Project Description
Vector M12 Super Car
The call from former Lotus Formula 1 director Ian Doble to ask if I would be interested in coming down to Florida to lend a hand on the development of an American supercar came at the perfect time. My interest in the work going on at Teague was waning. The idea of being an automotive design consultant based in New York City was very appealing. Arriving in Jacksonville, FL I met with D. Peter Rose the CEO of Vector and Ian, who was the M12 program manager. The team consisted of an automotive engineering “who’s who”, hired guns who had worked on some of the most exotic cars in the world. If anyone could put a supercar together, these guys could.
I got to design many areas of the current car. Peter and Ian also asked me to act as Creative Director for the company. This work can be seen here. Going forward, all forthcoming M12 versions and the next generation of Vectors were going to be my designs. This was thrilling. However, the overall experience of being around incredibly talented and passionate people who loved creating cars was the true reward of being a part of this program. We worked long hours, sometimes all night. When we took a break, Ian would share his stories of running Lotus F1 and working with Colin Chapman and Mario Andretti. It was a grand time and like so many of life’s great experiences, ended all too quickly. 16 production cars were produced.
The call from former Lotus Formula 1 director Ian Doble to ask if I would be interested in coming down to Florida to lend a hand on the development of an American supercar came at the perfect time. My interest in the work going on at Teague was waning. The idea of being an automotive design consultant based in New York City was very appealing. Arriving in Jacksonville, FL I met with D. Peter Rose the CEO of Vector and Ian, who was the M12 program manager. The team consisted of an automotive engineering “who’s who”, hired guns who had worked on some of the most exotic cars in the world. If anyone could put a supercar together, these guys could.
I got to design many areas of the current car. Peter and Ian also asked me to act as Creative Director for the company. This work can be seen here. Going forward, all forthcoming M12 versions and the next generation of Vectors were going to be my designs. This was thrilling. However, the overall experience of being around incredibly talented and passionate people who loved creating cars was the true reward of being a part of this program. We worked long hours, sometimes all night. When we took a break, Ian would share his stories of running Lotus F1 and working with Colin Chapman and Mario Andretti. It was a grand time and like so many of life’s great experiences, ended all too quickly. 16 production cars were produced.
Skills: vehicle design, livery design, conceptual design, product design, industrial design, ideation, communication design, multi-disciplinary collaboration, cross-functional collaboration, graphic design, c-suite presentations
Future Vectors
As design work on the M12 was winding down, a meeting was held with Peter Rose and Ian Doble to discuss future Vector models that would follow. Peter wanted a front-engine coupe/ retractable hardtop convertible and Ian, who had put together the plan for the Lotus Elise, wanted what could be described as a “lifestyle” car: We came up with an idea for an insane mid-engine, 2 seat, pickup truck that was part supercar, part utility vehicle. The sketches show the new face of Vector.
Gone were the pop-up headlights. They were replaced by a set of triple-lamp units that gave the cars a real face. On the coupe, the iconic split side window was carried forward. These designs were developed remotely from my location in Brooklyn Heights, NY. The black and white sketches with the idea callouts were designed to arrive to Ian and Peter by fax. This part of the Vector program was bitter-sweet as once the funding was pulled, I knew these designs would never see production. It was fun while it lasted.
As design work on the M12 was winding down, a meeting was held with Peter Rose and Ian Doble to discuss future Vector models that would follow. Peter wanted a front-engine coupe/ retractable hardtop convertible and Ian, who had put together the plan for the Lotus Elise, wanted what could be described as a “lifestyle” car: We came up with an idea for an insane mid-engine, 2 seat, pickup truck that was part supercar, part utility vehicle. The sketches show the new face of Vector.
Gone were the pop-up headlights. They were replaced by a set of triple-lamp units that gave the cars a real face. On the coupe, the iconic split side window was carried forward. These designs were developed remotely from my location in Brooklyn Heights, NY. The black and white sketches with the idea callouts were designed to arrive to Ian and Peter by fax. This part of the Vector program was bitter-sweet as once the funding was pulled, I knew these designs would never see production. It was fun while it lasted.
