Saleen is mean and green these days, evident by their latest supercar showing at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Making an estimated 650 horsepower and 630 pounds of torque with ethanol fuel, this American made eco-friendly supercar blisters to 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds en route to an astonishing 200 mph top speed. The “Raptor”, inspired by bird of prey.

The Saleen S5S Raptor’s 2 seater chassis is built entirely of aluminum construction to keep the weight down, with body mouldings crafted from composite material. The supercar is being built by Saleen and ASC in a joint effort (they share ownership) . The E85 burning (official fuel of the 2008 American Le Mans Race Series and the IRL), twin-screw supercharged 5.0 liter mid-engine configuration is making big news – and everyone is watching. It’s shifted by choice of either a 6-speed manual transmission or an optional paddle shifting sequential. Stopping the Ferarri killer’s 20″ forged aluminum wheels are the job of 15/13 inch brakes and 6 caliper pistons. They’ve got their work cut out for them…

In a snippet from Saleen’s official press release:

The Raptor is just a glimpse of things to come from Saleen, says Chief Technical Officer, Chris Theodore. Our company is unique in that we have the experience and knowledge behind some of the most exciting performance vehicles built over the past 20 years. Beyond the S7 Supercar, our team members have been involved in the Viper, Prowler, Ford GT, and the products of Chrysler SRT and Ford’s SVT performance groups. These lessons learned are evident in the Raptor concept and we will continue to build upon them as the company evolves.

Pretty much sums it up. Expect an exciting 2010.  Oh, and this bright yellow display just isn’t some far fetched, plastic molded display either - Saleen expects it on the market within 2 years and can be had for a bargain price of $185,000. Well, ok not a bargain - but pretty darn good for a supercar.

Tags: asc, concept, e85, ethanol, raptor, s5s, Saleen, supercar

This entry was posted on Friday, April 18th, 2008 at 1:49 pm and is filed under Concepts, Detroit Auto Show, Saleen, Supercar/Exotics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.