back tot he drawing board, rediscover the radical game changing spirit of the original and come back with something really unique and jaw dropping. That's what a Vector should be.
The W8's are beautifully finished cars. Better than most of its contemporaries. Body gaps, trim lines etc are second to none. All are straight as an aarow. Build quality is top notch. Jerry's new design has been around for 20 years now. It has not aged well in my opinion. But there are many people out there that don't like the W8's design either. It's all personal taste I guess.
crofty1984 said:
That definitely sounds like a story of want to hear more of!
Megatech had 017 in Florida. When they sold Lamborghini to Audi, Audi took possession of the Lamborghini North American Headquarters in Florida. The car was in storage there. Audi was informed that Jerry was awarded the car and that he was in possession of the MSO. Audi looked over the books and found that the Vector division of Megatech did not pay for the 17 Diablo chassis that were shipped to the US to create the M12. So Audi awarded themselves as the new owner of Lamborghini Jerry's W8 as payment for the M12 chassis. They snuk the car out of the country and hid it at Audi. It was there for years. Audi couldn't sell it because they didn't have the MSO. Somehow they found a work around in Germany. They sold the car to someone. That someone has it on display at Sensheim. z06tim said:
I agree. I love the full width rear lamps, which are a continued theme at the rear. This theme seems to be making a come-back with several OEMs.
Thanks for continuing to post, and hopefully attract more contributors.
Do you have any recommendations for books/publications on Vector? What are your favourites?
I will be honest with you. I don't like many articles or books that have published anything on the car. Too much freelance creative writing and not enough facts about the car or the company. Thanks for continuing to post, and hopefully attract more contributors.
Do you have any recommendations for books/publications on Vector? What are your favourites?
The Top Wheels magazine was a bit of a hack and slash job , we voiced our opinion after they published the article as there were several inaccurate statements made in the article. They came back out and published a second article that was actually an accurate article that had some serious comparison time between W2, a Countach and a Testarossa. But many of the other publications were just writer sensationalism. There was a nice follow up article years ago in Automobile magazine that was very good because it interviewed 4 of the owners.
Watchman said:
That would be a good article to read. I wonder if it's available online?..
To be honest, I am not sure if it is on line, I've never looked for it. I know it's an August issue I can't remember the year. I have 3 book cases filled with every publication I could get my hands on over the past 40 years. So things are a little fuzzy. Otispunkmeyer said:
That is just super cool.
Yes, it use to be a lot of fun to check in inventory and look at all of the switchgear and circuit breakers they were so well built. The wire harnesses were also amazing. The display panel was terribly expensive. It was the only car I have been involved with that had a cost is no object approach to its development. But that was Jerry's edict. Most cars would have slashed component costs and put cheap versions of all our components in place. But Jerry wanted the best and only the best for the cars.
I don't think you could reproduce the car today for under $1.5 million . It took 4000 man hours to assemble each car. It was a very labor intensive process. But the level of fit and finish demanded the long assembly times.
The team members were amazing. The family atmosphere that Jerry and David created was like nothing I have seen since Vector. We all lived at the plant, it was hard to get us to go home. We all were in love with the project and what it represented for the U.S.A. everyone gave their all. And the talent in the group was just amazing. David Kostka achieved GOD like status. He was an Army of one. There was nothing he could not do and nothing on the car that was not touched by his hands. He could build the car by himself blindfolded. He was our rock and go to guy at the plant.
Jerry was unrelenting when it came to qualty. His name was synonymous with the car.
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