Saleen S7 2007
January 1, 2007
From its light but immensely strong steel frame to its immaculately finished composite body shell, the Saleen S7 gives every indication of being a racing car lightly tamed for road use. This impression is fortified by the race-bred rocker-arm suspension units, massive disc brakes and wide, grippy tires at all four corners. These pieces ensure that the power generated by a turbocharged V-8 engine, itself unique to the S7, does not overwhelm the chassis. Should a buyer feel the standard version is insufficiently rapid, kits raising horsepower to 850 or a round 1000 hp are off-ered, but only for "off-highway" use. Though endowed with a veneer of civility, the S7 is a very serious car, and while those who insist on traction control, paddle shifters or antilock brakes must look elsewhere, the S7 is otherwise comprehensively equipped for speed and comfort. As a bespoke machine, it is tailored to the owner’s size as well as his or her color and equipment preferences during construction.
PRICE: $580,000
ENGINE: 7.0-liter turbocharged V-8
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
POWER: 750 hp at 6300 rpm
TORQUE: 700 ft lbs at 4,800 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 2950 lbs
0-60 MPH: 2.8 seconds
TOP SPEED: 248 mph
PROS: Incredible performance for talented drivers
CONS: Unwieldy on the street
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