The definition of insanity is said to be doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Based on that description almost every person that has ever tried to start a new sports car company must be absolutely certifiable, Certainly, some of the people that dealt with Vector creator Gerald Wiegert over the years would probably apply that label. Over the span of 35 years, Wiegert never really gave up his dream of building an American supercar, but over that time period, fewer than three dozen Vectors are said to have been completed. With that sort of scarcity, It's not often that you'll find two of them in the same place, but a car dealer in Ohio currently has a pair of M12s for sale, including the very first "production" model.

In the mid-1990s Wiegert lost control of Vector to the same Indonesian company that bought Lamborghini from Chrysler and later sold it to Audi. During that overlap period, Megatech moved the company to the same Green Cove Springs, Florida industrial park that more recently was reputed to be a staging ground for the UN invasion of America. Megatech took the earlier WX-3 design and wrapped it around what was essentially a modified Lamborghini Diablo powertrain rather than the previous Chevrolet small-block V8 derivative. In other words, the stars-and-stripes patriotism of this particular M12's paint scheme is sadly a bit late for the all-American cheerleading, more ironic than appropriate.

Only 14 M12s were reported to be delivered to customers over a four-year period. After selling Lamborghini to the Germans, the final M12 was refitted with a small-block meant to be offered as the SRV8, but Vector Motors finally imploded before any were sold.

Gallery: eBay Find: Red, White and Blue Vector M12

Gallery: eBay Find: Yellow Vector M12

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: "America, #^$% Yeah!" Edition 1996 Vector M12 has its timing all wrong originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Acura NSX-Lamborghini Mashup

eBay Find of the Day: Italianate 1991 Acura NSX originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Vector M12 on eBay

eBay Find of the Day: 1999 Vector M12 is still wedged in our inner twelve year-old minds originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The 1990s was an amazing time of progress for supercars. The first part of the decade saw the introduction of the Jaguar XJ220, Bugatti EB110, McLaren F1, and, of course, the Lamborghini Diablo. The successor to the venerable Countach, the Diablo was equipped with a 5.7L V12 producing 492 horsepower and 428 lb-ft torque that seemed wretchedly excessive at the time, although somewhat tame by today's supercar standards. Various versions followed, including the SE30 in 1994, the all-wheel-drive VT, and the SV. Of utmost rarity were a handful of twin-turbo Diablos that represented perhaps the ultimate expression of the supercar at the time. Commissioned by Platinum Motors, a Lamborghini dealership in Southern California, the twin-turbo package could actually be ordered as a factory option and was even listed in the NADA price guides. The twin-turbos provided up to nine pounds of boost to the V12, which reportedly produced 750 horsepower. Less than a dozen were actually built - five VT's (named the VTTT) were initially constructed for customers, with an additional four owners converting their cars post-purchase. This car, the SVTT, was one of those four cars and was the only SV version built. We've seen the car a handful of times, including the Concorso Italiano in 2004, but haven't come across it in a few years. We've put all the photos we have in the gallery below, which are available in high-resolution for use as desktop wallpapers.

Gallery: Lamborghini Diablo SVTT

Adventures in rare '90s supercars: the Lamborghini Diablo SVTT originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lamborghini Alar designer building 3 examples of Coatl sister car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 07 Jul 2007 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.