Back in the 1990s, if you coveted the ultimate American supercar, you bought yourself a Vector W8 from Jerry Weigart’s California-based Vector Aeromotive. The model features fighter-jet styling and construction comprising carbon fibre, honeycomb-configured aluminium, and Kevlar. It’s also fit with a 625 hp, mid-mounted twin-turbo V-8 engine.
With a zero-to-97 km/h time of around 4.0 seconds and a 12-second quarter-mile time, it outpaces any Ferrari Testarossa, Lamborghini Countach, or Jaguar XJ220 of the day. Only 17 examples of the Vector W8 were built, each priced at $450,000.
In 1992, Weigart showed up at that year’s Geneva Salon in Switzerland to unveil a more dramatic, more potent successor to the W8, the upgraded Vector Avtech WX-3 Prototype. While the car on display was a highly detailed, non-running model, Weigart was back the following year with the car fully developed and powered by a new twin-turbocharged 7.0-liter V-8 delivering 1,000 hp. Its suggested price was $765,000.
Sadly, the WX-3 never made it into production. A hostile takeover attempt by main investor Megatech—backed by the Indonesian government—locked Weigart in legal battles, which he ultimately lost. The only consolation was that he retained ownership of the WX-3 design and the two prototypes—the coupe and an undeveloped roadster version, also shown at Geneva in 1993.
Weigart kept both prototypes in his collection for over 25 years, though rarely showed them. Then, in 2019, two years before his death, he decided to sell, entrusting RM Sotheby’s to find a buyer. The two cars were acquired by well-known Miami supercar collector and prolific Instagrammer Kris Singh.
After spending more than $300,000 with Connecticut-based restorer Miller Motorsports for a full mechanical and interior makeover of the coupe, Singh also spent a reported $116,000 upgrading the roadster. Singh subsequently sold them to a mystery buyer in Europe for an undisclosed sum. Last summer, the new buyer entered the two cars in RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction, with an estimate for each vehicle set between $1.3 million and $1.5 million. Both failed to sell.
The latest chapter in the story of the two Vector WX-3 Prototypes is that Canepa—a purveyor of exotic and classic automobiles—has just added the cars to its burgeoning inventory in Scotts Valley, Calif., and is looking for buyers.
“Either Vector would be the star of any car show the world over, especially at one of the hugely popular Radwood events,” Bruce Canepa tells Robb Report. “Both cars are one-of-one, and head-turning examples of ‘the Original American Supercar.’ They’re just remarkable.”
The standout of the two is the fully developed, fully sorted WX-3 Coupe, painted metallic aquamarine and with just 2,625 miles on the odometer. Unlike the droptop, which carried over the original 6.0-liter, 625 hp V-8 from the W8, the WX-3 Coupe is equipped with an uprated 7.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 from John Rodeck, a motorsport-engine builder based in Paso Robles, Calif. The mill is mated to a heavily modified GM Turbo-Hydramatic 425 three-speed automatic transmission.
The WX-3 Coupe also includes TRW forged pistons, Carillo stainless-steel con rods, a dry-sump oiling system, and a pair of huge Garrett turbos. With its estimated output of more than 1,000 hp, it could be easily uprated to over 1,200 hp. As for performance, Weigart claimed the car could cover zero to 97km/h in 3.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 399.12 km/h.
Weigart liked to describe the car as “a fighter jet on four wheels,” and just looking at it you can see why. Razor-sharp lines, a raked-back windshield, scissor-style doors, and a towering rear wing give it true supercar looks. And he backed all that style with real substance, with the car featuring an I-beam-stiff, monocoque chassis made of honeycombed aluminium and strengthened by over 5,000 aerospace-grade rivets. The body itself was made of carbon fiber reinforced by Kevlar.
The interior of the WX-3 Coupe is equally fighter-jet inspired, with billet-machined switches and a computer screen instead of traditional instruments. One oddity that remains is the strange, and uncomfortable-looking, three-across bench seat that seems more vintage Buick than supercar. In Kris Singh’s renovation, the interior was retrimmed in black leather with aquamarine accents.
“Being the singular example of Vector’s WX-3 Coupe, this prototype will definitely add significant cache for any discerning collector looking to bring some American supercar DNA to their collection,” says Canepa. While the company doesn’t officially list a price for either Vector, Canepa suggests the previous RM Sotheby’s estimate of $1.3 million to $1.5 million would be a good place to start a conversation.
Photos by Canepa
Previously published on Robb Report USA
