New York 2008: Saleen S5S Raptor revealed
by Jonathon Ramsey on Mar 19th 2008 at 11:30AM 
Click above to view gallery of the Saleen S5S Raptor
Though Saleen won't be officially unveiling its new supercar, the S5S Raptor, on stage until tomorrow, we've got pics and details for you now. Though slated to slot below the hardcore S7 in Saleen's lineup, the S5S Raptor looks no less the part of a high-powered high-performance sports car. It's powered by a supercharged 5.0L engine mounted amidships producing around 650 horsepower and 630 lb-ft. of churn on a steady diet of E85 ethanol.
Developed as a collaboration between Saleen and specialty builder ASC -- both of which are owned by the same private equity firm -- the car is plenty of tech and a bit of throwback. The aluminum chassis 2-seater can get from 0-60 in a supercar-standard 3.2 seconds. When it's time to stop, six-pot calipers hidden by 20-inch wheels clamp down on 15-inch rotors up front. The retro bit: a six-speed manual gearbox. A paddle-shifting sequential is also in the works and may be ready when the car goes into production in 2010. Compared to the S7, the S5S is another relative domestic bargain at only $185,000.
We'll bring you live shots of the S5S Raptor tomorrow when it officially debuts, but until then, check out the gallery of shots below.
UPDATE: New high-res images added to gallery below. Look for live pics of the car's official debut tomorrow.
[Source: Inside Line]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
SPG 11:35AM (3/19/2008)
This car looks a bit cartoonish to me.
I do however, prefer the looks to the S7.
Reply
KA 3:38PM (3/19/2008)
They're supercars. They're supposed to be cartoonish, ridiculous, and ostentatious -- that's the whole point.
SPG 3:39PM (3/19/2008)
I suppose that means you agree then eh what?
Pedro 11:38AM (3/19/2008)
Very Nice!
Reply
mcheddadi 11:39AM (3/19/2008)
SO HOT!
Reply
Yar 11:42AM (3/19/2008)
Wow. The next few weeks are gonna suck, we've been so spoiled recently with the Solstice targa, G8 GXP, and now this...
Reply
AlexP 11:44AM (3/19/2008)
Requesting smaller pictures.
Reply
Chris 11:49AM (3/19/2008)
Gorgeous
Reply
Red 11:57AM (3/19/2008)
Agreed. It's supercar that doesn't look like an R8, nor an F430. Very difficult to find anything remotely original these days. Nice job.
Zamafir 11:51AM (3/19/2008)
awesome- perhaps the most cogent possible outcome of combining the vw nardo w12 concept and f430 design language. I prefer this to the s7. Very very impressive!
Reply
meshies 11:51AM (3/19/2008)
Looks very very good. I would take that over a Guyyyyyardo.
Reply
pmalik 11:58AM (3/19/2008)
the wheel arches are WAY overdone... looks like a hotwheels car. Hope they tune it down some before production.
Reply
mk 12:03PM (3/19/2008)
That is actually pretty compelling.
It will be interesting to see more about this.
It is quite attractive, from the front and the back. Midship 5-liter supercharged (Ford presumably) V8...
With some good tech, like SLA suspension on all four wheels, magneto-fluid dampers, dual-clutch gearbox, HUD, etc... this could be the mid-engine sports car that America has been trying to build for quite some time, but never quite making it for one reason or another.
Dare I say it, but an American successor to the NSX's role of modern mid-engined sports car that is attractive on it's merits more than it's brand name.
Reply
gotsmart 12:05PM (3/19/2008)
Beautiful work. Much more attractive than the S7, which i find has too many gills, slits and vents for its own good (from an aesthetic perspective). Much like the early Lamborghini Countach vs. the later versions.
Reply
2004m3driver 12:11PM (3/19/2008)
Looks good. Hard to choose this over that awesome new Gallardo 560 though. http://www.supercars.net/cars/4080.html
That thing is Hot!
Reply
PAT 12:14PM (3/19/2008)
Looks unique, and has solid performance numbers. I would have a hard time paying 185,000 for a blown ford V-8.
Reply
Mr. Oak 12:47PM (3/19/2008)
That Ford lump would be much more reliable than anything out of Italy.
PAT 12:59PM (3/19/2008)
You could be right man.
zamafir 1:32PM (3/19/2008)
Just like the Ford GT. Panicle of reliability eh?
Mike 4:16PM (3/19/2008)
Zamifir,
What are you talking about? Are you privy to new data as yet unheard of by any other source that would say that the Ford GT engine has any problems whatsoever? There's guys out there making 1,000+ hp with a couple turbos and a tune and they don't seem to be having any reliability issues.