Continuing on our theme of unloved cars this week, let's talk about the original Vector W2 Prototype. Of course when I was a tiny kid in the 80s, I thought the Vector was the be-all end-all of supercars. It was the topic of many breathless schoolyard conversations and sketches in the margins of my notebooks. But as time went by, it has become sort of the Jean Claude Van Damme of supercars--just a punchline to a bad 80s joke. The sort of thing that we look at today and say "wow. did we really think that was cool back then??" Putting aside the 3 speed automatic transmission, I think the time has come to perhaps re-appraise the car on stylistic grounds. Although I agree it will never be a "timeless" car, I think it's now getting old enough to appreciate it as a period piece, and a successful execution of the design trends of that time.
With the later iterations of the design, the car became increasingly overstyled and needlessly complex, in order to compete with also-vulgar Lamborghini Diablo. But I think the original prototype has some really wicked, menacing proportions, and cool detailing. I love the fighter jet look imparted by the shut lines and tight panel gaps. The design borrows heavily from Bertone (the Athon -also from 1980- comes to mind), but creator Gerald Wiegert added his own Art Center-trained, American flavor to the mix. I think the way the organic fender flares relate to the chiseled belt line of the car is particularly well executed and unexpected. Perhaps we should look past the later Vectors, such as the disgusting M12, and appreciate the intent behind the original car --to make a home grown super-exotic with the latest technology and the most extreme styling that was cutting edge at the time.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 11:42PM ;)
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