page_title: Vector W8
section_title: History and specifications
hierarchical_section_title: Vector W8 / History and specifications
caption_attribution_description: Vector W8 Twin Turbo engine
context_page_description: 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.
context_section_description: The W8 was an improved version of the company's earlier prototype, the W2. Production was delayed after the W2 was presented to the public in 1976 due to a downturn in the world economy and insufficient financial backing. Weigert was finally able to secure sufficient financial reserves by the late 1980s, and the company grew from one building and four employees to four buildings and 80 employees, enough to accomplish Weigert's dream to create his ultimate sports car. The design of the W8 was inspired by the Alfa Romeo Carabo, which had a futuristic aerodynamic design. The W8 combined the design characteristics of the Carabo with technologies and geometry from fighter jets of the era. The company utilized the newest and most advanced aerospace materials in manufacturing the W8, and the term "Aeromotive Engineering" was used by the company when referring to the manufacturing process of the W8.  Prior to production, the W8 successfully passed DOT crash tests, as well as emissions tests. The semi-aluminum monocoque chassis was epoxy bonded and riveted with an aluminum honeycomb structure floor pan, and 5,000 aircraft specification rivets were used in the car's assembly. The body was made largely of lightweight carbon fiber and Kevlar.
  The car was based around a Rodeck aluminum resleevable 365 cu in (6.0 L) racing engine featuring TRW forged pistons, Carrillo stainless-steel connecting rods, stainless-steel valves, roller rocker arms, a forged crank, a dry-sump oiling system with three separate filters and braided stainless-steel hoses, with anodized red and blue fittings. The transmission was a highly modified Turbo-Hydramatic 425 General Motors three-speed automatic that had been used in front wheel drive Oldsmobile Toronado dating back some two decades earlier. The engine had two intercooled Garrett turbochargers, and had an advertised power output of 625 hp (466 kW) at 5,700 rpm and 649 lb⋅ft (880 N⋅m) of torque at 4,900 rpm on 8 psi of boost pressure. Boost pressure levels were driver adjustable between 8 and 14 psi and during dyno testing at the factory, the engine recorded a maximum power output of 1,200 bhp (895 kW) at 14 psi of boost pressure. The W8 utilized special Michelin XGT Plus tires (255/45ZR-16 at the front, 315/40ZR-16 at the rear) bespoke to the car with wide wheels in a design made to the owner's specifications. The W8's suspension utilized double A-arms up front and De Dion tube suspension at the rear, located by four trailing arms that stretched all the way forward to the firewall. Koni adjustable shocks, with concentric springs, were used all around. Brakes were 13-inch vented discs with Alcon aluminum 4-piston calipers at the front and rear.
  The interior was upholstered in premium leather and suede, along with wool carpeting and floor mats. Electrically adjustable Recaro leather seats and a premium air-conditioning system completed the luxurious interior. The seating position of the driver was slightly towards the center of the car for better drivability. The dashboard had four display screens with information about the car's status, along with buttons for adjusting the car's various functions. The dashboard displays were similar to fighter jets of the era. Some driving amenities were excluded, such as power-assisted steering and anti-lock brakes, to lower the curb weight. The W8 generated a skidpad acceleration of 0.97g, the highest in its class.
caption: The 6.0 L twin-turbocharged transversely mounted Rodeck V8 engine
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