Saleen S7 Twin Turbo

Saleen S7 Twin Turbo 2005

Saleen knows all about power. As in S281 Mustangs, N2O Focuses and the S7, America's first (and still the only) mid-engine exotic supercar. When it went on sale in 2002, the S7 was the only street-legal car in the U.S. with more than 500 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. The media and S7 owners have raved about the car since it first smoked the rear tires in anger.

The past three years the automobile marketplace has witnessed an explosion of performance with models from manufacturers including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Chevrolet touting power numbers above the once magic 500 level.
Saleen is not an organization content to rest on yesterday's 0-60 mph times or quarter-mile speeds. So for 2005 it's "goodbye S7" and "all hail the S7 Twin Turbo!"
This is the first major change to the S7 since its introduction, and it is a BIG change as in 750 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque, numbers the competition will be chasing for a long while we predict.

What's New for 2005
It was pretty obvious to Saleen product planners during the late 1990s that horsepower and torque numbers were trending upwards, especially among the purveyors of supercars. And power figures that looked spectacular at that time might seem quite ordinary a few years down the road. So Saleen engineers have been planning for this day since they drew the first line on a computer screen for the original S7's 7-liter engine.

Engine & Drivetrain

Designed by Saleen engineers, the S7's engine and drivetrain incorporate the latest in modern racing technology. The new all-aluminum V8 engine casting was engineered and tooled by Saleen to displace seven liters. Redline is 6500 rpm. Space age materials and engineering are used throughout, including stainless steel valves, titanium retainers, beryllium exhaust valve seats, an aluminum throttle body, Saleendesigned aluminum CNC-machined cylinder heads and stainless steel exhaust system.
An exclusive Saleen-designed Front Engine Accessory Drive (FEAD) system results in an extremely compact engine, allowing for better packaging and overall weight distribution. The V8 incorporates a unique Saleen-designed side-mounted water pump, a belt-driven camshaft drive and a Saleen-engineered dry sump oil delivery system.

Chassis, Suspension & Brakes

The S7 chassis and suspension incorporate decades of Saleen's experience in racing, racecar construction and high-performance road car manufacturing. The Saleen S7 architecture begins with a space frame chassis to which honeycomb composite reinforcing is grafted. The body is structural, aerospace-quality, autoclave carbon fiber.
Suspension is via fully independent unequal-length double wishbones with coilover springs, lightweight aluminum dampers (shock absorbers) and stabilizer (anti-roll) bars front and rear. The uprights at each corner are CNC machined billet aluminum, flow-through designs that use air to help cool the bearings.

Interior

As much care has been given to the creature comforts of the Saleen S7 as to its performance. Great attention was given to seating position. The car features asymmetrical seating, with the driver position moved slightly more to the center than the passenger.

To further improve driving comfort and ergonomics, the S7 Twin Turbo incorporates a revised pedal box. The clutch and throttle lever ratios pedals have been changed for lighter pedal efforts. In addition, the three pedals have been spaced farther apart without impinging upon the dead pedal.

Best-in-Practice Design

While the S7 is an American supercar, the vehicle itself reflects a "best-inpractice" philosophy, where Saleen has incorporated superior components from around the globe in order to manufacture the best vehicle possible. For example, the Saleen S7 uses Saleen-engineered/ Brembo-supplied brakes from Italy as well as numerous high technology pieces from companies located in the Midlands area of the United Kingdom, a region that is to motorsports what the Silicon Valley is to computers. Initial wind tunnel testing was conducted at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

Marketing

The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the 2005 S7 Twin Turbo is $555,000. That's $100,000 less than an Enzo (which is out of production and escalating in price) and nearly $300,000 fewer dollars than the Maserati. And you could have Her and His S7s for the price of the McLaren F1!
When it comes to performance AND value, nothing on his planet can come close to matching the S7 Twin Turbo.