Vector M12 Overview: Specs, Generations and Which One to Buy
Vector M12 specs, generations and buying advice: a 1996–2000 American coupe with 499 hp, a 5.7-liter engine, manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive.
The Vector M12 is a rear-wheel-drive coupe built from 1996 to 2000, offered with a single 499 hp powertrain. Anyone looking up vector m12 specs will find a short, focused story: one generation, one body style, one engine, a manual gearbox and 0–100 acceleration of 4.8 seconds. It suits collectors of rare 1990s American supercars rather than everyday drivers.
Vector M12 generations
1 generation (1996–2000)
The first and only generation of the Vector M12 was produced from 1996 to 2000 exclusively as a coupe. The power range is 499–499 hp: every car left the factory with the same output. The lineup counts exactly one modification, the Vector M12 5.7 MT, pairing a 5707 cc engine with a manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. The Vector M12 5.7 MT accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, a figure that keeps it competitive with performance coupes well beyond its production years. With only one drivetrain configuration ever offered, the 1 generation defines the entire model: there are no automatic versions, no alternative body styles and no all-wheel-drive variants to compare.
Which Vector M12 to buy
- 5.7 MT (1 generation): the only modification of the Vector M12, with 499 hp, a 5707 cc engine and 0–100 km/h in 4.8 seconds on a manual gearbox with rear-wheel drive.
Buying used is straightforward in one sense: with a single generation (1996–2000) and a single modification, there is no risk of picking the wrong spec — every Vector M12 carries the same 499 hp manual RWD drivetrain. The main task is simply finding one, since the model was built for only five years.
Vector M12 at a glance
The numbers that define the car are compact enough to list in full. Production years: 1996–2000. Body: coupe only. Power: 499 hp across the entire range. Engine displacement: 5707 cc. Transmission: manual only. Drive: rear-wheel drive only. Acceleration 0–100 km/h: 4.8 seconds. One generation, one modification — the Vector M12 5.7 MT is the whole catalog.
Because the Vector M12 never split into trim ladders or facelift cycles, comparing versions is unnecessary; the choice reduces to condition and availability of a specific car. That makes the model unusual among 1996–2000 coupes, where most rivals offered multiple engines and gearboxes. Here the vector m12 specs sheet is the same for every example: 499 hp, 5.7 liters, three pedals, driven wheels at the back.