Remember the Saleen S7? How could you not: it was one of the greatest supercars America has ever made. And now it’s coming back.
Principally known for tuning Mustangs (among others), Saleen launched its own supercar at the turn of the millennium. Capable of taking on the best that Europe has to offer, the mid-engined exotic was powered by a 7.0-liter V8 and famously produced enough downforce to (theoretically) allow it to drive upside down on the roof of a tunnel at 160 miles per hour.
In naturally aspirated form and with 550 horsepower on tap, it could hit 60 in 3.3 seconds and top out at 220 mph. An even more powerful twin-turbo version followed with 750 hp that could, according to the manufacturer, reach 248 mph, passing 60 along the way in 2.8 seconds and covering the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds.
All good things come to an end, however, and Saleen stopped making the S7 in 2009. Plans for a followup called the S5S Raptor never reached the production phase, but now the company – which had since split and remerged – is bringing the S7 out of retirement, albeit in very limited quantities.
Dubbed the S7 LM, the new version is slated to pack that same 7.0-liter twin-turbo V8. But this time it projected to produce 1,000 hp, or nearly twice the original’s output. Only seven examples will be made in honor of Saleen’s seven-year winning streak in a variety of racing series that started in 1996 – now 20 years ago. Seems to us like as good a way to celebrate as any we’ve ever seen, and we’re looking forward to seeing it materialize.
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