[rcweingart]

Everyone had their own take on coupe versus roadster but I think we're all agreed that the roadster is more recognized and therein lies the problem. With so many kit cobras out there, a real cobra is questioned, "is it a kit car?" As a SPF coupe owner, I am not asked that question in comparison to "what is it" and "it's georgeous." One day one of my adult daughters and I went to restaurant in the coupe and were seated overlooking the parking lot where the coupe was parked. My daughter couldn't stop laughing at all the people, just about everyone who went by the coupe, men and women both of all ages, who stopped and oogled at the car, looking all over, inside, outside, some even lying down in the parking lot to look underneath. The quality of the SPF is such that people don't think it is a kit car, which it actually isn't. My coupe has the Roush 427 digital fuel injected engine at 580 HP with the open side pipes so I kind of get the best of everything, smooth driving at low rpm and a beast when you nail it - and the open side pipes sound just like a big block roadster. The SPF has power steering and brakes as well as roll up windows and air-conditioning. Real driver friendly. You can go someplace and arrive without being wind blown. It's handling is superb, just check out the Road & Track article on Peter Brock's coupe. It is quick, fast and it handles. Add to that semi exclusivity and eye stopping beauty. I've also got a full custom 2 seater Austin Healey roadster with laydown windshield and 607 HP (bes in class at the 2005 Grand National Roadster Show) and a Ferrari Daytona spyder with a comp engine and 12 velocity stacks so I'm there with roadsters too. Both the Healey and the Daytona are eye stoppers - surprising how many people actually know what a Daytona spider is. Comparing them all, all things considered, I prefer to drive the coupe. Love the combination of beauty, power, speed and handling . . .