Saleen S7: seventh heaven… or not!

In the early 2000s, the Saleen S7 was everywhere: in Hollywood films, on the cover of the biggest automotive magazines and then… nothing. What happened?

Steve Saleen got hooked on motor racing in the late 1960s, first with Porsches and then with Ford Mustangs. He won his first race in 1973, at Riverside in California. In 1977, he started in Formula Atlantic before racing against Gilles Villeneuve in the Pro Atlantic series in 1979. It was in 1983 that he founded Saleen Autosport (which would become Saleen Inc.) with the aim of preparing Mustangs.

The timing is right as the Mustang’s 5.0-liter V8 is regaining horsepower after some tough years (the famous unease era ). The first cars were completed in 1984. From then on, Saleen delivered several hundred vehicles a year while maintaining a presence in competition. Over the years, the company diversified with other Ford products (particularly utility vehicles) and specialized in compressors. In 1995, Steve Saleen founded the RRR Speedlab racing team with Bob Bondurant and comedian Tim Allen. Between 1999 and 2009, Saleen sold over 9,500 self-modified Mustangs.

The English branch

At the end of the 90s, and after noticing the difficulty of heavily modifying an already existing vehicle (see the Mustang-based Saleen SR), Steve Saleen said to himself that the next step was logically the development of his own model.

He turns to the RML company for the design of the chassis, the suspensions and the optimization of the aerodynamics. Based in England, RML was originally a racing team founded by driver Ray Mallock in 1979 before becoming an engineering company capable of producing racing vehicles, prototypes or concept vehicles (it was the company that manufactured the Nissan Juke-R).

RML notably designed and raced the Aston Martin AMR-1 in the late 80s and early 90s as well as several BTCC and WTCC cars. RML develops a tubular steel frame with aluminum honeycomb panels (a guided choice, among other things, for ease of repair). Mallock works on aerodynamics with scale models tested in the wind tunnel at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and is particularly interested in what happens under the car. It seems that the S7 is able to generate its own weight in support past 250 km / h. It is Phil Frank, industrial designer and regular collaborator of Saleen, who signs the lines of the vehicle. The numerous air inlets are functional and are used either for cooling or to improve drag in the air. As for the engine, if it generally takes up the architecture of the V8 Ford Windsor, it is an internal design at Saleen, produced by Bill Tally, and resulting from the experience of several years in competition.

A very American brute

The Saleen S7 was unveiled at Historic Races in Monterey, California on August 19, 2000 (as part of Monterey Car Week, which also included the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance). The master of ceremonies was, of course, Tim Allen. The S7 has imposing proportions: wide (1.99 m), low (1.04 m) and long (4.77 m). Although only the bodywork is in carbon fibre, the weight is relatively well maintained (1,300 kg, with a front/rear distribution of 40%/60%).

The 7.0-liter (427 hp for Ford enthusiasts) two-valve-per-cylinder engine develops 550 horsepower and 525 lb-ft of torque with a redline at 7,000 rpm. It is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission with a rear limited-slip differential. Everything rests on 19-inch Pirelli P-Zero Rossa tires concealing Brembo brake calipers. Inside, the driver is shifted slightly to the right to improve weight distribution. There is Connolly leather everywhere and there is an absolutely essential reversing camera and air conditioning. There are also two small compartments for luggage. And the most important? The magazine Road&Track will achieve 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, 0 to 100 mph in 8.9 seconds, the quarter mile in 11.8 seconds with an “estimated” top speed of 355 km/h.

At launch, Saleen is extremely optimistic about its S7. The planned production is 300 to 400 copies over 4 years. The cars are sold through Ford dealerships or exotic car dealers, all certified by Saleen. The required price is 375,000 USD (for comparison, a Ferrari F50 was priced at 487,000 USD in 1997). The press appreciates the approach of Saleen (an American car capable of walking on the flowerbeds of Ferrari and Lamborghini), the aesthetics, the performance but finds the car difficult on a daily basis (clutch which requires a delicate dosage, control virile gearbox, no ABS brakes, noisy interior…). Because the S7 is neither more nor less than a racing car in street clothes. In 2003, the S7 got a starring role in the comedy Bruce Almighty (Bruce the Almighty) with Jim Carrey (she will also be seen in Iron Man in 2008).

Obviously, a racing variant (called S7-R) is developed in parallel with the street version. The engine, once the restrictions are removed, delivers up to 760 horsepower. The car made its debut in 2001 at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Over the years, it carved out a modest track record, culminating in a class victory in LMGT1 at the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans (13th place overall).

But all this is not enough to boost sales. For the year 2001, 7 production cars and 7 R versions were produced (figures provided by the Saleen Owners and Enthusiasts Club, Saleen normally remains very discreet about its production volumes). No S7 is manufactured in 2002. The year 2003 sees the construction of 15 street and 3 racing versions. In 2004, only 8 series models were assembled. We are very far from the initial hopes. And it’s not going to work out…

The breath of the turbos

The 2005 vintage is a source of hope for the company with the presentation of the TT, for Twin Turbo. Fed by two Garrett turbochargers blowing at 5.5 psi, the engine sees its power increase to 750 horsepower and the torque to 700 lb-ft.

The aerodynamics are revised to offer 40% reduction in drag and 60% more downforce with a new spoiler and a new diffuser. Performance is obviously on the rise. The magazine, Car and Driver achieves in April 2006 the 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds (the magazine recognizes that the 3 seconds are achievable with a surface having better grip), the 0 to 100 mph in 6.2 seconds and the quarter mile in 10 .9 seconds at 140 mph (225 km/h) while the top speed is estimated at 400 km/h. The price rose at this time to 585,000 USD. Public interest is rising… a little.

In 2005, 17 S7s were built and 13 in 2006 (to which must be added 1 S7-R in 2005, 2 in 2006 and 1 in 2007). For the 2006 vintage, a “ competition package is offered as an option: an engine developing 1,000 horsepower and revised suspensions. It is not known exactly how many cars received it.

The end of production was announced in 2009 but the SOEC club did not list any new vehicles after 2006. There are thus a total of 30 atmospheric versions, 30 TTs and 15 S7-Rs. It must be said that in the meantime, the competition has grown strongly. Companies like Pagani and Koenigsegg gained their credentials as Ferrari launched the Enzo in 2002 and Bugatti the Veyron in 2005.

Serial setbacks

Moreover, internally, things are not going well either. Saleen was acquired in 2003 by investment firm Hancock Park Associates. The relationship between the investors and Steve Saleen quickly degenerated to the point that the latter resigned from the company he founded in the spring of 2007. He created the SMS preparer (he no longer has the right to use his name as a trademark) less a year later. In 2009, Saleen was sold. The economic crisis of 2008 went through this. The company did poorly, and in 2011 it ceased car production to focus on parts. Finally, Steve Saleen manages to take over the reins of the company in 2012 and combines his activity with that of SMS. The production of Saleen models restarts, but on a smaller scale.

The company is still experiencing difficulties in 2014, but an agreement with Chinese investors from the city of Rugao gives Steve Saleen the promise of new opportunities in Asia. A factory was opened in China in 2018. In July 2019, Steve Saleen presented his projects in a stadium in Beijing. Barely a year later, the adventure was cut short with a police raid on the Chinese factory and trials of all kinds. As for the S7, Saleen unveiled a 1,300 horsepower LM version in 2017 (up to 1,500 horsepower in 2019) with modified aerodynamics. A handful of existing S7s are known to have been converted to LMs, but the rest are extremely hazy. Like everything that has happened at Saleen in recent years…