VLF Force 1
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The VLF Force 1 is an American
sports car A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
produced by
VLF Automotive VLF Automotive is a small American-based automotive company formed in January 2016. It was founded as VL Automotive in 2012 by Bob Lutz and Gilbert Villarreal, then renamed after Henrik Fisker joined the company. Company history The company wa ...
. Based on the
Dodge Viper (VX I) The Dodge Viper (VX I) is the fifth and final generation of the Viper sports car. Introduced in the 2013 model year, the car was entirely redesigned and included features such as an anti-lock braking system, electronic stability control and tract ...
, the Force 1 was designed by automobile designer
Henrik Fisker Henrik Fisker (born 10 August 1963) is a Danish automotive designer and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for designing luxury cars including the BMW Z8, Aston Martin DB9, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Fisker Karma, G ...
.
VLF Automotive VLF Automotive is a small American-based automotive company formed in January 2016. It was founded as VL Automotive in 2012 by Bob Lutz and Gilbert Villarreal, then renamed after Henrik Fisker joined the company. Company history The company wa ...
also partnered with American
racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
and Viper enthusiast
Ben Keating Ben Keating (born August 18, 1971) is an American amateur racing driver and business owner operating out of Victoria, Texas. Keating is the owner of 28 car auto dealerships across Texas, The Keating Auto Group. Since starting auto racing in 2006, ...
during the development of the Force 1, leveraging his experience with the engine. The Force 1 V10 was first unveiled at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, with the production of the first run of 50 vehicles planned to begin in April 2016.


History

VLF Automotive is a joint venture between designer
Henrik Fisker Henrik Fisker (born 10 August 1963) is a Danish automotive designer and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for designing luxury cars including the BMW Z8, Aston Martin DB9, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Fisker Karma, G ...
, former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz and businessman Gilbert Villarreal. Lutz and Villarreal began VLF automotive in 2012, and in 2013 unveiled the VLF Destino, a luxury automobile based onFisker's
Karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...
electric car. VLF did away with the Karma's fully electric
powertrain A drivetrain (also frequently spelled as drive train or sometimes drive-train) is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the drivetrain is the components o ...
and replaced it with the 6.2 L LS9 V8 engine used in the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Eventually Fisker joined the team, and VL automotive became VLF automotive. VLF then began work on a new automobile built around the 8.4 L Viper V10 engine, which would become the Force 1 V10. In 2015, Fisker met racing driver and Viper enthusiast
Ben Keating Ben Keating (born August 18, 1971) is an American amateur racing driver and business owner operating out of Victoria, Texas. Keating is the owner of 28 car auto dealerships across Texas, The Keating Auto Group. Since starting auto racing in 2006, ...
. Fisker and VLF partnered with Keating during the development of the Force 1. Keating drew on his Viper racing experience to design the Force 1's
active suspension An active suspension is a type of automotive suspension on a vehicle. It uses an onboard system to control the vertical movement of the vehicle's wheels relative to the chassis or vehicle body rather than the passive suspension provided by large sp ...
, which makes nearly 10,000 adjustments per second. This results in better traction and a significantly improved ride when compared with the Viper.


Design and specifications


Engine

The Force 1 V10 utilizes a 8.4 liter V10 engine used in the fifth generation of the Dodge Viper. The standard output for this engine is and of torque. VLF significantly increased the engine's output for the Force 1, and the engine was now rated at and of torque (an increase of 14% and 5%, respectively). This results in a top speed of and a 0- acceleration time of 3.0 seconds. The engine of the Force 1 V10 is placed between the cabin and the front axle, with the engine's
center of mass In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the balance point) is the unique point where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero. This is the point to which a force may ...
located behind the front axle. This is meant to improve the vehicle's handling by modifying weight distribution. The Force 1 comes standard with a 6-speed
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...
, but an optional 6-speed paddle-shift automatic would be available on request.


