Saleen S5S Raptor

Mighty supercar makes New York debut

Legendary for its tuned Ford Mustangs, American firm Saleen has finally unveiled a road going car it can call its own.

Auto Express Car Reviews

20th March 2008

The American tuning firm Saleen has unveiled a new supercar, aimed at the likes of the Porsche 911 and Audi R8.

Inspired by the million S7 endurance racer, this is the Saleen S5S Raptor - and it promises to put the company firmly on the performance car map. The spectacular looking machine is powered by a mid-mounted, 5.0-litre V8, tuned to run on E85 bioethanol fuel.

Unveiled at the 2008 New York Motor Show, the car also gets a supercharger to lift power to an impressive 650bhp. Performance is channelled to the road via the rear wheels, through a six speed manual gearbox, while the car also gets huge 20-inch wheels and high performance brakes with powerful six pot callipers.

Based on a weight saving aluminium spaceframe chassis - similar in concept to the one that underpins the Lotus Elise - the strict two seater promises a 0-60mph sprint of only 3.2-seconds and a top speed of 202mph.

Prices are yet to be announced, but its thought the car will sell for around £100,000 when it goes on sale early next year.