Saleen S7 Twin Turbo: The American Dream

Before the Ford GT (2005), America didn’t really have a mid-engine supercar. The Corvette was front-engine. The Viper was front-engine. Steve Saleen, a Mustang tuner, decided to change that. He built the Saleen S7.

Unlike most supercars, the S7 wasn’t a road car adapted for racing. It was a race car (the S7-R) adapted for the road.

Aerodynamics: Upside Down

The S7 was designed in a wind tunnel.

• Long Tail: The rear deck is incredibly long to smooth airflow.
• Diffuser: The rear diffuser is massive.
• Downforce: At 160 mph, the car generates enough downforce to equal its own weight. Theoretically, it could drive upside down (though no one tried).

The Engine: 7.0 Liters of Boost

The original S7 had a naturally aspirated Ford Windsor V8 (550 hp). In 2005, Saleen bolted on two Garrett turbochargers.

• Power: 750 hp.
• Torque: 949 Nm.
• Competition Package: A later “Competition” option bumped power to 1,000 hp.

Driving: The Widowmaker

The S7 is notorious for being difficult to drive.

• Width: It is extremely wide.
• Visibility: Zero.
• Clutch: Heavy.
• Power: The turbos hit hard. With no traction control, it would spin the wheels in 4th gear on the highway. It has a reputation for crashing (often with celebrities inside).

Racing Pedigree

The S7-R race car won its class at the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It proved that America could build a chassis that could corner, not just go fast in a straight line.

Value

Today, an S7 Twin Turbo is a multimillion-dollar collector car ($600k - $1M+). It is the grandfather of the modern American hypercar (Hennessey, SSC).