A-Pillar Exhaust

Most car engines draw their fuel/air mixture from the top of the engine and expell their exhaust gasses down through a manifold into the exhaust pipes under and out the back of the car.

There would be fewer pumping losses if the exhaust went straight up and out, like on a semi truck or a top fuel drag racer.

The exhaust would come out of the top of the engine (the intake manifold on a V-8 would then become the exhaust manifold), into some type of muffler, and through exhaust pipes integrated into the A-pillars.

This would also isolate the intake system from a good deal of the hot air rising up off the engine, as well as providing an easy way to heat the windshield and passenger compartment with the hot exhaust gasses.

The only problems I see are packaging the entire exhaust system under the hood, and striking a balance between making the pillars with a large diameter (to improve gas flow), and making them small to improve visibility. I suppose high-performance cars might just vent their exhausts out the quarter panels, similar to Buick's "portholes."