Vector WX8.

[bruxell]

An Idiot certainly did - Wiegart let the car out of the factory unfinished.

At the behest of a high profile customer, who agreed not to drive the car. Not "was warned" agreed not to. Then he drove the car.

What consequences? as I said, Vector was lucky not to be sued.

Lucky not to get sued because Agassi destroyed a car he hadn't fully paid for yet, due to his own neglegence???

I agree handbuilt cars require tuning to prevent stuff-ups. but seriously.

Especially hand built cars that are only half completed, and not to be driven... In fact, I think the average Porsche would have trouble if it were driven when only half complete. Thankfully their customer base is a little smarter than you and Andre.

Didn’t they make a mock-up of the car for shows? why not give Andre that until such time as his car is actually ready?

Not what he requested.

Call me foolish- but it's not best policy - whether the customer requests it or not - to have an unfinished, untuned, positively dangerous beast delivered to a customer - even with an agreement to return it for final assembly - when the assumption will be that he'll want to get behind the wheel.

Ok, one last time. The assumption was that he WOULD NOT GET BEHIND THE WHEEL. That was the assumption, because that was the agreement.

Seriously, if you had the car delivered to show it off to people, and Vector told you that it was only half complete, and not to drive it because it wasn’t road-worthy ye, and might catch fire, what would you do? Would you risk your investment, or would you have a smidgen of patience, and wait until the car was built? Let’s say it isn’t a Vector, but… I dunno, a Ferrari, an FXX, that you want to show off at a party, and Ferrari agree to let you have the half built car, as long as you don’t drive it. Ferrari should hang you out to dry if you then drive, and destroy a vehicle they made under contract for you, and now can’t sell.

And I would only call you foolish for failing to read the posts you respond to.

[DigitalLuke64DD]

I can't help but notice you two are arguing over something so small as this. Allow me to try to resolve this.

Vector started in 1978 with the W2. It took several years before an engine and drivetrain were fitted to make the first working Vector car. After several media, TV and poster appearances, it suddenly went quiet. People were starting to ask questions if the Vector would ever come out. But in 1989, it did, now re-made into the W8 Twin Turbo and the media were back behind what was thought to be the "ultimate supercar".

With all the attention veering away from Ferrari's and Porsche's and such, Agassi decided the W8 was what he needed to pull up at traffic lights to get people talking. So, Agassi put in an order for one. Bearing in mind that only 4 had been built and sold when he ordered one, Vector must have been very pleased when a celebrity sports star wanted to buy one. However, Agassi said he wouldn't buy it unless he could have buy his birthday. Vector was adamant that at their usual production rates, the car would have only had the bodywork, interior, and half of the engine completed, but they grudgingly accepted, telling Agassi that it could be displayed, just not driven.

It turned up, like requested, and was showcased in his yard. Several archives say that Andre was allowed to keep the W8 for around 3 days. But in that time, he obviously took it for a spin. It broke down, and the rest was history.

Now I completely agree with... both of you! Bruxhell is right in saying that after 22 years of mishaps, mis-management and general mischief with in the company, Vector really needed something which would get them in the limelight, and a famous sports star would be a key way of attracting customers. Whilst Agassi's demands weren't particularly ideal, Vector needed to comply with him if they wanted praise from journalists and potential clients. When Andre drove and subsequently totaled the car, Vector was now looking like the bad guy in all of this. They had to not only refund Agassi's cash but also spend more money fixing up the W8 and selling it again.

But I also completely agree with IBrake4Rainbows' theories. Lets say its the day Agassi got the car. It arrives, with the keys in the ignition, reversing from the back of a lorry. Its slowly driven to where Andre wants to show it off. The driver gets out. He takes the key, tells Agassi about the features, and goes on home, or back to the Vector factory. Crisis averted! The whole fiasco could have been avoided if Vector didn't give him any way of driving it. I mean, sure, taking the key away would have meant that he couldn't lock it, but come on!

Hopefully, that's cleared that up. I'm not saying, one's right, one's wrong, I'm saying both of you are right on some points, yet wrong on others.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Thanks for adding to the discussion, I believe the argument might have been settled three years ago though thanks for shedding light though.

[DigitalLuke64DD]

This post is a history lesson and my opinions on Vector.

I am a huge fan of Vector, as my avatar shows. I personally think that Wiegert's idea of a stealth fighter for the road was a brilliant concept. The W2 and the W8 were cars that were so ahead of there time, the public and car enthusiasts couldn't really grasp their amount of power. The W2 managed 242 MPH at Bonneville in 1986 (one year before the Ferrari F40), which would have made it the world's fastest production car. Sadly, it DIDN'T go into production.

The main problem with the W8 though was that it was designed in the booming technological age of the 70's and 80's, but released in the depression of the 90's. Cars by the end of the 80's were already curvy, which made the W8 a dinosaur in terms of looks.

Then Wiegert wanted to modernize the Vector's design by making it curvy too. Sadly, he got a bit mixed up Megatech (the company who owned Lamborghini at that time) and lost control of Vector. Some Vector enthusiasts insist that Megatech took all of the American patriotism away from it, but some (including myself) think they improved it. Ditching the gas-guzzling V8, they replaced it with a more potent Lambo Diablo V12, and the design was a little more easy on the eye. But Megatech were having trouble with their funds, so they sold Lambo to Audi, and Vector to management. Then management lost control of funds too, and they went bust again!

So it works like this; the original Vector company went out of business, as did the company that bought it out, and so did the people who were left with it.

Never the less, Wiegert picked up the pieces and kick started Vector all over again...

[DigitalLuke64DD]

Thanks for adding to the discussion, I believe the argument might have been settled three years ago though thanks for shedding light though.

Whoops! Lol never mind though.

[DigitalLuke64DD]

My opinion on the WX-8

Wiegert announced in 2006 that Vector was alive and running again, and he displayed a very, very, very early version of the WX-8. A year later, it was shown at the LA Auto Show, as you all know, sporting matte paint and constant references to fighter air craft. Sadly, almost in bad taste, Vector was situated on the opposite side of a car which had these similar features- the Reventon. People who don't know who Vector are will naturally assume that the WX-8 is a rip off, and will bash it. I bash it too however.

I'm sorry, but even now the design has been changed, the proclaimed performance will not reach what they say it will. Plus, in this financial climate, a tiny company which has no cash trying to purchase fighter jet technology means the expected year this car comes out will be 200Never.