I hope I'm not out of line here, but this is my understanding.
I don't know where Skip got the figure of 41. This is probably a typo. I spoke to John Fernandez and Herb Helbig when we were at the Chrysler proving grounds in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago. They are both incredibly enthusiastic about the Comp Coupe.
John told me that a total of 31 (not 41) legitimate orders from racers had been received on or prior to December 10, 2001. That was the cut-off date they used to determine 2003 production. Of these 31, 4 are going to professional race teams overseas, leaving a total of 27 destined for U.S. customers. He reiterated that they will resist any possibility of these cars going to collectors. To my knowledge, nobody has been informed of their selection or lack of selection.
John also said that these cars were being built specifically for Skip Thomas' Viper Days Racing League. He said the first cars would not be built until sometime in September because the priority is to launch the 2003 SRT-10 program first. The same drivetrain and chassis will be used in the Comp Coupe, so they can't scavenge the production line just for the Comp Coupe.
They are still making tweeks and decisions on final components of the Comp Coupe. A second-generation prototype is scheduled to appear at the Viper Days event at Mid-Ohio in April, possibly raced in the event by Tommy Archer. They are extremely focused on keeping the price at $100,000 or less. My impression is that this will be a determining factor in the final features on the car.
There is expected to be a price increase (but I don't know how much)in the second batch of Comp Coupes (those delivered after the first 31). This is another great reason to keep the Comp Coupe out of the hands of collectors and/or profiteers. Let the racers have the car so they can use it for its intended purpose at the most reasonable cost possible.
Out.