One of only 17 customer cars ever built!
The Ferrari F40, Lamborghini Countach and Porsche 959 are all iconic examples of some of the first supercars ever to exist, and in the late '80s, the Vector W8 arrived on the scene showing that American muscle and ingenuity could compete against the best from Europe. Sadly, it was financial issues – not performance – that ultimately brought down Vector, but not before 17 high-powered W8s (and two prototypes) were built from 1989 through 1993. The ninth of the 17 production W8s lived a pampered life, and now it's heading to a new home this weekend after being sold for $720,000 through RM Sotheby's.
With such limited production, it's always rare to see a W8 up for sale, but what makes this particular 1991 Vector W8 even more special is that it's had just a single owner since it was built. According to the listing, this car was originally ordered by its current owner back in 1989 at a cost of $178,000 with an expected delivery date in 1990. Delays pushed back this car's completion to late 1991, and it was given an updated VIN at the time to reflect the 1991 model year. Today, the odometer of this 1991 Vector W8 shows just 2,268 actual miles ensuring this supercar looks as good as it did 29 years ago!
In terms of performance, the Vector W8 was powered by a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V8 that was officially rated at 625 horsepower – the Ferrari F40 had just 477 horsepower. Vector claimed this engine could allow the wedge-shaped W8 to achieve a top speed of 242 mph, and a 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds. As fast as the W8 is, its design is truly what made it a super supercar with an aerospace-minded shape and advanced body construction that utilized fiberglass, carbon fiber and Kevlar. Even the interior had a jet-fighter appearance with a cockpit-like dash and a T-handle shift left positioned to the driver's left.
