Saleen S7

Saleen S7
Overview
ManufacturerSaleen
Production2000–2009[1]
AssemblyUnited States: Irvine, California
Designer
Body and chassis
ClassSports car (S)
Body style2-door coupé
LayoutRear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive[4]
DoorsButterfly
Powertrain
Engine427 cu in (7.0 L) Ford Windsor V8 (naturally aspirated / twin-turbocharged)
Power output550 hp (558 PS; 410 kW) (S7)
750 hp (760 PS; 559 kW) (S7 Twin Turbo)
Transmission6-speed manual[5]
Dimensions
Wheelbase106.3 in (2,700 mm)
Length188 in (4,775 mm)
Width78 in (1,981 mm)
Height41 in (1,041 mm)
Curb weight2,865 lb (1,300 kg)[6]

The Saleen S7 is an American hand-built, high-performance sports car designed and built by American automobile manufacturer Saleen Automotive Inc. Developed jointly by Steve Saleen for the initial concept, direction and engine, Hidden Creek Industries for resources and initial funding, Ray Mallock Ltd. (RML) for chassis, suspension and aerodynamics, and Phil Frank for the body and interior CAD design and development.[7][8]

It was the first fully proprietary car produced by Saleen and became America's sixth mid-engine production sports car coming after the Pontiac Fiero, Consulier GTP, Mosler Raptor, Vector W8, and M12. The S7 debuted on August 19, 2000, at the Monterey Historic Races. The all-aluminium engine is a proprietary unit developed and built in house. It is a bored-and-stroked derivative of Ford's 351 Windsor small block, with Cleveland-style canted valve heads which have been extensively reworked and modified. Having a large displacement of 427 cubic inches (7.0 L) the engine is based on and has been developed around the more compact and lighter small-block architecture and is in fact not based on the FE big-block. It proved remarkably tractable and flexible for a high-output requirement—550 hp (410 kW) at 6,400 rpm.[9] In 2005, the S7 gained a more powerful twin-turbocharged powerplant which boosted engine power to 750 hp (559 kW) and estimated top speed of 248 mph (399 km/h).[10]

  1. ^ Vijayenthiran, Viknesh (2017-12-19). "Saleen S7 LM revealed with 1,300 horsepower, $1M price tag". Motor Authority. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  2. ^ Lamm, John (2006). Velocity: Supercar Revolution. MotorBooks. pp. 236–237. ISBN 0-7603-2596-0.
  3. ^ http://www.phil-frank.com Phil Frank Design, LLC
  4. ^ "Concept Carz: 2001 Saleen S7". Concept Carz. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
  5. ^ Robson, Graham (2002). The Illustrated Directory of Sports Cars. MotorBooks. pp. 430–433. ISBN 0-7603-1420-9.
  6. ^ Saleen S7 caranddriver.com [dead link]
  7. ^ Orlove, Raphael (2015-12-15). "The Mysterious, Disputed Birth Of America's Greatest Super Car". Jalopnik. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  8. ^ Wallace A. Wyss (June 2005). "At Ford, a Supercar Delivers a Super Headache". Car and Driver. Archived from the original on 2009-05-25. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Motor-Trend-Saleen-S7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Kim Wolfkill (September 2006). "First Drives - Saleen S7 Twin Turbo". Road & Track. Archived from the original on 2007-03-28. Retrieved 2007-06-06.