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2004 Saleen S7 Overview

Worlds Fastest Supercar

Have you ever seen a Saleen S7? The closest most people ever get to Americas mid-engine supercar is either at an auto show or on the small screen in the Gillette Mach 3 Turbo ad - thats a mens razor not a car.

The all-American Ferrari-killer is a project in literal motion, a car constantly being revised in the micro-automakers pursuit to be the best, and resultantly win sales from a very small target niche.

The simplest way to get attention, and one that is often used in this game of ultimate power broking, is to up engine performance. Swedens supercar-maker Koenigsegg has recently done just that with its updated CCR,

The closest most people will come to Saleens Ferrari-killing S7 is through current TV ads. (Photo: Saleen)

while other sports car marques continue to increase the ante in the horsepower poker play.

In this game the higher the numbers, the more respect you get. Therefore, for the 2004 model year the mid-engined S7 has been boosted to 575 horsepower. The S7s motor, an 7.0-liter V8, is loosely based on Fords NASCAR V8 block, but Saleen has thoroughly re-worked the powerplant. The block, heads, and

For the 2004 model year the mid-engined S7 has been boosted to 575 horsepower. (Photo: Saleen)

crankshaft are Saleens own creations, and cast from aluminum and forged steel. There are however fundamentals that have not been changed. For one, the V8 is still a 2-valve per cylinder unit with pushrods - unconventionally old school in the modern day supercar scene.

Its 575 horsepower output is up from the previous version at 550, while torque has increased to 568 lb-ft at 4700 rpm, up 44 lb-ft. Power is fed through a straight-cut 6-speed manual gearbox. While it pales in comparison to the 806-hp

The S7s engine has the title of worlds most powerful naturally-aspirated production V8. (Photo: Saleen)

Koenigsegg CCR, the S7 still has the title of worlds most powerful naturally-aspirated production V8 motor.

All the power is forced through a longitudinally mounted 6-speed all synchromesh transaxle with a final drive ratio of 3.22. A limited slip differential keeps the rear wheels in check under full acceleration, while a metallic 5.5-inch diameter, 4-plate, hydraulically actuated clutch is the interface between man and machine.

So what difference does the extra power make for the S7? Well, it will certainly be hard to tell, but its very impressive zero to 60 mph sprint

Factory test figures peg the S7 as the worlds quickest car. (Photo: Saleen)

takes just 2.9 seconds, and 100 mph arrives in a mere 6.5 seconds. Top speed is estimated at 200 mph, or so.

That speed is allowable due to advanced wind tunnel developed aerodynamics, such as integrated split-channel air flow throughout car, full underside aerodynamics, advanced design front tray and side skirts, plus an integrated full body wing.

The factory figures make the S7 the worlds quickest car, beating out the McLaren F1, Ferrari Enzo and Pagani Zonda by a healthy margin, but it will have to be made official and tested by a trusted third party before such a claim can be confirmed.

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