Saleen S7

The Saleen S7 could be called the 4th, center-engine, American supercar. In the early 90s, the incredible Vector W8 and Mosler Raptor were produced. A little later, Vector released its second model – the M12. In addition to these fantastic machines, which cost huge money, in the U.S. were produced at least unusual, but quite accessible Pontiac Fiero and Consulier GTR. The last two models had much less power and were designed as a mass product. Mosler and Saleen produced cars which were as fast and affordable as the best supercars of their time.
An interesting fact is that Saleen Automotive Inc, as well as Vector Aeromotive Corporation were based in California. Saleen supercars are assembled in the city of Irvine, in a 150,000-square-foot production facility.
Before the release of the S7, Saleen was known for tuning the Ford Mustang. But that all started to change in 2000, when the S7R race car came out. These bikes were great on the racetrack, and in particular they won 12 Hours of Sebring in 2001. The racing successes have led to a road version of the car in 2003. The latter has been adjusted to meet the strict environmental standards, and the engine power has dropped slightly.
You could see Saleen S7 in the movie “Bruce Almighty”. Where Jim Carrey was temporarily acting as the God and chose this car for himself. Also American supercar was noticed in the final race of need for speed 2014 movie. In the movie about races S7 went on start with such monstars as McLaren P1, Koenigsegg Agera, Lamborghini Elemento and Bugatti Veyron. Saleen S7 supercars were assembled by hand. And although their series is significantly larger than that of the Vector cars, Saleen also produced about 100 S7s, including road and race cars. At first glance, this is not a lot, but it should be understood that even the road car was not equipped with traction control and ABS. It is essentially a race car that has been allowed on public roads.

Saleen S7 Price.

In 2005, you could buy an S7 Twin Turbo for $585,000. That was much more than what they asked for a Lamborghini Murcielago, or Ferrari 575 Maranello (the flagship models of the time). But Saleen produced cars which rivaled the rarest and most expensive exclusives of the time: the Ferrari Enzo and Maserati MC12. In straight line speed the S7 Twin Turbo could compete with the Bugatti Veyron which appeared in 2005. It was a very fast car from America, which was not widely known in the world. Fans and people seriously interested in cars knew about the S7, but for the masses of car enthusiasts, among which knew Ferrari, or Lamborghini, Saleen was something unknown, especially outside the US.

Exterior and photos.
Saleen S7 was created from the best and most expensive materials. The body alone costs $100,000. The spatial frame was made of steel pipes and aluminum panels. In this the S7 resembles the Vector W8, released in the late ’80s. The body panels are made entirely of carbon fiber. It is noteworthy that this material comes from England. And the car itself was blown for two months in the aerodynamic tube at Glasgow University in Scotland. To maximize downforce, the bottom is sewn with flat panels of carbon fiber. In the Twin Turbo, downforce is increased by an additional 60%, while top speed is higher. To increase stiffness, half-inch aluminum panels were sandwiched between layers of carbon fiber (as was done on the front fenders, for example). Thanks to these lightweight and durable materials, the car with such a huge engine has a curb weight of only 1,538 kg.
At the customer’s request, the car could be painted with a thin layer of paint, under which the carbon fiber weave would show through. This painting should provide an even greater wow effect, because everyone will understand that the car is made of carbon fiber. Round, rear lights you might have seen on the Lamborghini Diablo, or the SSC Ultimate Aero.
As on a race car, the wheel rims are mounted with a single, center nut. The front tires are sized 275/30 ZR19 and the rear tires are 335/30 ZR20. Pay attention to the fuel filler plug. In racing style it is located on the roof pillar. In order to open the plug, you have to lift the special flap and then the keyhole will open. The nuance is that in the open position of the plug it is not possible to remove the keys. At the same time the other keys on the common ring can dangle and scratch the body.
For ’17, the car got an antifender along the full width of the body. New side skirts and new, forged, wheels.

