Vector M12
Encyclopedia
The Vector M12 was a vehicle designed by the Vector Motors Corporation, and was the first vehicle produced after the hostile takeover of the company from Jerry Wiegert by the Indonesia
n company Megatech. The model was produced from 1995 to 1999, when production was halted, partly due to slow sales of the cars and mismanagement of the company. The average price of the vehicle was $184,000 (USD).
The vehicle was a rebodied Lamborghini Diablo
with a chopper gun fiberglass
body set on a lengthened Diablo chassis. It was a loose copy of the Vector WX-3
, which was not released due to the Megatech takeover. The drivetrain was a 5707 cc Lamborghini
V12 engine
, which produced 499 PS and 425 lbft of torque at 5200 rpm. This differed from the V8 in the W8 and the WX-3, which Vector claimed to produce 1200 hp in twin-turbo form (and 850 hp when naturally aspirated). The W8 and WX-3's engines were transversely mounted, unlike the M12's V12. The engineering changes placed the cockpit slightly further forward than in the WX-3, with a shorter nose and longer tail. The M12 was able to accelerate from zero to 60 mi/h in 4.8 seconds and had a top speed of 189 mi/h.
The M12 was supposed to be a more finalized and road-friendly version of the WX-3, which could produce as much as 9 to 13 miles per gallon in terms of fuel economy
. There were 18 M12s produced: four pre-production models and 14 production models. One of the M12 pre-production cars was converted to motorsport
specification by the factory, but did not perform successfully due to mechanical problems. This car would again be converted, this time into the SRV8.
In 2011, two of the 14 production models were both damaged in separate accidents, car numbers 06 and 13, respectively. Car 06 was destroyed in a fire, and car 13 was damaged by flood water in Britain. Car 13 is apparently being repaired in Dubai. It is currently unknown what will happen to car 06.
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. An M12 unit would later be modified into the SRV8 model, but the Vector company did not survive.
The M12 is featured in a number of video games, including:
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n company Megatech. The model was produced from 1995 to 1999, when production was halted, partly due to slow sales of the cars and mismanagement of the company. The average price of the vehicle was $184,000 (USD).
The vehicle was a rebodied Lamborghini Diablo
Lamborghini Diablo
The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance mid-engined sports car that was built by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001. It was the first Lamborghini capable of attaining a top speed in excess of . After the end of its production run in 2001, the Diablo was replaced by the...
with a chopper gun fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
body set on a lengthened Diablo chassis. It was a loose copy of the Vector WX-3
Vector WX-3
The Vector WX-3 is a prototype automobile created by Vector Motors of Wilmington, California in 1992. Founder Gerald Wiegert planned for it to have a range of engines up to a 1000 hp 7.0L DOHC V8 motor, but the full series of engines was never completed...
, which was not released due to the Megatech takeover. The drivetrain was a 5707 cc Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
V12 engine
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, which produced 499 PS and 425 lbft of torque at 5200 rpm. This differed from the V8 in the W8 and the WX-3, which Vector claimed to produce 1200 hp in twin-turbo form (and 850 hp when naturally aspirated). The W8 and WX-3's engines were transversely mounted, unlike the M12's V12. The engineering changes placed the cockpit slightly further forward than in the WX-3, with a shorter nose and longer tail. The M12 was able to accelerate from zero to 60 mi/h in 4.8 seconds and had a top speed of 189 mi/h.
The M12 was supposed to be a more finalized and road-friendly version of the WX-3, which could produce as much as 9 to 13 miles per gallon in terms of fuel economy
Fuel economy in automobiles
Fuel usage in automobiles refers to the fuel efficiency relationship between distance traveled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed....
. There were 18 M12s produced: four pre-production models and 14 production models. One of the M12 pre-production cars was converted to motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
specification by the factory, but did not perform successfully due to mechanical problems. This car would again be converted, this time into the SRV8.
In 2011, two of the 14 production models were both damaged in separate accidents, car numbers 06 and 13, respectively. Car 06 was destroyed in a fire, and car 13 was damaged by flood water in Britain. Car 13 is apparently being repaired in Dubai. It is currently unknown what will happen to car 06.
The M12 production run ended in 1999 when Vector could not pay Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
for the engines. Lamborghini took a W8
Vector W8
The Vector W8 was a sports car produced from 1989 to 1993. It was manufactured by Vector Aeromotive, and was designed by Gerald Wiegert and David Kostka...
as payment, but Wiegert litigated for ownership of that car. An M12 unit would later be modified into the SRV8 model, but the Vector company did not survive.
The M12 is featured in a number of video games, including:
- Gran Turismo 2Gran Turismo 2is a driving simulator / racing game for the Sony PlayStation. Gran Turismo 2 was developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 1999. The games serves as a sequel to Gran Turismo...
, as both the production version and as an LM edition; - Mercedes Benz World Racing, as a downloadable car, and
- Sports Car GTSports Car GTSports Car GT is a racing game based on GT Racing. It was published by EA and developed by Image Space Incorporated for Windows, and Point of View for PlayStation. The game was released in April 1999...
.