In the Speed Racer movie does Speed drive two different Mach 5's I noticed that he drives a Mach 5 that had only enough room for him at Thunderhead yet talks with Trixie in a bigger cockpit later?

Answer 1

Actually, the Mach used at Thunderhead was an early version of the Mach 6, later rebuilt for the Grand Prix. The Mach 6 was a T180, geared specifically for intense track racing. According to the movie and other sources (Specifically the book, The Art of Speed Racer by the Wachowski Brothers), the Mach 5 was Speed's everyday, street vehicle---it was allowed only for off-road racing, such as the Casa Cristo 5000, and in general didn't fit the World Racing League's performance standards, disqualifying it from track action. Speed's first version of the Mach 6 was destroyed at the Fuji Helexicon, necessitating the need to rebuild the vehicle for the championship race. All T180 drivers had both a WRL-sanctioned vehicle and an everyday, street-legal vehicle for their own use and for participating in off-track races such as the Casa Cristo. Hope this helps clear up the confusion!