Saleen S5S Raptor concept coming to New York
While its custom Mustangs continue to astound, Saleen has long since emerged from the field of aftermarket tuners and established itself as a genuine American supercar maker, having produced such heart-racing exotics as the Saleen S7 and Ford GT. With both now out of production, Saleen is preparing for its next supercar to rival Europe's best.
Back in November we brought you a photo of an intriguing clay model in Saleen's Irvine, California plant, and now details are coming into focus. Dubbed the S5S Raptor, Saleen will bring its newest creation to the New York Auto Show later next month. The Raptor is tipped to feature a 5-liter supercharged V8 running on E85 ethanol. To keep the weight down, Saleen will build the chassis from aluminum and the body panels from composites, helping the lightweight S5S Raptor reach speeds of over 200 mph. They might as well have called it "rapture", because we can't wait to see the newest American supercar in the flesh.
[Source: AutoWeek via World Car Fans]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Guenther 8:09AM (2/28/2008)
...Just to the second to last sentence. While light weight is important for all other aspects of performance, it is not helpful in attaining top speed. The car needs a level of down-force to keep tires in good contact with the road, and if this comes from aerodynamic features, rather than gravity, it will impact top speed performance negatively.
I don't recall Saleen being involved with the GT- more so Roush and SVO, but tell me if you know otherwise.
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Jay 8:20AM (2/28/2008)
In 2003 Ford chose Saleen, Inc. as one of the key suppliers to the Ford GT. To build this low-volume super car, Chris Theodore, Ford’s vice president of product development assembled a team of performance engineering experts, such as Saleen, with the skills to deliver and the knowledge to get things done within Ford while operating outside the established system.
Many of the assembly processes already employed by Saleen to manufacture its Mustang, Saleen S331 Sport Truck and S7 models will be used for the paint and vehicle assembly responsibilities Saleen will assume for the new Ford GT.
To provide these services to Ford, Saleen has opened a nearly 200,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Troy, Michigan known as Saleen, Troy. Housed in this building are a highly efficient GT assembly line, state-of-the-art painting facilities and a group of highly creative and specialized designers, engineers and fabricators capable of producing one-off show cars such as the critically acclaimed 2005 Ford Mustang GT-R.
www.saleen.com
Guenther 9:23AM (2/28/2008)
thanks
Christian 10:15AM (2/28/2008)
Think you might wanna get some updated news on the Ford GT, guys. The Ford GT was built at Ford Wixom, in Wixom Michigan. Saleen made some of the parts and painted the panels only. Saleen did not "build" these cars in the normal sense of automobile assembly. That was done at Wixom. Same goes for the engine being built at Romeo.
Scott 2:01PM (2/28/2008)
Not sure where you got that "press release" as Ford GT production ended before the Saleen S331 sport truck production ever began...
proof 10:51AM (3/16/2008)
The Ford Gt was not just painted at SALEEN, this car or I should say chassis was brought in raw and went out the door after being painted, wired, assembled with all interior, hardware, wiring and other components except the engine. The engine was what Wixom put on the car, along with some scratches and/or dings that needed to be sent back to Saleen. So for you to say that SALEEN painted some panels is very untrue for. Maybe you should have taken a tour of the place when GT was there and then maybe you would know.
Huecifer 8:28AM (2/28/2008)
Ahhhh, E85! When will people realize it's not God's gift to our gasoline problems? It creates more problems financially and for the environment than anyone (in America) seems to care to admit. I'd rather have our farmland used for food production than bad gas, and it's not like clearing more farmland for crops to make ethanol is a good idea. It's certainly not good for the environment... but no one cares to let the American public know this, so we're brainwashed into thinking it's soooo good. I call BS on Ethanol.
And here's just the most recent effect of increased Ethanol demand:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7264653.stm
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John P. 9:32AM (2/28/2008)
Yep, exactly. E85 is a bunch of crap that got a few votes for farm state politions and some feel-good time for liberals.
Guenther 9:41AM (2/28/2008)
This always comes up- The forst thing the article states is that the last 20% jump came from Kazakstan (I knew about their Potassium exports, but THIS?) cutting exports. As long as we still have empty farmland and crops are being subsidized, we haven't reached an honest equilibrium.
The price of tortillias didn't rise 400% because of the corn prices doubling- that itself is nonsense.
superdart 6:15PM (2/28/2008)
I agree....E85 is a joke.
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MG 9:52AM (2/28/2008)
I think this thread has gone off on a tangent with regards to the whole E85 issue. A supercar is going to be a gas guzzler regardless so the point is mute.
Anywho, I can't wait to see the new S5S Raptor at the NY Auto Show! It looks like Saleen is moving ahead of the competition and thinking out of the box when it comes to marrying up style with speed!
Bravo Saleen! Keep the new ideas flowing!
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Kimbo 10:05PM (2/29/2008)
MG, you know its a fake Saleen.
Your new asc bosses are turning you into a spindoctor! No wonder Steve never trusted you.
Mr. Oak 10:41AM (2/28/2008)
That is one sweet looking ride. Just hope it is not nearly as large ar the S7.
On the E85 comments, WTF? tell the damn Chinese to control their exploding population. Between them and India, the two will eat the world dry.
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Big Rocket 10:29PM (2/28/2008)
According to the 2008 World Factbook published by the CIA, using data circa 2005 and 2006, the United States alone consumes much more oil than China and India combined. Factor in the population of each country, and it is truly staggering how much oil we Americans consume per capita. Before you go blaming the Chinese and the Indians, maybe you should look yourself in the mirror.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2174rank.html
Mr. Oak 10:52AM (2/29/2008)
Yo! BigRocket, I was being "GLIB" "Tongue In Cheek" etc.etc.
P.S. At the rate that the Chinese are buying Buicks, it won't be long.
Also. That is because 70 - 80% of their energy still comes from coal. They are however, on order to modernise their industrial engine. Modernise = Move from coal to Oil. That order is because of the staggering healthcare issues caused by the "Dirty" fuel that they use.
Big Rocket 1:02PM (2/29/2008)
Nothing wrong with being tongue in cheek, but sometimes it is hard to tell. BTW, as far as coal use is concerned, it is true that China consumes more coal as a country than the United States. Now, factor in each country's population, and the per capita use of coal doesn't look pretty for us.
National coal consumption, 2006:
China: 2.578 billion tons
US: 1.114 billion tons
Population, 2006:
China: 1.311 billion people
US: 0.299 billion people
Per capita coal consumption, 2006:
US: 3.726 tons per person
China: 1.966 tons per person
Links:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/RecentCoalConsumptionMST.xls
http://www.prb.org/pdf06/06WorldDataSheet.pdf
TwinTurbo3000GT 1:15PM (2/28/2008)
looks good, al long as they offer a normal gasoline engine as well.
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wish he was steve 6:06PM (2/28/2008)
Saleen has no Steve Saleen
Saleen has no CASH
Saleen has no CAR
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worked there 8:23PM (2/28/2008)
Chris Theodore couldn't carry Billy Tally's lunch box!
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Fuel4Blud 1:06PM (3/30/2008)
Supercar manufacturers have started using E85 for it's performance benefits not its environmental ones. E85 has a higher octane than regular gas and cools the cumbustion chambers. Just look at what renowned supercar maker Koenigsegg has done with its CCXR. Just by swithing their 800bhp CCX motor over to E85 Biofuel they have acheived an unprecedented 1018bhp.
http://www.supercars.net/cars/3756.html
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