Courcheval Manta

Overview

Inspired by the Corvette Stingray, the fictitious 1969 Courcheval Manta was one of the fastest sports cars of its era, capable of accelerating from zero to sixty in 5.9 seconds and achieving a top speed of 145 miles per hour. Within the world of vehicular violence portrayed in the Interstate '76 series, the Manta is a dangerous beast, not only because of its extreme speed, but also due to the heavy payload it can carry. It can be comfortably mounted with two emplacements on the front and top of the car (as well as another on its underside); together with its horsepower, it is capable of running down most any opponent before shredding it with its four forward-mounted weapons. If the Manta has a weakness, it is a somewhat light armor rating, although this is significantly mitigated by its high maneuverability, which allows skillful drivers to successfully avoid taking damage in many scenarios.

The '69 Manta was the favored car of one Antonio Malochio, the villainous weapons dealer at the heart of Interstate '76's storyline. Malochio's Manta was a deep green color, with each door emblazoned with two flaming black dice with red pips, which was his signature. It is seen in the game's intro, where he is depicted killing Jade Champion, sister to the player character, Groove, and it is also the final opponent the player will face in the game's story mode, T.R.I.P. Upon defeating Malochio in a vehicular duel, Groove approaches his nemesis as he lays bleeding in his smoldering vehicle. Desperate, Malochio pleads for his life, offering Groove anything in exchange for his help. Groove is uninterested in making a deal, however, and instead shoots Malochio several times before leaving him in his Manta.