Body

The Force 1's exterior was designed by
Henrik Fisker Henrik Fisker (born 10 August 1963) is a Danish automotive designer and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for designing luxury cars including the BMW Z8, Aston Martin DB9, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Fisker Karma, G ...
, known for his work on the design of the
BMW Z8 The BMW Z8 is a roadster produced by German automotive manufacturer BMW from 1998 to 2006. The Z8 was developed under the codename "E52" between 1993 and 1999, through the efforts of a design team led by Chris Bangle from 1993 to 1995. The ext ...
and
Aston Martin DB9 The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer produced by Aston Martin. Available both in coupé and a convertible bodystyles, the latter being known as the Volante, the DB9 was the successor to the DB7. It was first shown at the 2003 Frankfurt Aut ...
, among other automobiles. The Force 1 shares many basic design features with other American sports cars, and in particular the Dodge Viper (with which it shares the basic
chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
). It features an elongated hood, a long tapered rear section, and protruding wheels, and has a body made entirely of
carbon fiber Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
. The Force 1 has a sharp, angled front side which also sports 6 functional intake and outlet vents. The rear of the car is more curved and contains a large outlet vent. Force 1 also features ultra-thin lights at both the front and the rear. The front and roof spoilers, as well as the rear diffuser, are made of exposed, polished carbon fiber. The roof spoiler also contains the on-board Wi-Fi hotspot antenna and a third brake light.


Interior

The interior is designed for two people and is trimmed in
leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...
,
suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was fir ...
and Alcantara. Other features include a milled
aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...
and leather gear shifter, leather and suede sunglasses holder, and a hidden milled aluminum pen holder. The Force 1 also features a substantial technology suite, including in-dash navigation, smart phone connectivity and charging, and a
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wave ...
hotspot housed in the rear spoiler. It is also fitted with a
champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
holder, with a two bottle capacity, located between the two seat backs.


Wheels

The Force 1 V10 is fitted with aluminum four-spoke wheels, with a width of in the front and in back. The
Pirelli Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is a multinational tyre manufacturer based in Milan, Italy. The company, which has been listed on the Milan Stock Exchange since 1922, is the 6th-largest tyre manufacturer and is focused on the consumer production of tyre ...
P Zero high performance tires are sized at 305/25/ZR21 in the front with 355/25/ZR21 in the rear. The Force 1 V10 is outfitted with
Brembo Brembo S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of automotive brake systems, especially for high-performance cars and motorcycles. Its head office is in Curno, Bergamo, Italy. History Brembo was established in Paladina, Italy on January 11, 1961 ...
high performance brakes.


Production

After debuting at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, it was announced that an initial run of 50 cars was planned in 2016. The first two units, including the vehicle displayed at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, took only 10 weeks to build, and Bob Lutz claimed the initial development only required $10 million in investment. Production took place at VLF's
Auburn Hills, Michigan Auburn Hills is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. Before incorporating as a city in 1983, the area was part of the now-defunct Pontiac Township. It is home to Oakland University ...
manufacturing facility beginning in April 2016. Deliveries were planned for Q3 of 2016. As part of the partnership with
Ben Keating Ben Keating (born August 18, 1971) is an American amateur racing driver and business owner operating out of Victoria, Texas. Keating is the owner of 28 car auto dealerships across Texas, The Keating Auto Group. Since starting auto racing in 2006, ...
, all 50 units would be exclusively be available through Keating's Viper Exchange dealership. Pricing for the Force 1 V10 will start at $286,500. VLF had future plans to distribute both the Force 1 V10 and the VL Destino through a small group of domestic dealerships, though no plans to create exclusive dealerships were made. Only 5 cars were actually produced.


External links


Force 1 V10

VLF Automotive

The Viper Exchange

Henrik Fisker

Destino V8

http://www.detroitnews.com


References

{{Henrik Fisker Luxury vehicles Henrik Fisker Cars introduced in 2016 Cars of the United States Sports cars