Vector M12 - a cool American with a hot Italian “heart”

Today we would like to introduce you to the Vector M12. This is indeed a very rare, small-scale and quite eccentric car with an interesting backstory - a real dream for many collectors and car enthusiasts.


This American supercar was designed by McLaren F1 stylist Peter Stevens and built in the early 1990s by Vector Aeromotive, which is now defunct.


The company has changed several owners over its history and ultimately existed until 2021. They managed to release only a few models, but most of them were able to attract the attention of the public with their sophisticated style and impressive characteristics.

The author of idea

Vector was founded in 1971 by Gerald Wiegert, a visionary engineer and entrepreneur. In his interviews, he liked to talk about how since childhood he dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot, but due to problems with his eyesight, unfortunately, nothing was possible for him in this area.

And then the enterprising Gerald decided at all costs to build himself a fighter for the street roads, and in principle he succeeded. He realized his dream in the form of the original "Vector" with a mid-engine design, which is capable of reaching speeds of more than 200 mph (about 322 km/h).

"Based on the"

Our today's hero, the Vector M12, was created on the basis of an earlier Vector AWX-3 prototype. This "super car" was to be available in two configurations: either a hardtop coupe or a roadster with an upgraded version of the twin-turbo V8.

Two different engine options were also planned - 600 hp. With. in the entry-level model, and “unreal” 1200 hp. With. in a more powerful version. This figure would put it at the top of the podium among the fastest and most powerful production cars of all time by a wide margin.

Both versions were presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1993, and Wiegert was already looking for partners to finance and launch the project. However, the story took a dramatic turn when the main shareholder of Indonesian Megatech initiated a hostile takeover.

As a result, the company, which aspired to become one of the leading sports car manufacturers in the world, acquired Vector. She also purchased Lamborghini from Chrysler in 1994.


New management fired Wiegert as CEO but allowed him to continue as chief designer. However, he refused further cooperation and even filed a lawsuit to regain the copyright to the WX-3 design and the remaining unsold production versions of the W8.

Meanwhile, Megatech moved Vector production to Lamborghini North America and attempted to build the WX-3, whose prototype success had haunted them. But they didn’t succeed, and then the decision was made to develop a new car “based on”, but on the basis of the successful Lamborghini Diablo - a high-performance mid-engined sports car, which many consider the coolest Italian car of the 1990s.

Unusual forms

They hired a team of experienced designers to do this, led by Peter Stevens, the man who designed the McLaren F1 with Gordon Murray. The name of the car was given to M12.

It featured a carbon-reinforced fiberglass body that was somewhat reminiscent of the WX-3, but since it had to be mated to a stretched version of the Diablo chassis, the end result looked odd to say the least. Externally, the car has a characteristically low “aerospace” profile.


Also eye-catching is the compact, rounded front end with a sloping nose leading into a large curved windshield, pop-up headlights, scissor doors, horizontally split side windows, a huge rear spoiler and triple air intakes on the sides. The elongated rear part, which houses the powerful V12, also looks unusual. All these elements create an incredibly futuristic style.

The dimensions of the model were as follows:

✅ length - 4780 mm
✅ width - 2019 mm
✅ height - 1130 mm
✅ weight – 1636 mm

As you can see, the two-seater Vector M12 also looked quite impressive, which is not surprising given such parameters:.

Hot Italian "heart"

In addition to the extended chassis, the Diablo M12 also inherits some other mechanical components, such as the suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and brakes. It also borrowed from the Italian the powerful 5,7-liter four-cylinder Lamborghini V12 engine, which provides the sports car with excellent performance.

True, the engine in it is not installed behind the gearbox, as in Lamborghini, but in the center, in front of it. The latter was a five-speed manual transmission, through which the engine drives the Vector's rear wheels.

This power unit produces an impressive 492 hp. With. at 5200 rpm and torque 576 N*m at 4900 rpm. These parameters allowed the M12 to reach a top speed of 189 mph (about 304 km/h) and accelerate to hundreds in a record 4,8 seconds. So the new car became a real “beast” for its time.

There was no triumph

The Vector M12 debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in 1996. However, much to the disappointment of the new owner, it did not receive the same strong positive reaction as the WX-3. Things were so bad that production had to be suspended for several months because no one wanted to buy it. Moreover, the extraordinary car cost quite a lot.

Despite the fact that its price at that time was much less than the Diablo, it was a fairly respectable $184. This is still a lot of money, but at that time the amount was equivalent to the current $000. So this, by definition, was a car exclusively for the elite.


Eventually, Vector managed to register several orders and production resumed. The company even decided to turn the pre-production prototype into a racing car and compete in the famous 24-hour race at Le Mans, but a number of mechanical problems prevented it from competing.

In total, as you know, the company produced 17 copies of the M12. Three of them were prototypes and 14 were production. Production ceased completely in 1999. The main reason, of course, was the low level of sales. Plus, the year before, Megatech sold Lamborghini to the Audi division of the VW Group. And the company's financial affairs developed in such a way that it eventually became bankrupt.


How many copies of Vector M12 exist at the moment is not known for certain. They are extremely rare to find at auctions. At the same time, cars with low mileage in perfect condition cost from $200 to $000. Most still consider the Vector M300 to be one of the coolest supercars of the 000s, even though it came from a troubled automaker.