Production was delayed after the W2 was presented to the public in 1976 due to a downturn in the world economy and insufficient financial backing.

The transmission was a highly modified Turbo-Hydramatic 425 General Motors three-speed automatic that had been used in front wheel drive Oldsmobile Toronado dating back some two decades earlier.

The W8 utilized special Michelin XGT Plus tires (255/45ZR-16 at the front, 315/40ZR-16 at the rear) bespoke to the car with wide wheels in a design made to the owner's specifications.

Some driving amenities were excluded, such as power-assisted steering and anti-lock brakes, to lower the curb weight.

[citation needed] The W8's design included subtle changes to the body during the production run, so that the initial car off the line looked slightly different from the last.

The model designations stood for Avtech Wiegert Experimental, 3rd generation, with the R suffix meaning the roadster version.

Wiegert sued Megatech and won back the design copyrights, equipment, and remaining unsold cars.

In 1991, the car received negative publicity when tennis star Andre Agassi returned his for a refund after the rear carpeting burned due to an overly hot exhaust system.

In a 2017 article, the magazine noted that the Vector W8 serves as an example of why they don't believe manufacturer's claims about a vehicle without testing it themselves and described the W8 as "vaporware".

The review concluded with: "Hats off to Gerald Wiegert and his team of dedicated engineers, and to all others with the fortitude and determination to have their dreams see the light of day.