Interior and equipment.
For all the racing essence of the Saleen S7, the key fob of this car looks unusual. Or rather the function of the key fob. There are four buttons on it. And if by pressing the first button the car closes and the second one closes. Then pressing the third button raises the door on the driver’s side and the fourth – on the passenger’s side. The doors here open according to the “butterfly wing” scheme, as McLaren likes to do. If you simultaneously press the third and fourth button, the rear trunk lid will open. Pressing the first and second button simultaneously opens the front trunk.
Some people know that the owners of these cars do not take them out on the road very often and they stand rather than drive. That’s why the batteries in supercars can be run down. For this reason, the S7 is equipped with a built-in battery charger. It is very convenient because to take the battery off the Saleen you have to take off the wheel.
The seats of S7 have carbon fiber frame and are not adjustable. They are customized and bolted to the body. The driver’s seat shifts from the sill to the center of the car 4d more than the passenger’s seat. The steering wheel isn’t adjustable here either, but the pedal assembly has 10 inches of longitudinal adjustment.

This car has an incredibly narrow foot tunnel. You can hear the hiss of the hydraulic booster when you turn the steering wheel, which makes only 2 turns from stop to stop. All these elements point to the racing essence of the car. The most powerful modification – LM is equipped with a digital tachometer.
The S7 is equipped with air conditioning, a rearview camera (there is no cabin rear-view mirror), and side mirrors have electric drive. The front glass is equipped with heating, which should prevent it from fogging. Leather and suede are used in the interior trim. It is noteworthy that the trunk liner is made of unstitched carbon fiber, and the trunk lid trim is made of suede.
The steering wheel of Saleen was not equipped with an airbag. And since ’98 it has been illegal in the US to sell new cars that are not equipped with an airbag. It seems that Saleen was made an exception due to the extreme protection of the car and its small production run. Exactly for the reason of protection, there are incredibly wide sills (about 30 cm). The parking brake lever is located between the threshold and the driver’s seat, which was and still is the norm for racing cars and many supercars.
On the center console you can see a plate with the number of a particular Saleen. The speedometer is programmed to 240 miles.

Engine and characteristics of Saleen S7.

Initially, Saleen roadster was equipped with an atmospheric, all-aluminum V8. The engine is based on Ford 351 Windstor. The powertrain is entirely designed and assembled by Saleen Automotive Inc. With a stroke diameter of 104.6mm and piston stroke of 101.6mm, the engine has a cubic capacity of 427 cubic inches (7.0L). The car has rear-wheel drive and a six-speed, manual transmission – Randolph Austin. The box has a racing howl.
Maximum power of the Saleen S7 is 550hp/6400 rpm. From zero to 100km the American supercar can accelerate in just 2.8s. Up to 100 miles the S7 with an atmospheric engine can accelerate in 7.1 seconds. The quarter mile is done in 11.35 seconds with an output speed of 206 km per hour.
The twin turbo was available in 2005 with Garrett turbos. The compressors have a low pressure of 0.4 bar. The Twin Turbo has a maximum power of 750 hp / 6300 rpm. Torque, pay attention! – 949NM! It’s achieved at 4,800 rpm. From zero to 100 miles, the turbocharged S7 accelerates in 5.6s.
Top speed of the Saleen S7 Twin Turbo is 399 km per hour. Let me remind you – this is 2005, when the Bugatti Veyron was just released. In the photo you can notice that the exhaust manifolds are wrapped with thermoblocks. This is done for the most efficient removal of exhaust gases and therefore to increase power.
The front brake discs have a diameter of 15d and the rear discs have a diameter of 14d.
In 2006 a new power package was introduced to increase the maximum twin turbo horsepower by 33% to 1014.
In 2017 Saleen S7 Twin Turbo S7LM was updated to 1300 hp.
The most powerful model of the 19-th year developed 1500 hp and 1895Nm. With this engine S7 could acceleration to 100 km in 2.2 seconds. Unconfirmed top speed was estimated at 480 km per hour.
The original developed in 2000 racing model S7-R, which was not equipped with a supercharger, but was not squeezed by environmental regulations, has a capacity of 631 hp. Only 14 such versions were produced. They participated and won in such, the most prestigious competitions as: – Fia GT and 24 Hours of Le Mans.

This is one of the most outstanding, made in the U.S., car of the present. It’s incredibly fast and has tremendous downforce. At 257k miles, the Twin Turbo version presses against the road with a force equal to the weight of the car. Not only in America, but also in other countries there are fans of this brand. Not everyone can buy one, but many have posters of Saleen in their room or garage.