This article needs additional citations for verification .(December 2009) |
Vector M12 | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Vector Aeromotive |
Production | 1995–1999 (17 produced) |
Model years | 1996–1999 |
Assembly | Green Cove Springs, Florida, United States |
Designer | Peter Stevens [1] |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Sports car (S) |
Body style | 2-door coupé |
Layout | Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
Doors | Scissor |
Related | Lamborghini Diablo |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 5.7 L Lamborghini V12 |
Transmission | 5-speed manual |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 2,700 mm (106.3 in) [2] |
Length | 4,780 mm (188.2 in) [2] |
Width | 2,019 mm (79.5 in) [2] |
Height | 1,130 mm (44.5 in) [2] |
Curb weight | 1,633 kg (3,600 lb) |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Vector WX-3 |
Successor | Vector SRV8 |
The Vector M12 is a sports car manufactured by Vector Aeromotive under parent company Megatech, and was the first car produced after the hostile takeover of the company from Jerry Wiegert by the Indonesian company Megatech. [3] The model was produced from 1995 to 1999, when production was halted due to slow sales of the car. The production totaled 17 units including the prototypes. [4]
The car was based on the Lamborghini Diablo utilising most of its mechanical components and its V12 engine as Megatech owned Lamborghini at that time and took such steps to produce the car in higher volumes at a low cost. The engine was centrally mounted in front of the gearbox rather than behind it as in the Lamborghini. The styling was a loose copy of the AWX-3, which was a still born project due to the Megatech takeover and later infringed by former company owner Wiegert after he initiated lawsuits and patented the designs to avoid them being reused. The new owners, Megatech, hired designer Peter Stevens to create a more civilised and modern recreation of the AWX-3. The drivetrain was a 5,707 cc (5.7 L) Lamborghini V12 engine, which had a power output of 499 PS (367 kW; 492 hp) at 5,200 rpm and 425 lb⋅ft (576 N⋅m) of torque at 4,900 rpm. This differed from the twin-turbocharged Rodeck V8 engine in the W8 and the AWX-3, as they were considered to be too costly for series production of the new model. The W8 and AWX-3's engines were transversely mounted, unlike the M12's V12 which was longitudinally mounted. The engineering changes placed the cockpit slightly forward than in the AWX-3, with a shorter nose and longer tail. The M12 was able to accelerate from 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) in 4.8 seconds and had a top speed of 304 km/h (189 mph). [5]
Megatech intended the M12 to be a more road-friendly version of the AWX-3, which could get up to 13 miles per gallon of fuel efficiency. 17 cars were produced in total, which included three or four pre-production models and 14 production models. [6] One of the M12 pre-production cars was converted to motorsport specification by the factory, but did not perform successfully due to mechanical problems. [7] This car would again be converted, this time into the SRV8 that was intended to be the successor to the M12.
The M12 production run ended in 1999 when Vector could not pay Lamborghini for the engines. Lamborghini took a W8 as payment, but Wiegert litigated for ownership of that car and won the case. Though the car was not returned.
The Vector M12 earned the inauspicious award from Autoweek Magazine as being the worst car ever tested in the history of AutoWeek.[ citation needed ]
The M12 is featured in a number of video games, including:
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary Audi.
The Lamborghini Murciélago is a sports car produced by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini between 2001 and 2009. Successor to the Diablo and flagship V12 of the automaker's lineup, the Murciélago was introduced as a coupé in 2001. The car was first available in North America for the 2002 model year. The Murciélago was Lamborghini's first new design in eleven years, and was also the brand's first new model under the ownership of German parent company Audi, which is owned by Volkswagen. The car is designed by Peruvian-born Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, Lamborghini's head of design from 1998 to 2005.
The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance mid-engine sports car built by Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001. It is the first production Lamborghini capable of attaining a top speed in excess of 320 kilometres per hour (200 mph). After the end of its production run in 2001, the Diablo was replaced by the Lamborghini Murciélago. The name Diablo means "devil" in Spanish.
The Lamborghini Countach is a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car produced by the Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini from 1974 until 1990. It is one of the many exotic designs developed by Italian design house Bertone, which pioneered and popularized the sharply angled "Italian Wedge" shape.
The Lamborghini Miura is a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1966 and 1973. The car was the first supercar with a rear mid-engined two-seat layout, although the concept was first seen in a production road car with René Bonnet's Matra Djet, introduced in 1964. This layout has since become the standard for high-performance sports and supercars. When released, it was the fastest production road car.
The Lamborghini Jalpa is a sports car produced by the Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini from 1981 to 1988. It debuted at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show alongside the Lamborghini LM001 concept off-road vehicle. The Jalpa was the last Lamborghini to use a V8 engine until the Urus SUV in 2018.
Pagani Automobili S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of sports cars and carbon fiber components. The company was founded in 1992 by the Argentinian Horacio Pagani and is based in San Cesario sul Panaro, near Modena, Italy.
