SEMA 2008: Galpin Scythe Concept makes no excuses

Standing out among the conservatively-styled vehicles at the Ford booth is the Galpin Scythe Concept that we spotted a few months ago while it was being built. We had the chance to sit down with Beau Boeckmann, president of Galpin Auto Sports, who filled us in on the details on the Scythe and how it as built.

For starters, the Galpin crew completely stripped a 2008 Mustang GT convertible down to the chassis. It was then built back up with a molded fiberglass body, Air Ride suspension system, and massive 16.5" Wilwood brakes. Under the hood (partially) is a methanol-burning twin-supercharged 5.0L V8 that puts out a little over 1000 horsepower. Boeckmann knows that the styling of the Scythe is controversial and that not everyone will like it, but he hopes that people will appreciate at least some aspect of the car. Truthfully, it has some pretty trick features including a steering wheel that can move from one side of the car to the other and a voice-activated computer system that can control nearly all aspects of the car. Unlike other "concepts," every feature on the Scythe is fully functional, and the car has been driven on the street.