The Vector W2 is a concept car built by Vector Motors in 1978. It was a fully functional machine rather than a show shell, and it became the basis of the Vector W8 that finally reached production in 1990.
Vector W2 at a glance
| Maker | Vector Motors |
|---|---|
| Built | 1978, as a concept |
| Name | W for Jerry Wiegert, 2 for two turbochargers |
| Engine | twin-turbocharged 5.7 L aluminium Chevrolet V8, Bosch fuel injection |
| Power | over 600 hp (447 kW) |
| Torque | over 600 lb·ft (813 N·m) |
| Claimed top speed | 242 mph (389 km/h) |
| Testing | likely over 100,000 mi (160,934 km) |
| Production successor | Vector W8, 1990 |
| Status | concept, never sold as the W2 |
based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the W2.
History of the Vector W2
Vector Motors was founded by designer Jerry Wiegert, and the W2 was his first complete car. Its name records both of those facts: the W stands for Wiegert, and the 2 counts the turbochargers fitted to the engine. The car appeared in 1978 and was shown at international motor shows around the world, where it was picked up by motoring publications and helped establish the small Californian company’s reputation.
Under the wedge-shaped body sat a 5.7-litre aluminium Chevrolet V8 with Bosch fuel injection and two turbochargers. Vector quoted more than 600 hp (447 kW) and more than 600 lb·ft (813 N·m) of torque, with a claimed top speed of 242 mph (389 km/h). Those were extraordinary figures for the late 1970s, when most supercars were still naturally aspirated.
The W2 was not frozen in one specification. Over its life it went through a number of improvements in performance, technology and styling, and it changed colour more than once. Because the car was fully functional it could be driven and tested, and it is thought to have covered more than 100,000 miles (160,934 km) in development work — an unusual mileage for a concept car.
The concept eventually went into production, but not under its own name. In 1990 Vector launched the W8, a developed version of the same idea. Only a handful of cars were built before the company went bankrupt, which makes the W2 the origin of a very short-lived line of American supercars.
Design and features
- Working concept: the W2 could be driven and was used for real testing, not just displayed.
- Twin-turbo V8: a 5.7-litre aluminium Chevrolet unit with Bosch fuel injection, rated at over 600 hp.
- Aerospace-inspired shape: a low wedge body in the style that made Vector’s name.
- Show-car career: displayed at motor shows worldwide and widely covered by the motoring press.
Vector W2 versions
- W2 concept (1978): the original fully functional show car.
- Updated W2: later revisions brought changes in performance, technology and styling, plus new colours.
- Vector W8 (1990): the production development of the W2, built in very small numbers.
The W2 led to the production Vector W8, and Vector later showed the more extreme WX-3 prototype. More cars are in the Vector collection.
Video: Vector W2 PR video
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Vector W2, English Wikipedia: design, engine, performance, testing, popular culture
