Defunct American supercar maker Vector is best-known for its first car, the W8. With its wacky transverse twin-turbo V-8 engine layout, fighter jet-like cockpit, and ultra-wedge looks, the car stole the hearts of every enthusiast that laid eyes on it. But it wasn’t the only car Vector built. There was also the M12.
Unlike the W8, which used its own bespoke chassis and drivetrain, the M12 was mostly Lamborghini underneath. It was produced while Vector was under ownership of Indonesian firm MegaTech, which also owned Lamborghini at the time. As such, it used a lengthened Diablo chassis and a 5.7-liter Lamborghini quad-cam V-12 paired to a five-speed manual transmission.
Despite its Italian bones, the M12 still looked very much like a Vector. Its wedge-shaped nose, pentagonal doors, and sweeping, all-encapsulating windshield draw obvious connections to the original W8, while the three-spoke wheels and curvy, body-colored spoiler accentuate its ’90s origins.
This particular M12 lived an interesting life, having been featured on the cover of Wheels magazine and driven by none other than Jeremy Clarkson for an episode of Top Gear that aired in the mid-1990s. Now it’s up for bidding on Bring a Trailer. According to the ad a bunch of service has been done and the car is in good working order, meaning it’s ready to be driven by whomever wins the auction.
Being the fourth of just 14 M12s built, this is an extremely rare opportunity to buy one of the very few Vectors produced. Whether it’s the M12 or the earlier, more desirable W8, these cars don’t change hands very often. So if you have a Vector-sized hole in your collection, we suggest registering to bid sooner rather than later.
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