When I was about 10...
When I was about 10 years old, I worked out that cars don’t fall over and that bikes do, so anything on two wheels must be avoided. By 20, my idealistic youth was behind me, I cleared my head and gave up being a Communist. At 30, an air hostess poured so much wine into my glass with such grace during a scary 10-hour flight that I proposed to her on the spot. She stupidly accepted, and my status as an eligible bachelor was over.
America’s going...
America’s going into hyperdrive! It’s been a while, but Vector is back – and it’s aiming to steal the thunder of European supercar makers by building the world’s fastest vehicle.
The original Vector was made in small numbers before financial prob÷lems ended production in the Nine÷ties. But entrepreneur Gerry Weigert is back with the Vector Avtech WX8, which he unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show. Power comes from a 7.0-litre V8 tuned to 600bhp – or 750bhp with the aid of a superchar÷ger. The unit has the potential to develop as much as 1,200bhp.
As standard, the car claims to cover 0-60mph in 3.3 seconds and hit a 270mph top speed. The 19-inch alloys get race-engineered tyres cap÷able of sustained high-speed use.
Meanwhile, the body is made of carbon fibre and a low-drag spoiler is used to aid high-speed stability. Inside, there’s room for three, while the fighter jet-style dash features military-specification switches, an electro-luminescent four-mode control panel and a head-up display.
But despite its racing leanings, the Vector has a custom-engineered 10-speaker sound system with lightweight amplifiers. Wiegert’s philosophy is to produce “aerospace technology for the road” – and with the WX8, he’s aiming for the stars.
Production for 2008 is scheduled at a limited number, while prices have yet to be determined.