This VLF Force 1 V10 Inspired by the Dodge Viper Is a Rare Gem

He served as the executive vice president of Ford, president and vice chairman of Chrysler Corporation, as well as vice chairman of General Motors. Now, that should make for a pretty impressive CV, if you ask me.

When Henrik Fisker joined Villarreal and Lutz in 2016, the firm was renamed to VLF Automotive. Fisker is among the industry’s most renowned designers of luxury cars. His notable projects extend from the Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage, all the way to the Fisker Karma or even the BMW Z8.

All things considered, you can probably imagine that VLF’s leadership means business. The Michigan-based manufacturer is now collaborating with AM General, producers of none other than the famous Humvee, for a limited annual production of 100 units. The project intends to deliver civilian variants of the military beast, named Humvee C-Series, to non-U.S. markets, including Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

At the 2016 North American International Auto Show hosted in Detroit, VLF introduced us to a new animal; the Force 1 V10. It was a juicy carbon fiber monster powered by an 8.4-liter (you guessed it) V10 and heavily inspired by Dodge Viper. They initially planned on manufacturing a total of 50 units, but its production sadly ceased after selling just five Force 1s, due to low market demand.

Personally, I’d say this supercar’s fate would have been different, were it introduced and marketed after Dodge discontinued the beloved Viper in 2017. After all, why be interested in a car that closely resembles another on most levels, as long as you can still purchase the latter?

Nonetheless, VLF’s Force 1 V10 was spectacular in its own right! The V10 powerplant was capable of delivering up to 745 hp at 6,100 rpm and a colossal 638 pound-feet (928 Nm) of torque at 5,000 rpm, making it superior to the Viper in terms of power output.

It would accelerate 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) in as little as 3 seconds and could run the quarter-mile in just 10.97 seconds, with a generous top speed of 218 mph (351 kph). Basically, this damn thing is fast – like, really fast.

By default, VLF’s Force 1 V10 was equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, but the firm also offered an optional six-speed automatic with paddle shift. The bodywork was made entirely of carbon fiber and the whole thing sat on 21″ wheels with high performance Pirelli P Zero tires.

The very first one of these sexy beasts to have ever been sold was recently featured at an online auction hosted by Gooding & Company, with an eye-watering estimated price between $275,000 and $325,000. However, as the reserve was not met, VLF’s Force 1 V10 remains unsold and bidding is currently closed.

I would imagine that the dealer might still be prepared to sell this marvel to anyone interested in negotiating a fair price, but that remains uncertain.