The Lamborghini V12 refers to the flagship V12 engine used by Lamborghini. Lamborghini has had two generations of V12 engines through their history, both of which were developed in-house. The first-generation Lamborghini V12 was a sixty degree (60°) V12 petrol engine designed by Lamborghini, and was the first internal combustion engine ever produced by the firm.
The Vector W8 is a sports car produced by American automobile manufacturer Vector Aeromotive Corporation from 1989 to 1993. It was designed by company founder and chief designer Gerald Wiegert while receiving refinements by Vector's head of engineering David Kostka. The W8 was the production version of the Vector W2 prototype that the company demonstrated throughout the 1980s.
The BMW M Coupé and BMW M Roadster are high performance models of the BMW Z3 and Z4 coupés/roadsters produced by BMW M. The first generation was based on the Z3 and was produced between 1998 and 2002. The second generation was based on the Z4 and was produced between 2006 and 2008.
Vector Motors Corporation is an American automobile manufacturer originally based in Wilmington, California. Its history can be traced to Vehicle Design Force, which was founded in 1978 by Gerald Wiegert. Vehicle production by Vector Aeromotive began in 1989 and ceased in 1993. The company was later revived as Vector Motors Corporation, and has continued to develop sports cars. When founded, Vector represented America's first attempt to compete with European performance car manufacturers like Ferrari and Lamborghini. Altogether around 50 Vector sports car models were developed and produced during the 1980s and 1990s including some racing versions mostly built using American made components.
The Avtech WX-3 is a prototype sports car engineered, developed and manufactured by Vector Motors of Wilmington, California in 1992. Conceived by Vector Motors founder and chief designer Gerald Wiegert as a successor to the W8. Production plans for the WX-3 included a range of three engine configurations ranging from 600 hp (447 kW) up to 1200 hp (895 kW) from a proprietary 7.0L DOHC V8 engine. Originally painted silver, the WX-3 coupé prototype was later re-painted teal by Wiegert to match the teal-blue and purple logo of his Aquajet jet-ski company. The teal-blue coupé and purple roadster are featured as promotional vehicles on the Aquajet website. The single finished prototype is powered by the same twin-turbocharged V8 engine as the W8, with an improved flow dual plenum and throttle-body intake tract rather than the Chevrolet Corvette-based system used on the W8 production cars. At high boost levels the engine was capable of a power output of 1,200 hp (895 kW). The WX-3 prototypes used a three-across seating arrangement that was an option on W8 export models although Vector stated that a production model would have used more conventional bucket seats.
The Lamborghini Espada is a 4-seat grand touring coupé built by Italian car manufacturer Lamborghini between 1968 and 1978.
The Lamborghini Alar was a concept for a mid-engined sports car to be produced by Lamborghini LatinoAmerica. A unit was rumored to cost $750,000 each. The Alar was heavily based on the Diablo especially in the areas of chassis and engine. Other components are made locally by the company. The Alar has yet to be produced.
The Vector WX-8 was a sports car prototype manufactured by Vector Motors. It was first unveiled at the 2007 LA Auto Show, revealing the development and the company's ambitious intentions of creating a next generation sports car successor to their previous models. Vector claimed the WX-8 may achieve a top speed of 270 mph (430 km/h) and a zero-to-60 mph time as low as 2.3 seconds for the version of the car equipped with a 10-liter turbocharged engine. This engine was described variously on the company's website as being capable of "1800+ HP", "1850+ HP", and "over 1250 horsepower".
Gerald Alden "Jerry" Wiegert was an American automotive engineer and businessman, notable as the founder of two companies, Vector Motors and Aquajet, and for designing the products marketed by those companies.
The Lamborghini Urus is a high performance luxury SUV manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini. It was unveiled on 4 December 2017 and was put on the market for the 2018 model year. The name comes from the urus, the ancestor of modern domestic cattle, also known as the aurochs.
The Lamborghini Huracán is a sports car manufactured by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini replacing the previous V10 offering, the Gallardo. The Huracán was revealed online in December 2013, then made its worldwide debut at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show, and was released in the market in the second quarter of 2014. The LP 610-4 designation comes from the car having a 610 metric horsepower and 4 wheel drive, while LP stands for "Longitudinale Posteriore", which refers to the longitudinal mid-rear engine position.
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury automobiles. Lamborghini's production facility and headquarters are located in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy. Italian manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini founded the company in 1963 with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with offerings from established marques such as Ferrari. The company's first models were introduced in the mid-1960s and were noted for their refinement, power and comfort. Lamborghini gained wide acclaim in 1966 for the Miura sports coupé, which established rear mid-engine, rear wheel drive as the standard layout for high-performance cars of the era.
The Lamborghini Centenario is a limited production sports car based on the Lamborghini Aventador which was unveiled at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show to commemorate the 100th birthday of the company's founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini.