Saleen · 2000–2009

Saleen S7

The Saleen S7 is an American hand-built, high-performance sports car designed and built by American automobile manufacturer Saleen Automotive, Inc. Developed jointly by Steve Saleen for the initial concept, direction and engine, Hidden Creek Industries for resources and initial funding, the chassis and suspension are build in Irvine,CA and Phil Frank for aerodynamic, body and interior CAD design and development. It was the first fully proprietary car produced by Saleen and became America's sixth mid-engine production sports car coming after the Pontiac Fiero, Consulier GTP, Mosler Raptor, Vector W8, and M12. The S7 debuted on August 19, 2000, at the Monterey Historic Races. The all-aluminium engine is a proprietary unit developed and built in house. It is a bored-and-stroked derivative of Ford's 351 Windsor small block, with Cleveland-style canted valve heads which have been extensively reworked and modified. Having a large displacement of 427 cubic inches (7.0 L) the engine is based on and has been developed around the more compact and lighter small-block architecture and is in fact not based on the FE big-block. It proved remarkably tractable and flexible for a high-output requirement—550 hp (410 kW) at 6,400 rpm. In 2005, the S7 gained a more powerful twin-turbocharged powerplant which boosted engine power to 750 hp (559 kW) and estimated top speed of 250 mph (402 km/h).

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Saleen S5S Raptor

All Saleen S7 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Overview

=== Exterior === The body of the car, made entirely from carbon fiber, incorporates the use of scoops, spoilers, and other aerodynamic features to create Split Channel airflow throughout the car. At 160 mph (257 km/h), the car creates its own weight in downforce. Interior. Leather appears throughout the cabin, with aluminum accents. The S7 comes with a set of custom-fit luggage. Because of the car's mid-engine layout, it has two trunks at the front and rear. Other features include an LCD monitor, rear-view camera, quick-release steering wheel and a 240 mph (390 km/h) speedometer. The cabin is of an asymmetrical layout, and comes with fixed seats, with the driver's seat positioned toward the center to improve both the driver's visibility and center the driver's weight in the vehicle. Chassis. The chassis uses a space frame design consisting of 4130 lightweight steel and aluminium honeycomb composite reinforcing panels. It is divided into bolt-fastened sub-assemblies to allow for rapid access to critical subsystems. This design contributes to the car's light overall weight of 2,865 lb (1,300 kg). Performance. The naturally aspirated version of the S7 is able to accelerate from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in an estimated 3.3 seconds, and to 100 mph (161 km/h) in an estimated 7.6 seconds. It completes a standing 1⁄4 mile (402 m) in an estimated 11.36 seconds, reaching 127 mph (204 km/h). Top speed was claimed to be 220 mph (354 km/h), but this has never been confirmed in testing. Electrical systems. Standard electronics include: Power windows, power door locks, remote control operated doors, hood, trunk, and engine compartment openers, electronic power steering with redundant safety circuits, 110 volt inlet for maintaining the battery, electronic heated front window, shut off contro

S7 Twin Turbo

=== Engine === The engine is upgraded with Garrett twin-turbochargers producing 5.5 psi (0.38 bar) of boost, increasing the maximum power output to 750 hp (559 kW; 760 PS) at 6,300 rpm and the maximum torque to 700 lb⋅ft (949 N⋅m) at 4,800 rpm. The front and rear diffusers and the rear spoiler were also reworked to increase downforce by 60%. Performance. Manufacturer estimates: 0–60 mph (97 km/h): 2.7 sec 0–100 mph (161 km/h): 5.9 sec 0–200 mph (322 km/h): 27 sec 1⁄4 mile (402 m): 10.5 sec Top speed: 248 mph (399 km/h) Competition package. In 2006, Saleen offered an optional competition package for the S7 Twin Turbo. The package offers a 33% increase in power, to a total of approximately 1,000 hp (1,014 PS; 746 kW), as well as changes to the suspension, a revised front and rear diffuser, and an optional aerodynamic package with carbon fiber front and rear spoilers.

S7 LM

In 2017, Saleen announced the relaunch of the S7 sports car. The new car, called the S7 LM commemorated Saleen's success in motorsports. Additional wind tunnel development lead to modifications in the exterior design which includes a full-width rear spoiler, side skirts and under body channels along with new forged alloy wheels. The interior comes with bucket seats, a digital tachometer, shift light indicator and a 240 mph speedometer. The engine has an increased power output of 1,300 hp (969 kW). In 2019, it was reported that the power output and performance of the car were updated. The engine was now rated at 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) and 1,398 lb⋅ft (1,895 N⋅m) of torque. Performance figures include a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration time of 2.2 seconds and a claimed top speed of 298 mph (480 km/h). It wasn't clear how many cars would be made.

S7-R

The Saleen S7-R is a racing version of the standard, naturally aspirated S7, produced from 2000 to 2007. It was designed to compete in grand tourer–style motorsports series and events such as the American Le Mans Series, FIA GT Championship, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 7.0 L (427 cu. in.) naturally-aspirated V8 engine produces about 631 hp, and 610 lb-ft of torque, using two air intake restrictor plates. Unrestricted, however, the engine is capable of producing a massive 760 hp, and 740 lb-ft of torque. Ray Mallock Ltd. (RML) assembled the first few S7-Rs under the supervision of Saleen's engineering team in their workshops in Britain, before Saleen assumed control over all S7-R assembly with the French Oreca squad executing final outfitting in 2006. A total of fourteen S7-Rs were completed to race-ready condition. Seven additional S7-Rs were assembled to a level of completeness requiring the assignment of Vehicle Identification Numbers; however, these chassis were never outfitted into complete vehicles. In 2004, Ferrari had gathered VIPs and automotive press around the world at Ferrari's Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari race track for the round 8 of the FIA GT Super Racing Weekend Imola to witness the sure victory of their race cars and then new Maserati MC12 GT1 against foreign competition. Vitaphone Racing's S7-R driven by Michael Bartels and Uwe Alzen competed against two Maserati MC12s, three Ferrari 550s, three Ferrari 575s and two Lamborghini Murcielagos in GT Class specification securing the overall win. Ferrari's then CEO Luca Cordero di Montezemolo was in attendance of the race and he admitted the S7-R's victory by saying "We were no match for the Saleen today". It was regarded as one of the biggest upsets in auto racing history by the automotive press as a race

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Saleen S7
Manufacturer: Saleen
Production: 2000–2009
Assembly: United States: Irvine, California
Designer: Steve Saleen, Phil Frank
Class: Sports car (S)
Body style: 2-door coupé
Layout: Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine: 427 CID Ford Windsor V8 (naturally aspirated / twin-turbocharged)
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Wheelbase: 2700 mm
Length: 188 in
Width: 78 in
Height: 41 in
Kerb weight: 2865 lb

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1369208CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saleen_S7CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1376051655 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SAG2004_181_Saleen.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Semnoz at French Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.