[Hal Copple]

read about the Mach 1's functional hood scoop, it does indeed get its air from the inlet on the hood, but then it is routed thru a tortouous tubing to the same inlet and filter as on the non-hood scoop cars, so it may actually make less power to a very small degree. But it is "functional" as to the look.

One of the issues with the prototype several years ago was the noise the twin sidepipes emitted, they were forced to put some tin cans up in them for one one the track events in a One Lap of American track, due to race track noise requirements.

I think i have one of the loudest SPF's out on the road, for a number of reasons and "tweaks", and the 60K miles i have on my car. But since this is intened to be a GT car, not just a track event car, like the modified non-DOT Viper race car, some compromises are necessary, one of those being violation of noise ordinances, neighborhood policies, and common courtesy to one's neighbors. For instance, if i need to go somewhere in my car in thte middle of the night, i will usually push it out the garage, and roll it down the driveway, and not actually start it until i am rolling down the street, away from my friend's bedroom windows.

One of the "functional" areas they solved, was the small air scoop inlets just in front of the windshield on the "fenders", where in the race car they fed cooling air to the driver's feet. On the prototype, there was no way to keep them from getting the interior wet in the rain. In order to keep the small air scoops, they now injest air that is then sent downward to an in-between space between the firewall and and a second firewall just behind that one, to help reduce engine heat coming into the cockpit. So no water in the interior, but still a "functional" scoop.

It is possible that more than one wheel design may be offered, there were several different wheel designs on the prototypes over the past few years. I don't know for sure.

I think it is an extraordinary car for the money spent to put one on the road. I guess CS is impressed enough with the workmanship and craftmanship of the people and factories of South Africa to start building his own Shelby Cobra's there now.

all the best, and God Bless our Military.