Saleen is most famous for modifying Mustangs, but every now and then, the American car maker can occasionally suffer the odd mentalist fit and create something appropriately barmy. The Saleen S5S Raptor is the result of such an episode and is expected to go on sale in 2010.
It’s the second all-new supercar that Saleen has built – the first being the S7, a road-legal race car that was first unveiled in 2000. But whereas the S7 enjoyed plenty of success on the track and cost in excess of £200k, the Raptor has been built purely for the road and will be priced at just under £100k. When you check the spec, that sounds like a bit of a performance bargain.
Developed in collaboration with bespoke car builder ASC, the Saleen Raptor is powered by a supercharged 5.0-litre engine that produces around 650bhp and 630lb ft of torque to the rear wheels. And it can run on bio-ethanol. Saleen says the two-seater is good to hit 60mph in 3.2 seconds – that’s faster than a Ferrari 599. Top speed will be in excess of 200mph and with six-pot callipers all round, it should stop as well as it goes. Saleen will initially supply the Raptor with a six-speed manual gearbox, but the company is also working on a paddle-shift sequential gearbox. Let’s just hope somebody imports the car over to Britain.
Check out what else is at the New York Motor Show