2016 VLF Force 1 V10

The opportunity to own a 1 of 1 supercar doesn’t come every day, but this just happens to be one of those rare days. The term “1 of 1” tends to get taken for granted in the car community sometimes, as relatively popular cars get this label when they are of a unique factory spec. This, however, is not one of those. It is a true 1 of 1. The VLF Force 1 was the brainchild of famed automotive designer Henry Fisker and American racing driver Ben Keating. Some may describe it as a fancier Dodge Viper, but that would be a great understatement. While it does share important basic components with the Viper, Fisker and Keating combined their design and mechanical expertise to make significant improvements and create a unique work of engineering art. The Force 1 made its debut at the 2016 North American International Auto Show, for a proposed limited production run of just 50 units, but circumstance would have it otherwise and just 5 ended up being produced. Of these 5, only 1 was a convertible – making this example truly the only vehicle of its kind on the planet.

Exterior and Interior

Some of Fisker’s best-known works include the Aston Martin DB9 and the BMW Z8, and the Force 1 builds upon that impressive resume. In this dark graphite metallic color, it looks more like a Batmobile than a road car. From the very angular front end (which contains 6 inlet and outlet vents) to the massive, unique 4-spoke aluminum wheels and the UTV laser-blade taillights, it is a design that looks incredibly futuristic even 9 years after its launch. Given that the body is made of carbon fiber, one would assume that the interior would be devoid of creature comforts for weight-saving purposes, but that would be inaccurate. In fact, it’s made of leather, Alcantara, carbon fiber and milled aluminum, and even has a digital display with navigation and all the connectivity and modern conveniences one would expect in a family car.

Engine

The 8.4L V10 under the very long hood does come from the 5th generation Viper (along with the 6-speed manual Tremec transmission), but VLF has spiced it up to produce a claimed 745hp and 638lbf-ft of torque, a significant increase over the Dodge. But it’s quite well known that the Viper didn’t suffer from a lack of power, but rather had difficulty getting its power onto the road. Being a Viper enthusiast, Keating was all-too aware of this, and designed an active suspension system for the Force 1 to solve this problem. Hence, it received a suspension system that makes nearly 10,000 adjustments per second, to give this car both a better ride and better traction than the Viper.